Beno Udrih‘s season with the Miami Heat ended abruptly last year after he injured his foot and ultimately agreed to a $90,000 buyout with the team so they could remain under the luxury tax. However, the Heat showed their loyalty to the Slovenian guard this past August when they re-signed him to a $1.4 million deal.
Now, after sitting out Miami’s first two preseason games with tightness in his back, the point guard is ready to return to the court for a preseason matchup versus the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night.
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“I’m just going to be me, try to be consistent and bring some leadership, some pace to the game and maybe with that leadership and experience that I gained during the last 12, 13 years, just slow things down sometimes,” Udrih said Monday. “Sometimes, maybe, we play a little bit too fast.”
Udrih averaged 4.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in just 16.1 minutes per game for the Heat last season.
In other guard-related news, head coach Erik Spoelstra recently shed some light in regards to second-year man Josh Richardson and his role upon returning to the court. Richardson partially tore his MCL in September and was given a six-to-eight week recovery time.
According to Spoelstra, no timetable has been set for Richardson’s return as the team wants to be careful about rushing the young guard back. But Spoelstra stresses that Richardson must be ready to take on a variety of roles upon his return.
“That’s the strength and ultimately the necessity of this roster — ultimately it’s the versatility,” Spoelstra said. “Guys have to be able to play in different spots and different positions on the floor. We talk about it all the time, but it’s reality. J-Rich (Richardson) is used to that. He literally he can play anywhere — the three perimeter positions offensively and defensively.”
Richardson is likely to spend time at point guard and shooting guard this season, but the amount of playing time he will receive is unclear at this time given Miami’s backcourt depth. Although, it does sound like Spoelstra will do everything he can to ensure Richardson gets quality minutes this upcoming season.
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