Let me translate it: "Gary Payton is the biggest 'name' left in the barrel. He's in better shape than some of our PGs from the past (i.e. Hardaway). He might be 37 years old, but... he can move around like no other 37 year old. Keeping up with young guys is not a problem--they run down the court, score, and Payton will meet them at half court."
Well at least he isn't going to Phoenix. He could have helped the Suns, who remain fatally flawed with only one decent ballhandler on the roster (who also happens to be an aging player with questionable durability).
He is the best the Heat can do at this point and a bargain at the min. He is a heck of a lot better than their back up last year, Keyon Dooling. They still much need a deadeye 3 point shooter after losing out on Finley and not keeping either Jones.
Talent-wise, GP is a great backup PG. Wonder how long it will be before he concludes he's better than Jason Williams? Don't take this too far, but the Heat remind me of the Blazers from a few years ago, when their GM stockpiled talent at every position and said (I paraphrase): I just get talent; I'm not a chemist. It will be very difficult for SVG to create a solid 7-9 man rotation without alienating some of the players. On top of this, if Shaq isn't satisfied with his role in the offense, Riley will ride in on his horse to the rescue.
OK pickup, he won't hurt the Heat but like the article mentions they need a dead eye perimeter shooter like Kapano or Jacobson. Land Kapano and they won't miss Damon Jones, what happened to Steve Blake he might have been the ball handler and outside shooter they need all in one.
Looks like it's official haha. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2169443 MIAMI -- Once again, Gary Payton couldn't turn down Shaquille O'Neal. Gary Payton Payton Payton signed a $1.1 million, one-year contract with the Miami Heat on Thursday -- a move that begins a reunion with O'Neal, who lured him to the Los Angeles Lakers two seasons ago for what ultimately was a failed title run. Now the duo is determined to get Payton -- a nine-time All-Star entering his 16th NBA season -- his first title. "We want to win basketball games, and not let our egos get in the way," said Payton, the latest big-name addition to join the Heat this offseason. "Everybody on this team has, at one point, been a star or a starter or a bigger part of their team. ... We have to understand that we are talking about wins, not who is going to have the points." Payton averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 assists for Boston last season, then became a free agent -- and O'Neal said he was "the only guy in the world" that could help Payton win a title. Apparently, Payton agreed. "We're very close, and when he steps up for me like that, it's hard to tell him no," said Payton, who played with Seattle in the 1996 Finals against Chicago, then returned to the title series with the Lakers two seasons ago -- losing both times. Miami will be Payton's fifth team, and he comes with career averages of 17.6 points, 7.2 assists and 2.0 steals. He's third on the NBA's all-time steals list (2,331), sixth in assists (8,508), 12th in minutes played (43,309) and 25th in points (20,829). Payton and Jason Williams -- another new addition -- will be the team's primary point guards entering training camp, which opens Oct. 4. "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. With Williams and Payton, the Heat believe they've improved markedly at the point over last year, when Keyon Dooling -- another free-agent departure, to Orlando -- backed up Damon Jones. Including playoffs, Payton has played in 1,315 games; he's started all but six of them. Yet he may be a reserve in Miami, something that he's apparently fine with. "I'm going to try to help Jason as much as possible," Payton said. "He has never had a guy like me to guide him. When I come into camp, I'm going to try to help him. I'm not going to try to beat him up or beat him down." Williams came to Miami along with forwards James Posey and Antoine Walker in a 13-player, five-team deal earlier this summer -- 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. But that team fell short in the conference finals against Detroit, and Riley made major changes -- something that didn't necessarily surprise Payton. "Look at Pat. He's won championships and he knows what to do to get that extra oomph," Payton said. "Pat probably realized he didn't have that ... and he needed somebody who could make big plays at critical times." Payton said he doesn't expect this to be his final season, although he acknowledged that winning a championship could spark a change in that plan. He believes he could play as many as three more years, yet his sense of urgency to win a championship is stronger than ever. "We have a lot of new guys coming in that are going to have to learn the system," Payton said. "And we are going to have to get it together right away. I think that is where a lot of people are concerned about us. We have a good shot, we have a lot of talent here and we have to get cohesive very quickly."
Also keep in mind Jason Williams, James Posey, AW, GP all owe their allegiance to Riley, not SVG. Notice Payton did not even mention SVG in the article, just Riley. Notice also SVG doesn't have anything to say, just Riley. These new guys (along with Shaq) have Riley's ear and will not give SVG proper respect because Riley will be lurking in the background. I guarantee you the Heat will go through a significant slump during the early part of the season and almost quit on SVG just to get rid of him. Kind of like what happened to Don Chaney when he coached us. Riley will take over, crack the whip, create a new sense of urgency and the team will take off (at least for a while). Even after Riley takes over, some players will be on the short end of the stick (playing time) but if they complain, he will marginalize them quickly. The ONE thing I admire about Riley is his old school approach to coaching today's players, but what he seems to be doing to SVG is just plain wrong.
