The message has been delivered to Daequan Cook: Simply being a shooter will not suffice.
So Cook is trying to expand his game during the Heat's summer workout program, which intensifies this week. And so far, the results have been encouraging.
Coach Erik Spoelstra envisions Cook as not merely a shooting guard, but "possibly a combo guard" who can shoulder some ball-handling duties. "His ball-handling has improved vastly already in the last month,"
Spoelstra said Monday.
"He's put in a lot of time. He wants to expand his game. He knows we need him to expand his game. The scouting report is out there on him. The wide-open standstill jump shot where he's checking for the wind -- those are really not available to him anymore. We're expecting him to do more."
Spoelstra said he wants Cook "to get 500 pick and rolls this week where he has to see the situation and make a play out of it. Really expanding his game and being able to do more things off the dribble. I don't even care how many mistakes he makes this week with it. I want him handling the ball as much as he can this week."
Cook averaged 10.4 points, 38.5 percent shooting overall and 41.4 percent shooting on three-pointers before the All-Star break, but his numbers fell off and he finished at 9.1, 37.5 and 38.7.
Cook blames his post All-star-break decline on a shoulder injury. He said he still feels tightness but ``it should be good by training camp.''
The Heat also is working with small forward James Jones on his ball-handling. Jones has had 30 workouts since the season ended.
"I don't want to see him shoot a spot-up three,"
Spoelstra said. "James is 44 percent the last two years. He pretty much perfected that. Everything has to be off the dribble."
ODDS AND ENDS
• Spoelstra will give Michael Beasley ample time at small forward during this week's camp and said his "skill set is a little more advanced than maybe we anticipated. He can handle the ball, good feel, good tempo. We have to work on some things defensively."
He also will continue to work some at power forward.
• Though second-round pick Robert Dozier might end up in Europe, he said the Heat has not raised that possibility. "I don't want to go to Europe,"
said Dozier, who said he is splitting time between small forward and power forward in workouts.
But the Heat already has 11 players under contract, not including restricted free agents Jamario Moon and Joel Anthony, unrestricted free agent Jamaal Magliore and Luther Head and second-round pick Pat Beverley, who was selected 42nd by the Lakers and traded to the Heat.
Dozier, who was chosen with the last pick of last month's draft [60th overall]," is intriguing with his size, quickness,"
Spoelstra said. "He has an ability to block shots but he also has perimeter skills. He has the skill set to be in this league. . . . The only guarantee he has is that he can be here for three months and develop."
• Among the players working in the Heat's program this week: journeymen Jackson Vroman and former University of Miami small forward Brian Asbury. The Heat is not fielding a team in a summer league.
