Heat notes as we approach Wednesday's season opener:

### Danny Granger’s knee issues the past two seasons, Luol Deng’s pedestrian play in Cleveland, and their diminished offensive efficiency leave a strong impression that the Heat’s two most pedigreed imports, especially Granger, aren’t what they used to be, that they’re on a downward arc.

But remember this: It was just 20 months ago that Deng was playing in a second consecutive All-Star Game. And it was just 2 ½ years ago that Granger was scoring 19 a game.

And neither would qualify as old: Deng is 29, Granger 31. Both spoke privately in recent days of how driven they are to regain their edge, though Granger knows his bench role will keep his scoring numbers modest.

“A lot of people have written me off with my injuries,” Granger said. “I’m highly motivated.”

With Deng, the falloff has been far more subtle --- reflected not in his scoring average (which has ranged from 15.3 to 17.6 the past five years) but in his shooting percentage, which has plunged from 47.1 in his first seven seasons to 42.4 his past three, including 41.7 during a nondescript 40-game stint for Cleveland last season. His 5.7 rebounding average in 2013-14 was his lowest since his rookie season.

“Distractions do happen but I’m talking about major things,” he said of last season’s trade from Chicago, where he spent his first nine-plus seasons. “That was the first time I had been traded and I was looking for a place to live in the middle of the season. It was a new situation that I really had a hard time with. That was the first time I had been traded. It was a new situation I really had a hard time with."

He blamed his “shooting dip” --- his 30.2 percent shooting on threes ranked among the worst for small forwards last season --- on “me playing terrible.” But he’s determined to fix it. Heat coaches have helped him with balance and footwork.

“I’ve really thought about it and I’m focused on bringing my shooting percentage up, especially the threes,” said Deng, a career 32.9 percent shooter on threes. “I’ve got to be more patient with it. When I was shooting those threes well, I was very patient with it.

“That’s what I’ve got to get back to. This year my shooting percentage should come back up because of the way we move the ball and spread the floor and the spacing. It’s getting back into being in one place and being comfortable with the situation.”

A skilled defender, Deng said he’s at his best offensively “when I’m not predictable. I want to be a guy where I slash, I cut, I get three or four baskets that way, I get a tip-in, I get two threes, I get a midrange shot, I get a basket off the post. That’s what I want to focus on, where I can help the team in so many different ways. Just walk off the floor knowing I did something today.”

Granger said he feels the healthiest he has been since knee problems limited him to 46 games the past two years.

Though he has started 425 of 556 NBA games, he’s at peace coming off the bench and said winning the NBA’s sixth man award “is definitely a goal. It’s a possibility with my role and the way I score.”

After averaging 24.1, 20.5 and 18.7 points over a three-year stretch in Indiana, he played only five games in 2012-13 and 41 with the Pacers and Clippers last season, averaging 8.2 points and shooting just 37.8 percent.

He vows to become a more efficient player here, basing his faith not only on his improved knees but also the reasons Deng cited regarding the Heat’s system.

“That’s one of the reasons I came to Miami; their team shoots 50 percent,” Granger said, aware that since-departed LeBron James was a major reason for that. “They have a lot of layups, a lot of open threes, things some other teams just don’t get, which is why they shot such a high percentage. I definitely think I will be able to do that here. I’m definitely going to be over 40 percent, probably 45, 46.”

One Heat official said of Granger: “He really is huge for us. He’s not 35. He’s 31. He has his footing again.”

Granger concedes: “I’ve probably lost a little athleticism. But I never was the fastest or jumped the highest. I always played a different type of game. I don’t think I’ve lost much.

“The only thing really stopping me the last few years was my knees. I’m definitely in my prime, definitely have a lot of good years left.”

Both Deng and Granger have the canvas to prove that here. Much rides on it financially, with both holding 2015-16 player options: Deng’s for $10.1 million, Granger’s for $2.1 million.

