Heat center Jermaine O'Neal exploded in his first game, posting 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Knicks on Wednesday night.

"I'm not going to say by any means that I've arrived because it's only one game," O'Neal told the Miami Herald. "[But] I felt good."

He averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds last season.

"What I averaged last year wasn't respectable to me. Respectable, to me, is dominating. It's not about being in an All-Star game and a contract. It's looking across from opponents and seeing they're fearful," O'Neal added.

He turned 31 last month and acknowledged that he can't get by solely on athleticism anymore.

"I'm not going to be able to jump as high as I was jumping at 23. But I'm pretty sure anybody else drafted in my class [1996] is not jumping or running as fast," O'Neal added. "Mentally, I'm a lot better overall player than I was in Indiana because I know how to play the game better."

Dwyane Wade was coy when asked about his impending free agency by the New York media before Wednesday's game.

"I'm not even thinking about it," said Wade. "I'll answer it different every time."

Wade smiled when asked if he was even aware that the Knicks will be under the cap next summer.

"I think the whole world is aware of that," Wade said. "You're not a basketball fan if you're not aware of the fact the Knicks are under the cap, setting themselves up for the summer of 2010."

Erik Spoelstra defended his decision to start Michael Beasley over incumbent veteran Udonis Haslem.

"Before you make a move like this, you have to have someone with absolute strength of character," Spoelstra said of Haslem.

"Where we want to go -- if we want to make a [competitive] jump -- there is going to have to be difficult and uncomfortable decisions. This was difficult."

The Heat are moving forward Michael Beasley into the starting lineup, while shifting Udonis Haslem to the bench.

Haslem is out of the starting lineup for the first time in six seasons.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called it a "difficult and uncomfortable" decision.

"I understand where he's coming from," Haslem told the Associated Press. "I've been behind him and this organization 100 percent since I've been here, and this is another situation where I'm behind him again. My role is going to be different, but pretty much still the same."

A veteran NBA agent believes that Dwyane Wade will be the hardest of next summer's unrestricted free agents to retain.

Wade, along with LeBron James and Chris Bosh, could all be unrestricted free agents after the 2009-10 season if they don't take their player options for the 2010-11 season.

"I think D-Wade will be the toughest to retain of the high-profile free agents," the agent told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I just get the sense that he envies his buddy in Cleveland who has a better team around him."

The Heat will honor Tim Hardaway by retiring his jersey on Wednesday night against the Knicks.

Miami will raise his No. 10 into the rafters during a pregame ceremony. He is just the second player to receive the honor from the team. Alonzo Mourning had his No. 33 retired last season.

"It's going to be great," Hardaway told the Associated Press. "Words can't describe how I feel. Two weeks ago, I wasn't even thinking about it. But this week, I've been thinking about it every day, every night, like it's opening night and I'm going to be playing basketball. I'm nervous, but I know it's going to be a great night."

Heat forward Udonis Haslem is looking to contribute more on the offensive end this season.

"I've been here for six years, and nobody seems to have a problem when everybody else wants to be more aggressive," Haslem told the Miami Herald. "I'm just trying to take more advantage of my opportunities. I've been working on it all summer. And there's no reason why I shouldn't be more aggressive every night."

Haslem had the same goal last offseason, but never followed through. He scored in double figures four of the six games he appeared in this preseason.

He shot 59 percent from the field.

Heat forward Michael Beasley is involved in another controversy involving internet photos.

Seven pictures of Beasley sleeping on a boat have been posted on TMZ.com, including one with several beer bottles and cans nearby.

Beasley insisted that he doesn't drink. The photos were taken at a team outing last month.

The captain of the ship released a statement saying Beasley did not "consume or even touch" alcohol on the trip.

Beasley, who is entering his second NBA season, spent time at a rehabilitation facility in Houston this summer.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have waived guard John Lucas.

Lucas was signed as a free agent on September 28 and saw action in four preseason games. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.3 assists in 12.5 minutes per game.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have waived forward Anthony Tolliver.

Tolliver was signed as a free agent on September 28, and saw action in four preseason games. He averaged 3.0 points in 7.3 minutes per game.

Miami's roster now stands at 16.