By Joe
Norris Cole started at point guard and he played well, so that was a major positive for the Heat on Tuesday night in its second preseason game, a 108-101 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic.
Now the bad news.
While Cole’s debut at helm of the offense helped calm some troubled waters, it is already obvious (and sometimes painfully so) that the Heat’s needs at point guard go well beyond who is introduced on the videoboard before the game. Starter is important, yes, but so is depth, and the Heat doesn’t it have it right now in the backcourt.
The memory of LeBron James has cast a long shadow over the position.
Cole finished with six assists and two points in less than 27 minutes, and that allowed Mario Chalmers to come off the bench as something of a hybrid guard. I wouldn’t call it a true Sixth Man role at this point because, well, he also had to do plenty of ball handling, which has never been a true strength. The Heat could use a third point guard, but rookie Shabazz Napier is developing slowly.
Napier has received minutes at the end of both preseason games, but nothing more, and he has had trouble …read more