<font size="4">The Other Guys On The Miami Heat</font> Sure everybody knows about Shaq and Wade because of what they have accomplished during the regular season and playoffs but what about the other guys on the Heat? The role players, the guys that do the dirty work and get the job done. The ones who aren't interested in shoe contracts but are focused on winning and will do anything to help their team. The Heat have several of these players on their roster and they are proving that they are just as important as Superman and Flash. Why Role Players Are Needed Without productive role players a team will fail. Take the Houston Rockets for example, they have the same SG/C combo the Heat have but don't have the role players surrounding them. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are both great players but without the proper talent around them, they can't play to the best of their abilities. That's why having guys that all fit into your system and all having certain jobs that work together to make the team better is important. Miami has great role players and they are showing that even Superman and Flash need help sometimes. Damon Jones, PG Before this year, Damon Jones never had a long stay with any NBA team switching cities almost every year. He has played on 9 teams and has never played better then he has this year for the Heat. After losing Rafer Alston last year because of free agency, the Heat weren't sure who would be their PG. That's when they signed Damon Jones, a player who had never averaged more then 7 PPG in a season. He has turned heads and surprised a few people this year with his ability to knock down shots when needed. He averaged 11 PPG in an offense where majority of his points come from behind the three point line. Miami is the perfect fit for him since he has a great guard in Dwyane Wade playing next to him and a big guy down low named Shaquille O' Neal who is making everyone's lives easier in Miami. Jones has helped the Heat a lot this year with his league best 34 three pointers made and is shooting just below 50% from behind the arc. He is also a smart player who makes good decisions and has the fourth best Assist to Turnover Ratio in the league. Many think Wade is the only reason for the Heat's success but his backcourt buddy has played a big role in this season's impressive domination of the Eastern Conference as well. Udonis Haslem, PF Last year all the rookie buzz surrounding the Heat was about Dwyane Wade. Many people forget that this Florida standout is a great player as well. He may not be a star but he is very important to the Miami organization. He is a clean up guy. He does the dirty work under the basket like cleaning up shots and grabbing rebounds. He averaged 10 PPG and 9 RPG in the regular season close to a double double at the PF position. During the playoffs, he has raised his RPG to 10.5 and is continuing to get his job done. People are all talking about how Dwyane Wade has improved so much since last season. Well how about the fact that Haslem improved in every single statistical category except for one (Turnovers Per Game because he is getting more playing time). That is something that has gone unnoticed so far and I think people should give this guy some credit. Playing next Shaq has really helped him (like I said before, Shaq helps everyone!) and he has become a great role player for the Heat. If he continues to improve at this rate, he could be a very good player in a few years and their could be a new duo in town, Wade and Haslem. Eddie Jones, SF Eddie Jones has been in Miami for 5 years now and is you look at stats, you would think this is his worst year yet. Actually though, he has been very effective this year and has been a key part of Miami's game plan. The reason his stats are down is because he has to take the backup role behind Wade and Shaq making him the third option on offense. His 12 PPG from the third option helps give the Heat depth and gives them a nice addition to their offense. Also, on nights where either Shaq or Wade aren't shooting great, Jones can step in and drop 20 points on a defense just because he has that type of scoring mentality. When Both Jones, Wade, Haslem and Shaq are all filling their roles and playing well this squad is extremely hard to beat. Miami Bench For a team to be successful, you have a good set of players coming off of your bench. The Heat have a very impressive bench led by Alonzo Mourning. Zo comes into the game and plays great defense and gets big blocks that motivate his team. He has played great in the playoffs and has shown people what he is capable of. Since Shaq has been injured throughout the playoffs and during the regular season, Mourning has stepped up and played well. He averaged 10 PPG in the regular season and now is averaging 3 BPG against the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. Zo might not have been with the Heat in the begining of the season but now that he is in Miami, he has become an important part of their team. Another player who is playing well off the Miami bench is Keyon Dooling. In the regular season, Dooling averaged 5 PPG but has increased his PPG to 8 in the playoffs. He is shooting 55% from the field and has given the Heat a boost when he is in the game. These two players have given the Heat the extra help they need from their bench.
Great job on the analysis of our team. I think this team can actually go all the way, but all of those guys are going to have to play well. I really hope Udonis stays in Miami, he has great potential but he will be a great loss if he decides to leave for more money. Damon has wonderful this year his gamebreaking three pointers have really given us a lift this year. Even though Eddie hasn't had the stats he had 4 years ago his contribution comes from his leadership. He is still this teams captain and even though his contribution doesn't show up on the stat sheet, he is still a great asset on this team.
Nice post Swish. The Heat role players are a very important aspect to the team. It is critical that guys like Haslem, Eddie Jones, Damon Jones, Dooling, and Mourning play well because they all bring an intangible to the team. Haslem has been quiet throughout the Conference Finals but in game three he definitely showed signs of life, he plays a key role rebounding for the Heat, and he also is a player who can hit shots when open. Eddie Jones is the old leading scorer of the Heat, but now he is a third option but he still plays well and when he does the Heat are hard to beat. Damon Jones is the perfect point guard for the Heat, because Dwyane and Shaq derive so much attention that often leaves Damon for open three's which is his specialty not to mention this guy makes plays for the Heat as well we have all seen his sick alley oops to Wade. I think the most special players for Miami are Alonzo Mourning and Keyon Dooling. Zo is fresh off a kidney transplant but he has been very important for the Heat throughout their playoff run, he brings a lot of toughness, defense, and determination. Dooling is just a spark plug off the bench, he comes in and isn't afraid to shoot the ball, he plays hard defense and makes plays for the Heat period even though his stats don't show it.
Remember Haslem has been injured since the conference semis with something wrong with his hand or his finger i can't remember.
They are all very important to this team. Damon Jones doesn't bring anything defensively, but he's a heck of a shooter, which is very valuable to have when you have Shaq and Wade on your team. As long as Shaq attracts those double and triple teams, and Wade sucking in the D, he'll have those open jumpers for the rest of his stay as a Heat. Keyon Dooling brings his defensive play against the oppposing teams guards as well as his energy. He's learned how to effectively apply his skills in games and not to try anything too much. He knows his role and he produces. Zo has been amazing. He's playing with so much energy and passion. I don't know where the Heat would be in the playoffs without him. He's done so much for them, and he's been very valuable because of Shaq's health. I don't think anyone expected him to perform this way when the Heat signed him. Udonis is just a beast. He does the dirty work inside, and Shaq makes his job easier for him. He's athletic, grabs boards, bangs down low, plays D and makes open shots. He's been very valuable to this club as well. However, with all this said, all of these players are replacable. You would like to retain them, so they can build off this year, whether they win the 'ship or not.
Haslem has become quite a steal for the team as a second round pick. Dooling does bring a lot of infectious energy off the bench, but what I don't like about him is his sometimes risky plays when he'd overestimate his ability and go for the acrobatic posterization. Sometimes, that could turn into the loss of an easy two points. These guys all have one role to play on the team and they all do it well. While there are others in the league with similar capabilities, it should be important for the Heat to keep this group around.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dunkaholic32:</div><div class="quote_post">Haslem was undrafted</div> Well pardon me then. I knew for sure that he wasn't highly heralded coming into the league, and his success early last season had me saying "who?"
yea he went undrafted in 02-03 i believe and then he went to play overseas to get back in shape and the heat gambled on him nd it payed off.
