Gary Payton signs with the Heat

[Balta1701]

The Glove is rejoining Shaq. Gary Payton will be playing in Miami next season.

 

Wow, that team is either going to be so volatile it'll explode or it'll be quite impressive.

 

Gary Payton signed a $1.1 million, one-year deal with Miami on Thursday, the latest move in an offseason filled with significant roster changes by the Heat.

 

Payton, a nine-time All-Star, again joins Shaquille O'Neal -- who lured the veteran point guard to Los Angeles two seasons ago in what ultimately was a failed title quest with the Lakers, who lost to Detroit in the 2004 Finals.

 

Payton and Jason Williams -- another new Heat addition -- will be the team's primary point guards entering training camp, which opens in less than two weeks.

 

"We are very fortunate to have been able to acquire a player of Gary Payton's stature," Heat president Pat Riley said. "He is a proven veteran and will be a big addition to this team."

 

Miami lost starting point guard Damon Jones to Cleveland earlier this summer; Jones signed a four-year, $16.1 million free-agent deal. That move came after the Heat acquired Williams, James Posey and Antoine Walker in a 13-player, five-team deal -- one where Miami gave up swingman Eddie Jones, another starter from the team that won 59 games last season and posted the Eastern Conference's best regular-season record.

 

O'Neal lobbied for the Heat to sign Payton, a free agent who averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 assists for Boston last season, saying he was "the only guy in the world" that could help Payton win his elusive first championship. Payton played with Seattle in the 1996 Finals against Chicago, then returned to the title series with the Lakers two seasons ago -- losing both times.

I'm still amazed how there are a couple teams right now that are trying to do what the Lakers tried 2 years ago - star power to the Nth degree. The Heat are trying, it sure seems like the Spurs are making an effort, etc. It didn't work very well when the Lakers tried it - they ran into an actual team.

[WilliamTell]

Sign up Karl Malone!!!! Realistically this team is gonna be the team to beat in the East.

Edited September 23, 2005 by WilliamTell

[Balta1701]

Sign up Karl Malone!!!! Realistically this team is gonna be the team to beat in the East.

We've already seen in recent memory how a well coached team, playing as a team, can beat a team full of stars.

 

They're the team to beat, but they're by no means unbeatable.

[WilliamTell]

We've already seen in recent memory how a well coached team, playing as a team, can beat a team full of stars.

 

They're the team to beat, but they're by no means unbeatable.

 

Dude do dissagree with everything I say? No matter whether it's the White Sox, other sports, or stuff going on in the world you dissagree about it. I never said they're going to win it, all I said was they'll be the team to beat in the East. As far as the Lakers a couple of years ago, that was a team built for success but also built for disaster. Kobe and Shaq didn't get alone, Karl Malone was injured, and Gary Payton was on the decline of his career.

Edited September 23, 2005 by WilliamTell

[DBAHO]

Let's just Stan Van Gundy's gonna be under a LOT of pressure from Pat Riley from the get go. Wouldn't be suprised to see Riley take over by mid - season in fact.

[Palehosefan]

Its almost like its a bad thing to have alot of talent. I don't understand the Payton signing, but the Heat will have a very solid team with Wade being unselfish as usual until his scoring is needed, the Heat will also have the outside shooting with Walker and Williams in the lineup. Udonis Haslem will be great in the starting lineup because he doesn't care as much about getting his shots in, he just does all the dirty work, as would Posey, Anderson, Simien and Zo.

 

Riley coaching the team would be a disaster, the team is built to run and has a great fallback option for the halfcourt O with the Diesel. Slowing the team down and focusing on defense like Riley's style wouldn't fit Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, or really Dwyane Wade for that matter.

 

The Heat are two deep at every position outside of SG with only Anderson backing up Dwyane. But what REALLY excites me about this team is that IF(shudders) or when Shaq goes down again, the team still has enough talent to compete night in and night out. That really couldn't be said last year. Wade had to take over the games and if he was off, the Heat were out.

[DBAHO]

Palehose, is Wright going to start off the year in the Development League? Should be interesting to see how that plays out, with 4 teams being alloted to 1 team, in terms of who gets the most playing time etc.

[Palehosefan]

I would assume so DBAHO, as there's no PT available and thats what he needs the most to continue developing. He's been on a slower track than I would have thought coming out, but he still shows flashes of his potential, just doesn't really know what he's doing still.

[nitetrain8601]

I think this team will do well. Williams is a pass-first PG despite what many people claim. He wanted to play with Shaq and Wade. He's good friends with Shaq and he knows what he's getting himself into.

 

Walker also knows what he got himself into. He knows he's going to be the 3rd option with a lot of free shots. He'll also play point foward for them.

 

Wade is a very unselfish player. That and the rest of the team knows that the ball goes through Wade and Shaq when need be. So far, all I've heard is that everyone they brought in know they are second to those two players. They know their roles on their team.

 

The problem with the Lakers was all the turmoil that they had combined with the fact that they had no bench. George was injured for most of the time and when he came back, he stunk. Medvedenko should not be the 2nd guy off your bench right next to Derek Fisher. The rest of the guys were basically garbage.

 

I honestly see the Heat beating the Spurs in the Finals this year in 6.