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Heat's Smush Parker continues to improve

Smush Parker came to the Miami Heat as a playoff-tested, five-year pro who once started all 82 games -- plus seven in the postseason -- for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Not that the Heat's coaching staff is interested.

''I feel like a rookie,'' Smush Parker said Monday. ``They've been giving me the rookie treatment here.

``The coaches have definitely made it clear that they don't care what I did out there in L.A.''

That's bad and good for Smush Parker, whom Miami signed after missing out on free agent point guards Mo Williams, Steve Francis, Steve Blake (Miami High) and others.

Bad because Smush Parker, projected to come off the bench with Miami, was once a major cog in Phil Jackson's triangle offense -- he is a versatile, 6-4 perimeter defender with a knack for hitting big shots and finishing strong at the basket.

But good because, despite his success, Smush Parker left Los Angeles with nothing but questions -- about his attitude, health, position and performance.

Among them: Will Parker play the 1 or the 2 guard spot? Will he emerge as a scoring threat at either position, especially from the three-point line? Is his tender left ankle -- which has limited his explosiveness -- OK? And, after going from beloved to benched with the Los Angeles Lakers, will Smush Parker's attitude issues continue with his new team?

So far, the last two appear haziest.

Two weeks ago, Smush Parker was one of three Heat players to fail coach Pat Riley's strict conditioning requirements.

Excuses existed -- Smush Parker's ankle slowed him, plus he came from the Los Angeles Lakers' more relaxed culture of fitness.

But it still was alarming for a guard who spent the last seven games of 2006-07 -- five of them in the playoffs -- out of the starting lineup after clashing with his coach.

He insists his ankle is better -- ''about 100 percent right now,'' he said Monday. Riley said Smush Parker also is close on conditioning.

Smush Parker also claims he was unaffected by the Heat's pursuit of versatile Milwaukee Bucks guard Charlie Bell, even after they signed Smush Parker.

Now, about those other issues. . . .

In three games this preseason, Smush Parker has alternated between point guard and shooting guard, and with mixed results. He is 4 of 8 from three-point range and is shooting 47.6 percent overall, but he also has struggled with fouls and hasn't poured in the points despite the absences of scorers Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.

Still, Riley remains optimistic that the good Smush Parker will take over once he is up to speed, with conditioning and his understanding of the Heat's system.

''He came from a very, very structured triangle offense,'' Riley said.

``A lot of rules are different than what we do offensively, and it's hard sometimes to break that kind of habit. We've just got to wait until he blends in [with] the other guys.''

PEANUT GALLERY

A loud crowd was at practice Monday. Too bad it mostly was comprised of injured team members -- eight, including two new players-turned-spectators.

Guard Brian Chase (sore foot) and forward Marcus Slaughter (sprained ankle) joined, among others, Wade (shoulder and knee surgeries), O'Neal (quadriceps), Jason Williams (shin), Michael Doleac (hip and knee), Penny Hardaway (quadriceps) and Wayne Simien (knee) on the sidelines.

Riley said the injuries to Chase and Slaughter were not serious. Also, O'Neal is ''day-to-day,'' according to Riley, and Williams said he expects to be back this week, as does Doleac.

See more at www.miamiherald.com