With so much change going on in South Beach there are many stories to focus on, but one that manages to keep sneaking its way into headlines is the intriguing status of the Miami Heat’s Mario Chalmers — and with just cause.
Articles were written everywhere about him losing his confidence, losing his skills and potentially even losing his spot on the team. But if there’s one thing that we know is true, it’s that the certainty of him not coming of the bench in tonight’s opener is slimmer than Shaquille O’Neal fitting into a Kenny Smith suit.
That’s a fact that even Chalmers seems to know, although coach Erik Spoelstra has been reluctant to say which point guard will get the starting nod. Yet after being slotted into the guarantee of hearing his name in the opening announcements for the last three years, he has adopted a leading sixth man mentality instead of pouting in public.
“Of course you want to start, but you want to finish the game,” Chalmers said via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “It’s more about the minutes. At the same time, it’s a mental thing.”
You could almost be sure that Chalmers’ ego is tugging at him, but he has not been showing it. Instead the six-year veteran has been surprisingly good at reverting back to his college position of a natural two-guard — 10.2 PPG good in the preseason. However, tonight, the Washington Wizards will be the first real test in a season-long journey of the team and their old starting point guard trying to reinvent themselves.
Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.
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