Heat’s slumping rookie Norris Cole remains confident

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 09-04-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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Heat’s slumping rookie Norris Cole remains confident

MIAMI – Heat rookie guard Norris Cole started the season by drawing comparisons to Rajon Rondo.

He was early on considered the fourth cog on a team already with three established superstars, especially after a 20-point showing against the Boston Celtics in just his second game. With only a handful of games remaining, Cole is no longer receiving similar mention.

He’s struggled most of the second half of the season, including his recent four-game slump. Cole has shot 2 of 21 from the field during the stretch.

“It’s part of this game. You’ve got to take the highs with the lows,” Cole said.

“You’ve got to be able to still stay even keel when you’re not playing well. My work ethic is still the same. If anything, it’s picked up even more. As long as you keep putting in the work, I know a breakthrough will come.”

Cole was the last player off the court after Saturday’s practice. He may have temporarily lost his spot in the rotation after Friday’s performance against the Memphis Grizzlies.
He went scoreless in 11 minutes, shooting 0 for 5 from the field and handing out just two assists.

He was pulled in favor of rookie guard Terrel Harris, who has seen his minutes increase as Cole’s struggles continue. Harris played 26 minutes, scoring a career-high 10 points.

Still, coach Erik Spoelstra said there are no plans of giving up on Cole.

“We’re not overreacting to this,” Spoelstra said. “That’s all expected for a younger player, especially a player that missed a normal training camp and summer program.”

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By SHANDEL RICHARDSON – Sun Sentinel

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In a league of guards, Miami Heat’s Cole making his point

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 29-02-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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In a league of guards, Miami Heat’s Cole making his point

ORLANDO – The players selected for BBVA Rising Stars Challenge often provide insight into the direction of the NBA. A collection of 20 of the league’s emerging stars, the two teams serve as a forecast of the league’s future.

This year, the message is clear: the power is in the point. Seven of the 20 participants in Friday night’s showcase were point guards, including the last two selected, Jeremy Lin and Norris Cole.

“Point guard is obviously a little different than when I was playing,” said Maurice Cheeks, a former NBA point guard and now an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder. “They can score, they can rebound, they pass, they do a little bit of everything.”

In this respect, Miami is well positioned for the future. The Heat has two under-25 point guards, Cole and Mario Chalmers, who have provided steady and reliable backcourt play, oftentimes in the shadow of Miami’s Big 3.

Cole was not one of the 18 players initially selected to the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, but the league added Lin last week, and to make the teams even, Cole got the 20th spot.

Ironically, if it weren’t for Cole, the Heat might have been interested in Lin when he was cut by Golden State and Houston earlier this year. But coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday that Miami did not look at Lin this year because of the team’s backcourt stability.

“We feel pretty comfortable with [the point guard situation],” Spoelstra said.

The Bulls drafted Cole with the 28th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but on draft night he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then to the Heat.

Despite not working out with the team or meeting with coaches over the summer due to the lockout, Cole made a strong first impression with 21 points and four assists during the Heat’s Red & Black Scrimmage on Dec. 15.

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BY ROBBIE LEVIN
RLEVIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

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LeBron, Cole relishing Heat’s extra time in Cleveland

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 18-02-2012

Category : Lebron James, Norris Cole

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LeBron, Cole relishing Heat’s extra time in Cleveland

As if the lockout-compacted NBA schedule hasn’t presented enough hardships, the Miami Heat currently find themselves spending three days in Cleveland, in advance of Friday’s game against the Cavaliers.

For two members of the team, that actually is a good thing, allowing for an extended homecoming.

Foremost, LeBron James gets to sleep in his own bed in Akron, with the Heat arriving in Northeast Ohio late Tuesday after their victory over the Indiana Pacers.

In addition, the extended break puts rookie point guard Norris Cole back in his college town, where he starred for Cleveland State before being taken No. 28 by the Heat in last June’s NBA Draft.

James’ initial return to Cleveland last December was an ugly rebuke from the city he left as a free agent in July 2010. By the time the Heat made their second visit last season in late March, much of the antipathy was gone, amid the Cavaliers’ tumble to the bottom of the standings.

“Once we get to Friday, I’ll answer questions after shootaround on Friday about that,” James said as he headed home, “but I need a day off.”

With the Cavaliers showing promise behind No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving, the point guard out of Duke, James figures the locals have a new source of pride, even with productive center Anderson Varejao now sidelined.

“They have a really good team,” James said. “Kyrie is definitely an unbelievable basketball player and is beyond his years. It’s unfortunate Andy is out again. He’s having an All-Star type of season.

“They’ve got great fans. Like I said, my whole seven years I was there was unbelievable and they love their basketball team, so they got a lot to root for.”

Then there is Cole, who matched his season high with 20 points Tuesday in Indiana.

