NBA Miami Heat

Miami Heat’s Frontcourt Raises Big Questions About Strength

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By @ShaneRantSports

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Getty Images

The last two seasons have been a nightmare in terms of rebounding for the Miami Heat. Even with LeBron James holding down the fort, Miami was among the bottom of the barrel in rebounds per game. Now that the “King” has left the building, it doesn’t look like it will get much better for the defending NBA Eastern Conference champs.

The best news the Heat received all offseason was the team locking down Chris Bosh and emerging from the smoke and rubble that James left behind. Pat Riley was also able to keep Chris Andersen and brought in Josh McRobert to help bolster the frontcourt. Yet, it may not be enough to harness the strength that they will need from their big men.

Bosh’s numbers significantly dropped during the “Big 3″ era as he averaged career-lows in rebounding over the last two seasons, putting up just 6.7 RPG. Andersen was able to accumulate some nice numbers in minimal playing time, and fans can expect him to be used more heavily as Miami shifts away from the small lineup and relies more on a stronger frontcourt. As for Udonis Haslem, it was more a good faith move by the Heat to keep him around, helped by the fact that Riley didn’t have too many options left.

That being said, the post presence raises big questions. It is unknown if Bosh can be a leader for an entire 82-game season and average close to a double-double like Miami will need him to. As for the rest of the big men on the roster, it is a toss-up. There are plenty of solid pieces for Erik Spoelstra to work with, but the post is lacking. Expect the Heat to play around with plenty of lineup combinations this season, and don’t rule out a midseason trade to help improve the frontcourt.

Shane Phillips is an NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also email Shane at [email protected].

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