 Posted: Sat 4:14, 26 Mar 2011 Post subject: Commentary Mike Bibby can help Miami Heat from 3-p |
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| Commentary: Mike Bibby Jersey can help Miami Heat from 3-point line, and by putting heat on Mario Chalmer
ATLANTA — Mike Bibby Jersey doesn't have all his clothes yet. "I'm working with what I have," said the Heat guard, who has made two trips back to his Atlanta home in the four weeks since the Hawks traded him to Washington and he worked out a buyout to join Miami. It's too early to say how the acquisition will work for the Heat. But, so far, Mike Bibby Jersey has been as advertised. Perhaps he'll handle the ball more as he gets more comfortable with the team's offensive scheme, and be trusted with more minutes against the better point guards as he better understands the team's defensive principles. In his first eight Heat games, Mike Bibby Jersey, 32, is what many Hawks observers saw the past year or so: a poised, if somewhat plodding, veteran who can still stick an open jumper. Friday night, he expects to have a "good homecoming" against the team that swapped him for Kirk Hinrich to improve defensively, but is 4-7 since. Hinrich, in 27 minutes per game, has averaged similar offensive statistics to what Mike Bibby Jersey averaged for Atlanta in 30. Mike Bibby Jersey's numbers have dropped with Miami, largely because he's playing fewer minutes (averaging 20.5) as Mario Chalmers' backup, and handling the ball less with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade often accompanying him on the floor. But already he has made 12 of 25 three-pointers, a 48 percent clip superior to the career-best 44 percent he was producing for Atlanta. He made 2-of-4 against Oklahoma City on Wednesday, with one requiring the backboard, as the rest of the team shot just 1-of-13 behind the arc. In fact, Mike Bibby Jersey has been the Heat's most reliable long-distance option of late, with Mike Miller shooting just 35 percent on three-pointers in March (lower than his season percentage of .382, which is lower than his career percentage of .405). The Heat's three top three-point shooters, by percentage, this season are currently out of the rotation (James Jones and Eddie House) or playing for Boston (Carlos Arroyo). Overall, the Heat ranks ninth in the league at 36.8 percent on three-pointers, up from 19th last season (34.6 percent). Still, even more was expected with all the open looks that the presence of three premium scorers would afford. So, unless Erik Spoelstra finds more time for Jones (which makes sense, even at Miller's expense), Miller gets going (it's about time), or subpar long-range shooters Wade and James stop resorting to the least-efficient part of their repertoire (don't count on it), Mike Bibby Jersey presents the best hope to raise that percentage. What else has Mike Bibby Jersey done? Well, he's done enough in previous seasons to represent a worthy threat to Chalmers, who needs to be frequently reminded that he's replaceable. When asked about Chalmers' more poised play in March - which is more apparent by sight than statistics - Spoelstra noted that "competition always helps." LeBron James, who has taken on a big brother role to Chalmers, spoke before Wednesday's game about how Spoelstra, and improved results, had given Chalmers more confidence. "I never lost confidence in him," James said. "I just tried to continue to make him understand how important he is. As the starting point guard, it's like the quarterback of an NFL team, you have to be one step ahead of everybody. That doesn't mean you're going to be the most skilled player, or score the most points, but you have to be mentally one step ahead of everybody. He's young, but he's still learning, he's making the right steps." Well, he was until Wednesday, a rare recent clunker which, if repeated, could expedite Mike Bibby Jersey's elevation to starter. And, in truth, confidence has never been as much Chalmers' issue as complacency or stubbornness. "Well, Rio's a hard head," James said. "Rio likes to talk back a lot, but he understands that I want him to get better. He's one of those young guys, they sometimes think they know it all. I don't know it all, but I know I have a lot more experience than Rio." James, 26, is just one year older than Chalmers. "Yeah, but this is my eighth year and this is his third year," James said, laughing. "I'm much more seasoned." Mike Bibby Jersey is more seasoned than either. Friday night, he faces a team that thought he was cooked. |
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