Miami Heat: Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole as Starter?

The Miami Heat lost LeBron James this past offseason, but they have moved on and are ready to get a new era of basketball started in Miami once again. There will be quite a few players that need to step up this season for the Heat to contend against both the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, and a couple of those players are point guards Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers.

Both players are capable of being the starting point guard in Miami, so which player should end up starting and most importantly finishing the game?

Mario Chalmers played in and started 73 regular season games with the Heat last season, but played a very inconsistent year for the most part. It was obvious that he didn’t like having to change his game to fit what LeBron James wanted from him, and it hampered his ability to play to his full potential. Despite all of that, he ended up averaging 9.8 points, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and also shot 38.5 percent from behind the three-point arc.

Norris Cole on the other hand was Chalmers’ backup for the majority of the season, and showed quite a bit of promise himself. He averaged 6.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in five less minutes per game. Those numbers aren’t bad at all for a backup point guard, but he isn’t nearly the offensive threat that Chalmers brings to the table.

So what does that mean? Quite simply, Chalmers is the better fit in the starting lineup for the Heat heading into the 2014-15 NBA season. They are going to need an aggressive point guard that can score himself or create for his teammates, and that is exactly what Chalmers will bring to the table.

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There have been games in the past where Chalmers was able to play the type of basketball that he wanted, and he succeeded in doing so. He’s the type of point guard that needs the basketball in his hands, and can either get to the rim and finish strong or dish to open teammates. Cole doesn’t have that ability, and is more of a conventional point guard that simply sets the offense up.

Each player brings a different skill-set to the court, but the Heat really need more scoring in the starting lineup as well as to end the game. Losing LeBron James’ production is going to be tough for the Heat to overcome, but Chalmers has the potential to score a solid 13-14 points per game if he’s given the green light to play his game.

Cole on the other hand will have a huge role off of the bench with the second unit, and will be asked to step up his offense and continue playing hard-nosed defense. Even though he may not end up being the starting point guard, he is still going to be important for Miami.