Mario Chalmers on post-LeBron Miami: 'I've finally got a chance to shine, show my real game'
Don't get it twisted. As anyone would, Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers will miss having LeBron James around. But there's a silver lining.
"I feel like I've finally got a chance to shine, show my real game," Chalmers told Bleacher Report. "Me, (Chris Bosh), (Dwyane Wade) and the rest of the guys, we're going to pick it up, we're still going to play Miami Heat basketball, and we're still gonna be a competitor."
Losing James opens up a swath of possessions for Chalmers, Wade and Bosh. James soaked up more than 30 percent of Miami's possessions while on the court last season. Conversely, Chalmers accounted for 17.4 percent, a minuscule figure for a point guard.
With added responsibilities in mind, Chalmers has been working tirelessly to improve this summer. Chalmers told Bleacher Report that he's close to "tip-top shape," and that he's been training at the P3 sports complex in Santa Barbara, Calif., along with teammates Wade, Norris Cole, Josh McRoberts and Udonis Haslem.
Chalmers said that confidence issues that plagued his performance during the Heat's failed bid for a third consecutive championship are also a thing of the past. He's urging fans to stop counting out what he feels is a strong Heat squad.
"Four years," Chalmers said. "And now we're the forgotten team. So it's good. We all accept it. I've talked to D-Wade several times, I've talked to CB several times. We're ready.
"Just watch. I'm not gonna say nothing else. I'm not gonna toot my own horn or nothing. Just watch."
[H/T Eye on Basketball]