New Point Guard in Miami

A little late to talk about this one, but being in Germany this week I've been a little bit out of touch and behind on the blogging. Mike Bibby, after being traded by the Hawks to the Wizards had his contract bought out and signed on with the Miami Heat giving them a veteran presence at the point guard position. To open up a roster spot, the Heat released opening night starter Carlos Arroyo. The 32 year old Bibby was only averaging 9.4 points and 3.6 assists while the starter in Atlanta, and only scored 2 points in 29 minutes with the Wizards, but Miami hopes he can be the difference maker they're looking for. Despite his decreased scoring, Bibby is still shooting a career best 43.2% from 3-point range which fits perfectly into the Heat's gameplan. Additionally, when you look at Bibby's numbers compared to what the Heat have been getting out of the point guard spot, it's a no-brainer. Mario Chalmers is averaging 6.7 points, 2.3 assists and shooting 35.2% from long range, and the displaced Arroyo averaged 5.6 points, 2.0 assists and shot 43.8% from deep.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Now, is Bibby the piece that makes this a championship team right now? I don't know that I'd go THAT far. While this move does address one of the Heat's glaring weaknesses, let's take note that this isn't the Mike Bibby that quarterbacked the Kings in those great series against the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. It's not even the Bibby whose Hawks took Boston to 7 games the year the Celtics won the NBA title back in 2008. Bibby's now 32 and he's in the midst of one of his worst statistical seasons (minus the 3-point shooting). While he may bring some order to the offense, especially late in games, he's not a plus defensive player. It will also be interesting to see if he can coexist with the other big names on the floor. He's never really been a true facilitator at the point, averaging just 5.7 assists for his career. But he does want to win a championship, having never won a title, and this is his 13th NBA season so he may be willing to assume a lesser role for the good of the team. His Heat debut was a forgettable one as Miami blew a 24 point 3rd quarter lead at home and lost to the Magic 99-96. Bibby was just 1 for 4 in 19 minutes and finished with 3 points and 1 assist. It's going to take more than that if he's going to be the piece they're looking for. Miami takes on San Antonio tonight and Chicago on Sunday in two huge games so the Heat could really use Bibby at the top of his game right now. If Miami doesn't at least split these two games, I'd say there's significant cause for concern in South Beach.