“The game is just like any other game,” he said, “but it’s nice to be back in a familiar place where I played my college ball.”

Coming off a showcase performance doesn’t hurt, either.

“It just so happened to work out that way,” Cole said. “It feels good. Each game in its own is different, but it’s nice to go in there with some momentum.”

By Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel

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LOTS OF SUPPORT FOR NORRIS COLE

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 16-02-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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LOTS OF SUPPORT FOR NORRIS COLE

James’ return to Cleveland on Friday figures to draw plenty of attention. But he won’t be the only Heat player returning home.

Rookie Norris Cole, who played at Cleveland State, said he’ll have a large group of supporters in the stands when the Heat takes on the Cavaliers.

Cole, whose family is from Dayton, Ohio, had more than 60 family members at Tuesday’s game against the Pacers.

“I’ve been geeked up all day to see them – haven’t seen them in a while,” Cole said before Tuesday night’s game. “I’m going to get to see my mom tonight. That’s going to be the best [Valentine’s] gift of all.”

BY MANNY NAVARRO
MNAVARRO@MIAMIHERALD.COM

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Miami Heat’s Norris Cole snubbed for Rising Stars Challenge

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 12-02-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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Miami Heat’s Norris Cole snubbed for Rising Stars Challenge

ORLANDO – Norris Cole was not selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge during Orlando’s NBA All-Star weekend. As a minor consolation, he did earn the first start of his career Wednesday at Amway Center.

Cole received the promotion after Mario Chalmers injured his left hand Tuesday against the Cavaliers.

Chalmers was scratched from the lineup about an hour before the game. It’s a day-to-day injury and will be revaluated Thursday when the team arrives in Washington.

“It’s just a little sore today, and I didn’t want to take the risk of getting it injured further,” Chalmers said.

The injury comes at a terrible time for Chalmers, who was enjoying one of the best three-point shooting streaks of his career. He was 4 of 9 from three-point range against the Cavaliers.

In his past five games, Chalmers is shooting 56.7 percent on three-point attempts (17 of 30).

Chalmers injured his left hand at the end of the third quarter Tuesday.

“I think I got it caught in someone’s jersey,” Chalmers said. “My finger bent back, and the top of my hand is just real sore.”

Cole, who did not speak with reporters before Wednesday’s game, missed out on the Rising Stars Challenge.

Though he’s the sixth-leading scorer among NBA rookies, he was up against some stiff competition, including Pistons rookie Brandon Knight of Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest.

“He’s been very important to us,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Cole.

“I hope he isn’t bummed out about it because he’s had a terrific start to the season. He’s playing for a contending team. That’s what matters most. He would have loved to have been a part of that weekend, and you can debate that he earned it, but he has a role with us. He has a bright future to look forward to.”

Knight was one of five rookie guards to be selected to participate in the game. The others were Kemba Walker (Bobcats), MarShon Brooks (Nets), Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers) and Ricky Rubio (Timberwolves).

Other rookies include Kawhi Leonard (Spurs), Markieff Morris (Suns), Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers) and Derrick Williams (Timberwolves).

Formerly the Rookie Game, the Rising Stars Challenge is a mixture of first- and second-year players. The game will be played Friday Feb.?24 at Amway Center as part of the All-Star festivities. TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal will select the teams.

BY JOSEPH GOODMAN, The Miami Herald
JGOODMAN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

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Cole out; Knight in

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 09-02-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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Cole out; Knight in

In the end, Cole came up short, quite literally, when it came to the selection process for the Rising Stars Challenge to be held during NBA All-Star Weekend.

With the rookie class loaded with quality point guards, Cole wound up being shut out in a bid to participate in the event previously known as the Rookie Game.

Among those selected from this season’s rookie class was Pine Crest product Brandon Knight, the Detroit Pistons point guard drafted out of Kentucky.

Other rookie guards selected ahead of Cole for the event included No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard out of Duke, as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio and Charlotte Bobcats’ Kemba Walker.

The depth among rookie guards was so deep that even Sacramento Kings’ lottery pick Jimmer Fredette was not selected for the event to be played Feb. 24 in Orlando.

Cole, selected at No. 28 in the 2011 first round out of Cleveland State, had an unexpectedly strong start to the season before tapering off with his play in recent weeks.

By Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel

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Has Miami Heat Guard Norris Cole Hit the Rookie Wall

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 29-01-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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NBA Analysis: Has Miami Heat Guard Norris Cole Hit the Rookie Wall?

Norris Cole came bursting out the gate to start his career with the Miami Heat, but as of late things haven’t been so easy for the rookie.

After exploding on the scene with double digit scoring efforts in five of his first seven games, Cole has only managed such an effort once since. Have teams figured out how to guard him? Has he hit the dreaded “rookie wall”?

