Norris Cole Is Proving He Deserves To Start For Miami Heat
By Jared Doyle
@outofboundsjay
Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports
The Miami Heat were able to win their first game in the post-LeBron James era by besting the Washington Wizards at home, 107-95. This game had many notable highlights, like the vicious dunk that James Ennis threw down on Rasual Butler, or the resurgence of Chris Bosh as the primary facilitator, but one of the best performances of the night came from point guard Norris Cole, who is making a case as to why he should continue being in the starting lineup.
Cole ended the night with a stat line of 23 points (a career high), three rebounds and two assists, shooting 9-15 from the field and 3-7 from beyond the arc against the Wizards. These are stellar numbers for a starting point guard. Cole’s primary threat for the starting point guard position, Mario Chalmers, only scored eight points, four rebounds and four assists, while shooting 3-7 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc. That is a drastic difference in production, and Chalmers only played three minutes less than Cole over the entire game.
It would seem that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is trying to transition Chalmers into the backup shooting guard position, giving Dwyane Wade extra relief when needed. This is now the time for Cole to step into the starting role on a more permanent basis and truly shine. His performance last night against the Wizards was a game changer, especially in the third quarter. Cole’s presence in the starting lineup is exactly what this Heat team needs.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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