Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 18, 1991 TAG: 9104180134
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
"It's tough to pick out highlights," Coles said when the Miami Heat made their last-week-of-the-season visit to the Charlotte Coliseum on Tuesday. "There are so many games, you tend to forget a lot. It seems like it's gone fast, too."
The transition from Virginia Tech's career scoring leader to Miami's reserve point guard hasn't always been easy for Coles. His defensive ability and toughness - a much-wanted commodity in the NBA - have gotten the 6-foot-1 guard through the year as Sherman Douglas' backup.
Coles waited until the 40th pick before he was chosen in the 1990 draft, by Sacramento. The Kings dealt his rights to Miami for veteran guard Rory Sparrow, and Miami signed Coles to a guaranteed two-year, $500,000 contract. Most nights, the Lewisburg, W.Va., resident has proven his worth as the highest-paid player from the middle of the second round.
"Bimbo's done a good job, a very good job when you consider he had to learn a new position," Miami coach Ron Rothstein said. "A lot of times he's gotten limited minutes, but when he's had a chance to play, he's settled down and played pretty well."
Yes, Rothstein said Coles changed positions. It's a matter of basketball semantics.
Coles was Tech's point guard, but as the Hokies' dominant scorer, he was as much a shooting guard in college. And perimeter shooting always has been Coles' weakness, as his 41 percent season shows.
"My shot definitely has improved, but I'm not as consistent as I need to be, and I'm still hesitant to shoot it a lot," Coles said. "The coaches get on me about that. When I miss, I'm hesitant. Other guys, when they miss, they keep shooting it. That's what you have to do. I know I've passed up a lot of shots I should have taken."
Rothstein praised Coles' defense and attitude, but he said the Heat will be looking for more offense from Coles next season.
"Bimbo has to work on his shot, plus he has to learn how to penetrate and then create. He can do that and take it [the shot]. What he has to do more is penetrate and kick it off.
"We're talking about making decisions running the team, when to pass, when to shoot. It doesn't happen overnight," Rothstein said.
Coles said he hasn't found the NBA's six-month, 82-game season particularly grinding, and he has remained free of injury. He is the only player on the Miami roster to appear in every game, averaging 16.8 minutes and 4.9 points. He has gotten eight starts, when Douglas was injured on two occasions. In one of those stretches, Coles had his double-double (11 points, 10 assists) against the Hawks.
"I can't say there's anything I don't like about the NBA," Coles said. "I'm paid well to play a game I enjoy. The people in the NBA are really good people. I don't mean just as players, but as people. It seems that everybody respects everybody. Everyone talks about the NBA's good reputation. Now, I know why.
"I just wanted to fit in. My goal when I got to Miami was to contribute and try and put the draft behind me.
"I thought I was drafted lower than I should have been, but all you can do is go out and try to prove that someone made a mistake. I've always been a hard worker and I figured if I worked hard day-in, day-out and kept improving, there would be a place for me."
Coles has been in Miami's nine-man rotation all season, but his future play - like that of numerous other NBA backups - will be determined by off-season dealings.
Douglas is a restricted free agent who wants a big contract, and there are whispers he might be traded to Cleveland in a deal involving $4 million man "Hot Rod" Williams. If Douglas stays or goes, the Heat still might decide to select Georgia Tech playmaker Kenny Anderson, if available, in the June 26 draft.
"I haven't thought much about what might happen next season, and I don't really know," said Coles, whose front-loaded contract takes his salary from $290,000 to $210,000 in 1991-92. "I'm guaranteed next year, and I have experience, and I'll just have to keep working hard."
Miami finishes its third NBA season Saturday night, and Coles said he will be in Blacksburg, Va., on Monday to make preparations to attend the first session of summer school at Virginia Tech. He needs six hours for his degree in hotel-restaurant management. Then, he said, he will return home to Lewisburg before going to summer school, then head back to Miami in mid summer.
"Obviously, I had something to prove in the NBA," Coles said. "I thought I could make the club. Some people didn't think that. I can't say I'm surprised at anything because I really didn't know what to expect. Other than having to get up really early some mornings to catch planes to road games, everything has been great."
by CNB