Both are possibilities, and it’s likely a combination of the two is the result in his dip in production. The fast start made Norris Cole a fan favorite, so many Heat fans seem to wonder when they can see more of that Cole on a constistent basis.

Cole is averaging 8.5 points a game on 40.2 percent shooting while hoisting up on average 8.4 shots a game. On a team with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the eight plus shots a game seems a bit surprisingly high for a rookie point guard.

These numbers could lead some to believe Cole is playing too fast for his own good, but that would be a mistake because playing fast is exactly what the Miami Heat have asked of him from day one. Cole is asked to come in with the second team, and his explosion to the hoop is a big reason the Heat had such high interest in him in the Draft.

What should be expected from Cole, is to bring down his 2.1 turnovers per game. While playing fast is part of Cole’s game, playing “smart” is a part of the Miami Heat’s game, and a blend of the two is needed to be successful. Cold streaks are to be expected, but bad decisions are not.

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By Ryan Yousefi

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Miami Heat’s double play at point guard

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 26-01-2012

Category : Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole

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Miami Heat’s double play at point guard

Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole were on the floor together for the final five minutes of the game, when the Heat’s offense was at its best.

One is a fourth-year veteran, battle-tested but at times mistake-prone. The other is a rookie, a first-round pick with potential but a steep learning curve in the lockout-shortened season.

The play of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole has vacillated greatly this season, and Tuesday was no different. With Chalmers struggling, coach Erik Spoelstra pulled him in favor of the rookie. Cole provided 28 strong minutes, but he committed more than a few rookie mistakes.

Finally, with Cleveland packing the paint in the fourth quarter, Spoelstra put both Chalmers and Cole in for the game’s final five minutes. That’s when the Heat’s offense really started clicking.

“It’s like having two quarterbacks,” Cole said of the two-point-guard look. “We both know the offense, and we both have good instincts on defense.”

When Chalmers entered the game with five minutes left, the Heat was holding onto a tenuous five-point lead. Thirty seconds later, Cole hit Bosh in the corner for a crucial three-pointer.

Bosh wasn’t the first option on the set, but the fact that he ended up with the ball reinforces why the dual-point-guard look was successful. With two ballhandlers on the court, it is easier for the Heat to spread the ball.

“With two point guards in there, we can run multiple-action sets,” Spoelstra said. “Look at one action, if it’s not there, they can get the ball to the other side. If you go either way, it can go to LeBron [James’] side or the other side.

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BY ROBBIE LEVIN
RLEVIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

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Heat address major weakness by drafting Norris Cole

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 01-01-2012

Category : Norris Cole

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Heat address major weakness by drafting Norris Cole

Miami Heat president Pat Riley feels the team addressed one of its main weaknesses with their selection of Cleveland State point guard Norris Cole.

The Heat selected Cole with the 28th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, after trading their 31st pick, a future second round pick, and some cash for the rights.

Cole had a successful college basketball career at Cleveland State, averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 rebounds in his senior year.

Cole also showed flashes of greatness in his college career, dropping 41 points and 20 rebounds in a game and joining the 40-20 club (reigning NBA Slam Dunk champion Blake Griffin is the only other player that can boast of a similar achievement in the past 15 years).

With Cole’s addition to the Heat roster, Miami now has a true point guard. Cole’s ability to rebound the ball will be beneficial to the Heat, who at times struggled on the boards during the 2011 post-season. If Miami’s training staff is able to help Norris develop his three point shot, Heat fans might be in for a treat.

“We’re happy with the pick,” Riley said on a conference call with reporters. “We feel it’s a perfect situation for us. There was a consensus that this was the player that we wanted to take. We didn’t want to get left at the altar. Did we have him ahead of [Kyrie] Irving, [Brandon] Knight or [Kemba] Walker? No. But in our minds, he was ahead of the other guys. His ability to be a game-changer and a pace-changer is what we wanted and that’s what we got in him.”

I have to give the Miami Heat organization credit for their selection in the 2011 NBA Draft. The Heat still need another reliable big man besides Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem, and they’ll probably be taking care of that next.

By David King, Yahoo! Contributor Network

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 15 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.

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Ball Don’t Lie’s 2011 NBA draft grades: Miami Heat

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 27-06-2011

Category : Norris Cole

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Addition: Norris Cole

Grade: B+

There were analysts that were high on Cole Thursday night, but my thinking is more Heat-based than anything.

This was a team that essentially bought back its initial first-round pick (sent to Toronto in the Chris Bosh deal, which sent it to Chicago who then sent it to Minnesota and back to Miami) in order to add talented depth at a position they need help in.

Cole may not usurp Mario Chalmers at any point in the next three years, but he can play at the NBA level.

And for a team entering the draft with the 31st pick to deal with, this was a sound hire.

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