As the newest member of the Miami Heat, Dewayne Dedmon seems ready to do whatever is asked of him to help the Heat again challenge for an NBA title.
The 31-year-old Dedmon had been off the court before being signed by the Heat and is now ready to contribute in whatever way possible.
“I’ve come off the bench,” said Dedmon. “I’ve started. I’ve not played. I’ve done it all,” he said of his eight-year career that has included stops with the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings. “So I’m here, I’m prepared, I’m ready. Whatever Coach needs me to do, I’m ready for it, whether it be five minutes, 12 minutes, 50 minutes, whatever.”
One expectation is that Dedmon will be used as a defensive option for the Heat, with his 7-foot frame expected to be an asset in the paint.
“I feel like I fit on the defensive end, helping with the rim protection, helping rebound, getting more opportunities for these shooters we’ve got here,” said Dedmon. “So I come in, block a couple of shots, get a couple more offensive boards, provide a little more offense for the guards. I feel like that will help a lot.”
One interesting facet of Dedmon’s game in recent years that’s changed is his improvement when it comes to putting up shots from beyond the arc.
“Everybody needs rim protection, everybody needs rebounding,” he said. “But you have to evolve your game with time, and that’s something that I’ve done. So it doesn’t take away from the defensive intensity I bring to the table, it just adds a little more to it.”
While the Heat would love to see Dedmon regularly knock down 3-pointers, they’re simply hoping that Dedmon can supplement the job that Bam Adebayo does on a nightly basis.
The Heat have won five of their last six games and will begin a four-game Western Conference road trip on Sunday night in Portland, with Dedmon ready to make his presence felt.
