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| Norris Cole Joins The Heat |
Norris Cole is a 6'2" 170 lbs. Senior from Dayton, Ohio. Cole was named Horizon League player of the year and defensive player of the year. He averaged 21.7, 5.8 boards, and 5.3 assists this past season. Cole was a finalist for the Bob Cousy award and is known as a productive all round player. His 41 point, 20 board, and 9 assist game vs Youngstown State was only the second time in NCAA history that a player scores 40 points and bags 20 rebounds, the other player was Blake Griffin.
Cole is a true point guard and his staying in school for four years prepared him for this opportunity. Cole said "It don't get better than that" after being drafted by the Heat "I'm going to go down there and work hard and earn their respect."
His coach at Cleveland State, Gary Waters knew he had a talent on his hands when scouts started showing up. Waters said "He is a complete player who is perfectly suited for the NBA. He shows great leadership ability as a point guard yet is capable of scoring in a number of ways himself. More importantly, his knowledge of the game is outstanding and he excels at getting his teammates involved" Many credit Waters for Cole' development while under his tutelage at Cleveland State.
How will Norris Cole fit in with the Miami Heat? Well, Pat Riley is not a huge fans of rookies getting much playing time until they are ready, Dexter Pittman for example. Cole is a sleeper though and his speed, defensive versatility, and floor vision are underrated. His speed will help Miami on the defensive side the most, Coach Waters relayed to the Daily News "I am extremely happy for Norris. I talked to the Heat a lot, and they said they really wanted Norris but didn't know if he'd be there for them. They told me they needed speed to help their defense."
Miami fills a void at the point guard position with Norris Cole since Mario Chalmers is a restricted free agent and Miami may not be able to match more generous offers. Chalmers has said he wants to return, but this is a business. Cole gives Miami a back up at least and maybe a Jason Terry type scorer off the bench. Cole does have some concerns too, his jumper can use some work and his three can be better. His size may be a concern on the defensive end versus larger points. I also worry about Cole coming to Miami and the Miami lifestyle, lots of temptation and trouble out there. Other than these workable things, Cole looks like a very well rounded player with plenty of upside. His speed, defense, shooting, and leadership will be assets to the Heat from the first jump ball. Nothing but net.....
Welcome to Miami, Mr. Cole!
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