Just days after the Miami Heat acquired point guard Goran Dragic at the trade deadline, the team announced that Chris Bosh would miss the remainder of the season due to blood clots found in his lungs.
The Heat will be forced to find a suitable replacement for a player that ranked 13th in the league in points per game (21.1). Making matters worse is that Miami will have to fill the void either from within or through free agency.
Simply put, the Heat are very limited when it comes to their options in replacing Bosh.
CB was arguably the Heat’s best option on offense and was the one big that possessed a developed offensive game.
In Miami’s first two games without the 6’11” veteran, they have started 12-year veteran Udonis Haslem. While UD performed reasonably well versus the New York Knicks on Friday night, the fact remains he’s a little-used player averaging just a shade over 13 minutes per game in 38 appearances thus far this season.
Short-term, the Heat can get by, by starting players like Haslem and Chris Andersen at the power forward spot. However, the team will find out soon enough that they will be limited on what they can do on the court. Relying on aging bit players to play major minutes at the most physical position in basketball is asking for trouble.
Miami will most likely have to look to free agency to fill their starting power forward spot. Here are five candidates that can fill in for Bosh:
1. Khem Birch
This one will be easy to come by for the Heat considering Khem Birch plays in the team’s D-League affiliate at the current moment.
Birch was on the Heat’s preseason roster during training camp and was the final cut before the regular season began. He impressed in preseason action with his ability to block shots and provide energy for a team that was lacking an intimidating presence in the paint.
However, that was then. This is now.
Hassan Whiteside now patrols the paint for the Heat, and he’s doing it better than anybody in the league. Whiteside ranks second in the NBA in blocks per game and fifth in opponents field goal percentage at the rim.
The issue by bringing Birch in is that he’s too similar to Whiteside in terms of what he brings to the table. They are both players who largely make their impact on the glass and on the defensive side of the ball. While Birch is no Whiteside, he makes his living based upon the same traits. Both players are somewhat limited offensively, and don’t possess the ability to create their own shots off the dribble like Bosh did.
However, if the Heat feel confident in Whiteside’s offensive abilities, they could take a chance on Birch and go through a platoon system where they start Andersen/Haslem/Birch depending upon the matchup.
Next: Thomas Robinson
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2. Thomas Robinson
Thomas Robinson looks to be a likely buyout of the Denver Nuggets. The question isn’t a matter of “if,” but a matter of “when.”
The Nuggets are going through a fire sale of sorts, having traded key players such as Arron Afflalo, Javale McGee and Alonzo Gee at the trade deadline.
Because of their pedestrian record (20-35), Denver is ready to get rid of just about anybody not named Kenneth Faried.
The Heat were cited as one of four teams that have inquired about the services of Robinson.
While the Heat remain one of the favorites to sign Robinson, the question is, would it even be worth it?
We’re talking about candidates who can somewhat fill the void left by Bosh. Through a three-year career, Robinson has already played for four teams and has career averages of just 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He has started just four contests during his NBA career.
The 23-year-old power forward looks to be best used as an option off the bench rather than a replacement for Bosh.
Next: Michael Beasley
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3. Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley has a history with the Heat. Unlike the previously-mentioned two players, Beasley can actually replace what Bosh provided—scoring.
Beasley has a well-known offensive game that is a little bit similar to Carmelo Anthony’s skill set. The former No. 2 overall pick is deadly from mid-range and averaged 19.2 points per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2010-11 season.
While Beasley is weak in the post game and is very limited defensively, the Heat’s weakness is not on defense—it’s on offense.
The 26-year-old forward would be an asset in the offensive game for a team that desperately needs it.
Next: Andrea Bargnani
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4. Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani is a likely option provided the New York Knicks buy out the veteran center. The issue is, that may not happen.
Though the Knicks are the worst team in the league with a 10-45 record, they are extremely short-handed in terms of player personnel. Carmelo is out for the season and Amar’e Stoudemire was recently bought out and proceeded to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.
New York desperately needs a scorer on the court and they may be limited to depending upon the 29-year-old seven-footer. Over recent seasons, Bargnani has seen a major decline in his scoring due to injuries and just flat-out poor play. However, Bargnani averaged 21.4 points per game in his prime for the Toronto Raptors.
The talent is there, however, the question becomes, will the Heat have a chance to sign the nine-year veteran?
Next: Andray Blatche
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5. Andray Blatche
Andray Blatche represents the most realistic option for the Heat at the current moment.
The 6’11” forward has spent the last year playing in China. He recently completed his season on February 1 and terminated his contract with Xinjiang, the club he was playing for. This means unlike Bargnani and Robinson, the Heat could opt to sign Blatche any time they choose.
The 28-year-old power forward is more than capable of filling up the stat sheet with baskets. He averaged 16.8 points per game during the 2010-11 season with the Washington Wizards and was considered a star on the rise. However, issues with management and conditioning led to his departure from Washington. He spent the next two years playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
Unlike some of the players on this list, Blatche has experience. He started 36 games during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons and started a career-high 63 games during the 2010-11 campaign.
If there is a player that can come close to filling Bosh’s void, it would be none other than Blatche.
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