Though there are a lot of NBA fans and pundits who seem to not really understand or agree with the Miami Heat’s decision to keep leader Udonis Haslem on the active roster, current and former NBA players appear to think very differently.
In fact, former Heat forward Caron Butler recently stated that the model the Heat have created with Haslem should be adopted by other teams in the league.
“Having someone like U.D., I just think he’s the blueprint for all vets and how the organization and how a system should be ran from top to bottom when you talk about having a cornerstone of a franchise still there that been through the wars, been through the battles,” he said. “… He’s able to be that voice and that bridge between us and the coaching staff to the locker room.
“I think more teams and more organizations need to revisit that. … The value of Udonis Haslem in that locker room is priceless.”
Haslem’s impact on the Heat roster is something that likely only NBA coaches and players can understand, and the Heat are perfectly fine with that.
Though the Heat are not lacking in veterans, there is no single player in the NBA with more experience than Haslem.
Some may not understand what he brings to the table as a rostered player, but it cannot be denied that the Heat have been one of the best teams in the league in recent seasons.
They have two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one Eastern Conference championship over the last three seasons.
The last season that Haslem played in more than 16 contests was the 2015-16 season. The 2021-22 campaign was the first time he logged double-digit appearances since the 2018-19 campaign.
So far this season, he’s seen action in just one game. He played for two minutes in the Heat’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers and grabbed one defensive rebound before heading back to the bench.
In his career, Haslem has averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He’s appeared in a total of 873 regular season games. He was a contributor in all three of Miami’s championship runs.
Surely, his hope is that this season, his last as a player in the NBA, will end in a fourth title for the South Florida franchise.
In the opinion of Haslem himself, the Heat are the favorites to come out of the East this season. He stated as much earlier this month.
However, after a 2-4 start to the season, it looks like the Heat are going to have to flatten out a few wrinkles before they can really feel good about their status in the conference.
