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Maturity – not to mention a constant reminder from his coaches – has afforded Mario Chalmers a...

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Maturity – not to mention a constant reminder from his coaches – has afforded Mario Chalmers a different perspective of himself and his role among his peers. Chalmers is not a scorer and a shooter. If he is to fit into the Heat’s championship plans, then he will do it as a role player – distributor, organizer and, above all else, defender. 'Run the team,' Chalmers said when asked about his responsibilities. 'Get everybody involved and be that person on defense that can shut the other person down. If you look at it, there are a lot of great point guards in the league, and at my position I just want to be able to contain them and not let them have big nights and get their teams going.' For Dwyane Wade, Chalmers can only reach his full potential when he first begins to understand his limitations. When Chalmers tries to do too much, Wade said it compromises the team’s goals. 'He’s not a Derrick Rose and he’s not a Russell Westbrook, where he can go down to the paint against seven-footers and go over the top,' Wade said. 'Sometimes he’s confident in his ability that he can do it, but realistically he can’t do it. … So, it’s just about knowing your game and being very confident in your game, but knowing, ‘OK, this is what I can be effective in. I’m not what I think I am.’ We all have to come to that realization sometimes.' [Boooooooo Dwyane Wade]

Miami Herald