Are NBA Players Like Fine Wine?

If you were to ask that question to Pat Riley, he would reply with a resounding “yes!” It seems that wherever Riley goes, wily old veterans follow. And no matter what their age, he will take the proven tested veteran over the young phenom any day of the week. But as any wine connoisseur knows, wine does not always get better with age. At a certain point, the wine turns into vinegar. This is exactly what happened to the Miami Heat this past season. The team waited until the end of the season to uncork the bottle, only to find that many of the players had gotten sour and undrinkable.

Why it is a Good Idea to Have Veterans

There is evidence everywhere that proves a veterans worth. Just take a look at this year’s NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. That team is anchored by a veteran trio: Parker, Ginobli and Duncan. Hell, Manu sports quite the bald spot, but he is still a widely respected player. Well, maybe respected is a bit much; but he certainly is notorious. Then, you can see the Miami Heat from last year. They were a collection of old guys with a young superstar that were able to make it over the mountain that is the NBA Finals. In fact, Riley has proven time and again that his way of doing things works. You only have to look at his hands to see 7, yes 7, championship rings. Before he retires, he may have to start ordering toe rings.

You can also look at this year’s Chicago Bulls team as an example of what happens to younger players. This will be a great team very soon, but this year, we saw them run into a veteran (not elderly) Piston team that should have been able to sweep them right out. Nevertheless, the veterans got the job done. The fact is that Chicago’s youth killed them. Come playoff time this year or the next, this team will be going deep into the brackets, being perennial contenders in the East (as long as they can stay together).

What Happened to the Heat?

For all the praise that veterans get, there is a time when a player has to be let go. For several on the Heat roster, that time was last year. In my estimation, we should have moved 3 players. Gary Payton is more than beyond his prime; he is beyond his playing time. He should be retiring any minute now. Then, Antoine Walker seems to have lost his edge. When he is tired, he tries shooting the 3; but a tired player shooting the 3 means a tired player missing the 3. He is only useful when he can drive to the hole, but he can barely make it up and down the court anymore.

The final player I would put on the chopping block is Jason Williams. Now, he is not necessarily too old to play; he just could never reach his potential. Stupid mistakes and wild jumpers plagued his early career at the same rate that they plague him now. For every !WOW! pass that he makes, there are 3 turnovers to accompany it. If he hasn’t gotten it by now, he will never get it. It is time to sell this bottle to another team.

Some Heat Veterans Are Still Worth Their Salary

I don’t think that anyone would suggest that Shaq is not worth keeping. He is the true anchor of this team. In fact, he is still the best true center out there (although, with Greg Oden officially joining the NBA tonight, that may soon change). And even when he is not scoring, he will still scare little guards out of the paint and will still command a double on the post, leaving his teammates open for all kinds of shots (whether they can make them or not is a different story). So he is definitely worth his $20 million.

Finally, we have Alonzo Mourning. Now I am willing to bet that there are some of you who think he belongs in the “Vinegar” category, but I definitely disagree. He may be old, but the man can still play. Sure, he is really only useful on the defensive end, but his fire and passion are worth more than Jason Williams, Antoine Walker and Gary Payton combined. Him dunking or blocking a shot (or even better, doing both within a sequence) can fire up the crowd and the team like nothing else.

Overall, Riley’s hand has been forced due to the disappointing post season for the Miami Heat. Changes will be made; it is time to move on, and younger players will be brought in. But don’t expect that all or even one of these players will come from the draft. In fact, I am sure that Riley is trying to figure out just how he can find a good veteran in return for our coveted number 20 pick…

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