2014-15 season outlook: Mario Chalmers

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) drives around Orlando Magic'sKyle O'Quinn (2) during the first half of a NBA basketball game in Miami, Oct. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Hunker down, get hydrated and tell your loved ones you will see them next spring.

Hopefully that’s not your mindset, but people should be warned: The at times seemingly never-ending NBA regular season is at hand.

The first handful of games tip off October 28, marking the start of the 82-game grind.

Thankfully for us, all we have to do is sit back, watch and enjoy. To make sure you’re fully prepared for the 2014-15 campaign, we’ll be rolling out a season outlook for each former Kansas University player who currently calls The Association home.

Mario Chalmers — Miami Heat

6-foot-2 guard | Seventh season

2013-14 numbers: 73 games | 29.8 minutes | 9.8 points | 4.9 assists | 1.6 steals | 45.4 FG% | 38.5 3-pt%

It’s safe to assume we can say goodbye to Mario Chalmers’ run of four straight NBA Finals appearances.

No longer a teammate of LeBron James, who took his talents right on back to Cleveland this past summer, Chalmers and what’s left of Miami’s former championship-contending roster could be good enough to secure a No. 4 or 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. But anything more than a trip to the second round of the playoffs? Don’t bet on it.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are now the clear top options for the Heat, and the franchise replaced (a word which might not ever have been more misused than it is in this sentence) James with Luol Deng.

Chalmers started at point guard for Miami during its recent glory years, but it now appears he will be playing more of a combo guard role and possibly coming off the bench.

Also, let’s be honest, he always has been more of a combo guard than a point guard anyway. Apparently Miami and coach Erik Spoelstra are just making that label official.

In a story from the Sun-Sentinel’s Shandel Richardson, Spoelstra said there was a span in Miami’s Friday preseason game against Golden State during which Chalmers played point guard one possession and off the ball the next.

“We forced him to become a point
guard,” Spoelstra said. “We’ve
developed that aspect of his game for
six years … That’s six years in the
makings. If you’re expecting a young
player to do that immediately in this
league, there’s no chance.”

According to Richardson’s story, Wade told Chalmers he plays more aggressive as a two-guard. So the at times maligned Miami guard has that going for him.

Plus, taking on this newly defined role shouldn’t be bad for the former KU standout. With Norris Cole and Shabazz Napier — Miami’s first-round pick this year — also contending for point guard minutes, this really gives Chalmers more flexibility, and probably more playing time than if they only used him at the point. Now, in theory, he would be the first guard off the bench if he doesn’t end up starting, and could play alongside Wade, Cole or Napier or whomever else Miami decides to use in its backcourt.

Still, the notion that Cole has somehow surpassed Chalmers in the NBA starting guard department even befuddled Miami beat reporter Ira Winderman, who wrote about his puzzlement with the situation in a reader mailbag. He didn’t have an answer when someone wondered how Cole had moved past Chalmers in the rotation.

Chalmers played a personal preseason high of 33 minutes Tuesday, while coming off the bench against Houston. He went 2-for-5 from 3-point range, scored 13 points, swiped four steals and passed out three assists.

But it seems he never can do enough to impress his Miami critics.

So what do we expect out of Chalmers for the 2014-15 season?

His team won’t be nearly as good as it was the past four years, but the seventh-year guard will probably have more put on his plate. And with more responsibility, Chalmers could put up career numbers while again playing for a playoff franchise.

Plus, with James out of town, Miami won’t garner nearly as much media attention. So maybe people will stop trolling/trashing Chalmers on Twitter.

Maybe not.

‘Hawks in the NBA 2014-15 season outlooks:

• Cole Aldrich — Knicks

• Darrell Arthur — Nuggets

• Tarik Black — Rockets

— Follow @BentonASmith on Twitter.