In perhaps the most predictable training camp cuts of the whole lot (and there were a lot), the Miami Heat today announced that they have released Anthony Mason Jr. and former D-League big man Mickell Gladness to pare their training camp roster to a robust 18 players on their way to the league maximum of just 15 players.  

Before all is said and done, one can expect just one of the remaining four players without guaranteed contracts - Patrick Beverley, Kenny Hasbrouck, Shavlik Randolph and Da'Sean Butler - to end up on the Heat's regular season roster.

Simply put, Mickell Gladness was in Miami because he's a long, wiry shot-blocker who apparently has some ties with the Heat staff that I'm currently unaware of (or a good agent) because the fact that he averaged 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over the course of 41 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last season showed that he simply isn't ready to contribute to an NBA roster - and judging by the Vipers rotation, he wasn't ready to fully contribute on a D-League roster either.  Still, it would please me more than anything if I'm able to watch a two-headed monster of Gladness and recent Houston Rockets' cut Jordan Eglseder this season during Vipers' games.

As for Anthony Mason Jr., his name probably rings as a bell as his dad is the Anthony Mason and he was once featured on MTV's True Life: I'm Rehabbing My Injury.  His game isn't nearly as efficient as his dads, relying instead on shooting jump shots until he gets hot - regardless of how many jumpers that might take - and keeping his dribble slightly higher than Aaron from Eastbound and Down. The Sioux Falls Skyforce would have his rights if he were to join the D-League, which is a good thing since I have a good feeling that their coaching staff would be able to reign him in a bit and let his other talents show.

As for the rest of the players, I'm currently venturing a guess that Patrick Beverley is the one that sticks though Butler would probably have had a better chance if he was going to return from injury sooner.  I'll guess Shavlik Randolph is the next player to get waived.