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NBA Miami Heat

Udonis Haslem Must Be Given Bigger Role With Miami Heat

By @outofboundsjay

November 20, 2014; Anthony Gruppusso; Udonis Haslem

Anthony Gruppusso- USA Today Sports

The injury bug hasn’t been too kind to the Miami Heat franchise so far this season. Dwyane Wade has been out for the last couple games due to a hamstring pull, while Justin Hamilton has also been out with an abdominal strain. Josh McRoberts has been out with a toe injury, and even Chris Andersen, who recently returned from a rib cage injury, hasn’t quite returned to his dominant form on the glass. The frontcourt in particular has suffered the most due to injury, with rotation consistency being few and far between games.

Surprisingly enough, even with the amount of injuries, coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t given veteran forward Udonis Haslem any semblance of meaningful playing time. Haslem is averaging the fewest amounts of minutes of his career, yet is averaging higher points and rebounds per game this season than the last two. Just imagine what Haslem could do with more than 12 minutes a game.

With the Heat lacking a true rim defender, Haslem is the closest player on the roster who can fit this role. He is known for playing solid post defense on most opposing frontcourt players, and also has a knack for making timely blocks. These are both attributes the Heat could use desperately right now.

Now is the time for Spoelstra to inject Haslem into the second unit and give the 11-year forward some meaningful minutes, not just garbage time at the end of games. His defense around the rim and solid mid-range shooting are what could keep the Heat’s bench afloat, especially with such a lack of depth in the frontcourt.

Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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