### A scout who has watched the Heat this preseason: “Norris Cole is a backup player, but he’s more of a natural point guard than Mario Chalmers. It might be a modest stroke of genius on Erik [Spoelstra’s] part to play Chalmers as your backup two and maximize what he does best, which is score. He’s much better than Shannon Brown as Wade’s backup.

"Shabazz Napier eventually will be the best of the three as a point guard. As a team, their talent is very comparable to Atlanta, Toronto and Brooklyn, behind Cleveland, Chicago and Washington.”

Dwyane Wade said he is imploring Chalmers to play point guard with the same type of attacking mentality he uses at shooting guard.

### Pat Riley picks his spots now when he speaks to players, but Shawne Williams said Riley firmly delivered this message to the team: “Refuse to be denied.” Riley, Williams said, also implored them “to have an edge.”

### The Heat was last in the league in rebounding last season and that again remains a concern, with Miami outrebounded by 35 in preseason.

Josh McRoberts will help when he's fully healthy, but he ranked just 37th among power forwards in rebounding last season, at 4.8 per game.

But the Heat didn’t want another year of Greg Oden, nor did it want the baggage of Andray Blatche (who signed in China) or Andrew Bynum, who is again out with knee problems.

### Jeff Van Gundy and Chris Bosh agree on this: Bosh must get to the line more.

“Put the ball on the floor and go to the freaking basket!” Rick Barry implored Bosh on WQAM last week.

Last season, Bosh took fewer free throws per game than any center/power forward that averaged as many points.

Because he has played progressively less in the post --- which he vows will change --- his free throw attempts plunged from 590 his last season in Toronto, to 471 his first season in Miami to 272 last season.

“One of the things I’m looking forward to is getting to the free throw line a lot more and shooting 90 percent,” said Bosh, a career 80 percent free-throw shooter.

### In 12 Nevada casinos, the Heat is 35 to 1 to win the title, the 10th shortest odds but behind the Knicks (30 to 1) and Wizards (30 to 1), among others.

### When the Heat meets the Wizards in its season opener Wednesday, Washington will be without injured guard Bradley Beal and suspended power rotation players Nene and DeJuan Blair.

GOLDEN, D'ONOFRIO SNIPPETS

### UM coach Al Golden said today that he's gotten involved recently in play-calling on offense and defense.

"On the fourth and two from the two, that's my call and it didn't go so well the other night," he said.

"Georgia Tech fourth and one from the 30, again that was me. There's a lot of those, and timeouts, constantly going back and forth trying to communicate, share what we see, plot a course for each series. People think it's about the game, it's really about each series, how they're playing, certain groupings, formations and [then the coach decides] how you are going to approach the next series."



### Golden, on emerging linebacker Jermaine Grace: "His preparation has been better, his maturity and poise has been better, his confidence. Being more vocal in the meeting rooms to show he knows what he's doing and is confident and can bring that to the game. All those things are starting to happen. He's going to play a pivotal role because... we do need his ability to change direction and break on the ball and his speed in games."





### Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio said one reason UM has improved defensively is "we've had fewer mental errors each week since the beginning of the season while playing more guys. That's a good sign that guys are learning the defense and we're bringing guys along. We've improved our depth and knowledge and our execution of the scheme. That's the biggest thing."



### D'Onofrio calls North Carolina, which visits Sun Life Stadium on Saturday, "the best team we've played, no doubt, on offense."

### D'Onofrio, on walk-on safety Nantambu Fentress, who had nine tackes against Virginia Tech: "I love the guy. He's been unbelievable. He's been fun to coach. I've always challenged him: 'You can be more than a special teams guy, you can be a starter here, don't sell yourself short. You're tough, you're smart, you're competitive. Don't ever take a back seat to anybody.' I just knew at some point that he'd be a hard guy to keep out of the lineup."







### Susan Miller Degnan and Manny Navarro have a blog on the UM page about UM's latest injury, to left tackle Ereck Flowers. Please see their story about that.... Twitter: @flasportsbuzz