Miami Heat Surprises Are Opening Up Roster Possibilities

Leave it to Dwyane Wade to get himself back on track by surpassing 20,000 career points on 59 percent shooting against his best friend. Even more predictable was the Miami Heat regaining their footing against said best friend because it is something they have done by double figures every time LeBron James has stepped into the building he deserted last summer. And this would make for an interesting playoff series if the two teams ever met, but let’s skip those prognostications since neither team can seem to win on the other’s home court since the King returned to Cleveland.

Something that was a lot less expected was the way Miami shot the three-ball at 58 percent. Just a few weeks ago the hope was that Marcus Thornton would hold out until the last week of the season so that the Heat could slowly creep their way out of second-to-last place in the league’s three-point shooting rankings. But thanks to two surprising rotation additions, the team has done so from within.

Josh Richardson became instrumental to the lineup after point guards Tyler Johnson and Beno Udrih went down with potentially season-ending injuries. And through March, the rookie has shot 67 percent from behind the three-point line while buyout import Joe Johnson is shooting threes at a 61 percent clip for the last 10 games.

Such a drastic change could rearrange how the team rounds out the roster during April. Instead of searching for more shooting, Miami can focus on signing any defensive wings they can find and invest in a third ball handler for the postseason. Maybe it will be Briante Weber or another Sioux Falls D-League call-up; either way, something great could be getting unlocked for the playoffs. Especially if Johnson comes back and Bosh is cleared, which is very possible.

After all, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman did quote Pat Riley as being “open minded” when it comes to a Bosh return.