A few Monday night items:
### When the trade rumors were flying this summer, when Mario Chalmers wasn’t quite sure if he was coming or going, the veteran Heat guard leaned on two old friends: Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
“LeBron and D-Wade are my two closest people when I’ve got things going on in my mind,” Chalmers said Monday on the eve of the start of Heat training camp. “I talked to those two in the summer and it really helped ease my mind. Bron, big brother, he told me, ‘Don’t worry --- it’s a business.’”
A general manager from another team said the Heat shopped Chalmers during the summer in an attempt to lessen its luxury tax burden, because Chalmers’ $4.3 million salary could result in a tax hit of more than double that amount for Miami if he’s on the roster at the end of the regular season.
But Chalmers said he never sought clarity from the Heat, nor has management given him any assurances.
“I talked to them at the end of the season,” he said. “They said, ‘If we have to trade you, we will. If we don’t, we won’t.’… It’s always stressful when you hear your name in trade rumors.”
Chalmers, who had minor knee surgery in May, said the knee discomfort was a “big factor” in his decline last season.
He also was never quite sure of his role, because he switched between both guard spots and between starting and coming off the bench.
“It was kind of, in a way, disappointing,” he said of his role last season. “Maybe I could do more, but I’m not being allowed to. It was more an inside battle, had to figure it out.”
This season, there is clarity; Erik Spoelstra announced Chalmers will be the backup point guard. “You still have to prepare for anything,” Chalmers said. “But at least knowing the clarity of what exact position I can focus on, it does ease my mind going in.”
Said Spoelstra: “Clarity always breeds confidence. Hopefully Rio will wrap his mind and arms around the clarity. I care about Rio. We’ve been through so much as a rookie player, a rookie head coach to now we’re both veterans. I’m excited about him embracing this new role. I’m open to changing for more, better, wherever it could possibly go.”
### Forward Chris Andersen, who also was made available in trades this offseason, said he has felt no need to ask the Heat where he stands. “I didn’t let it bother me one bit,” he said.
### Though there will be an emphasis on pushing the ball, players agreed the Heat will play several different styles, depending on the lineup on the court.
“You want to be able to play a bunch of different styles,” Chris Bosh said. “We are going to get the ball up the court fast. That’s the goal. But it doesn’t mean we’re going to shoot it fast.”
Said Wade: "We have Goran; we want to be able to unleash him…. [But] when you have an opportunity where you need to slow it down and run offense, you want to feel your half-court talent is good enough as well.”
### Forward Josh McRoberts, limited to 17 games last season because of knee surgery, said he’s fine physically and the emphasis is getting his “fitness and endurance back.”
### Goran Dragic said he was “sad” to see his brother traded to Boston but that Zoran is happy playing in Russia this season.
### A few issues addressed by Al Golden: With Deon Bush and Jamal Carter suspended for the first half against Cincinnati, Golden said he won't do anything different from a strategic standpoint before halftime. He said he's confident Rayshawn Jenkins, Dallas Crawford, and freshman Jaquan Johnson can play effectively...
On the team's health: "We’ve gotten healthy. We had a situation where it was just circumstances were odd with [Marques] Gayot. Other than that, we’ve gotten healthy. Stacy [Coley] is further along to being healthy, we’re just not ready yet with that hamstring, and we’re going to be in for it all season if we don’t take care of it. But Braxton [Berrios] is healthy, [Jermaine] Grace is healthy."...
Despite the lack of depth at linebacker (exacerbated by the loss of Gayot and season-ending injury to Darrion Owens), Golden said he wants to redshirt Jamie Gordinier. He hopes Charles Perry or James King emerges as depth.
### Among 75 guards who have played at least 25 percent of their team's downs, Pro Football Focus rates Dallas Thomas 71st and Jamil Douglas 74th. Douglas has allowed 12 quarterback hurries; no other guard has allowed more than nine.
"I think he's done a lot of good things," Joe Philbin said of Douglas. "It’s a process, it’s his first year in the NFL and I think he’s adjusted well. We were hoping to watch continued development. I'm not ready to pull the plug on him yet. We thought Dallas overall played a little bit better than he did last week.”
### Meanwhile, PFF ranks Cam Wake 37th and Olivier Vernon 43rd among 45 defensive ends who play in a 4-3 defense. Each has no sacks and only two quarterback hurries.
### Philbin was asked if Brice McCain was giving a lot of cushion to receivers by design or because of poor technique.
“I think there is some of both there?" Philbin said. "There were some times we wished his alignment were a little bit tighter maybe to discourage some of those underneath throws you were talking about. Some of them are coverage where potentially his alignment is seven yards off. There were pictures of both in the film.”
### Following her Sunday arrest at Sun Life Stadium, Miko Grimes --- wife of Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes --- is in jeopardy of not being permitted to attend Dolphins home games, WINZ's Andy Slater reported.
Miko Grimes was charged with battery on a law-enforcement officer, resisting with violence and disorderly conduct.
Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Zabaleta told Slater that usually in a case like Grimes', the person would be given a trespass warning and not be allowed back at that location. Banning Grimes "is something that (special events police officers) are going to have to discuss," Zabaleta told Slater.
Twitter: @flasportsbuzz.... Please see the last post for a lot more Heat and Dolphins from today, including President Obama's thoughts on the Heat and some introspective analysis from Dwyane Wade.
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