Despite winning the NBA championship this past June, the Miami Heat still have a ways to go if they want to repeat as NBA champions.
While they may be the best team in the East, with Bulls guard Derrick Rose out for most of the season, there are other top elite teams (Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder etc.) that are looking to de-throne the Heat as NBA champions this upcoming season. Along with that those other teams mentioned have something the Heat don’t have which is a center.
While the Heat’s starting lineup was a work in progress all season that was patch-worked together with Chris Bosh was manning the center position and LeBron moved to power forward, it would be asking a lot out of Chris Bosh to check the likes of Kendrick Perkins, and Dwight Howard come playoff time again while maintaining a double-double every night.
The Heat tried filling the position last year when they signed Eddy Curry but as he’s done all his career Curry couldn’t quite stay healthy enough to stay on the floor for the Heat and while Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem sparked the team defensively,they aren’t your prototypical center that you want banging down low, while leaving something to be desired on the offensive end of the floor.
It is late in the free agency period with training camps just weeks away but there are still a couple options the Miami Heat should look at to help man the position.
They have recently brought in ex-Knick Josh Harrelson as somebody who could space the floor and do some of the dirty work but he doesn’t have the ideal size the Heat are looking for which leads to the next candidate Chris “Birdman” Andersen.
Anderson declined a lucrative offer overseas and reportedly is interested in signing with a contending team for the veterans minimum, which is all Miami can offer at this point.
Coming off arthroscopic surgery in August Andersen would be a health concern that the Heat may not want to dive into with the Curry experiment not panning out. But Anderson when healthy could give the Heat some much needed help down low while taking the defensive pressure off of Chris Bosh and LeBron James.
A career 5.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, Anderson stats don’t pop out at you but on a team that doesn’t need much scoring Andersen would fit in with Miami’s Big Three for something else besides his elusive tatoo collection.
While Miami shouldn’t struggle against the Eastern Conference in this year’s playoffs barring a miraculous comeback from Derrick Rose or Knicks forward Amare’ Stoudemire if they do get to the Finals going up against the likes of the Lakers or Thunder would be a tall task for the Heat if Chris Bosh is the starting center.
While Bosh improved defense was a key factor in Miami’s title run it would be tough task to ask the same of him with Dwight Howard in the middle ,which in return would slow him down offensively.
If this were to occur it may force the Heat’s hand in putting James on Howard or Perkins which would give the Thunder or the Lakers an advantage at another position to let Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant to go off at any time with James not checking them.
While the Heat should be the pre-season favorites with the addition of Ray Allen to an already potent offense the Heat see the need to get big down low with the Western Conference Lakers, Thunder, etc. in mind on their quest for a repeat.
