Mark J. Reblias- USA Today Sports
According to HoopsRumors.com, the Miami Heat were at one point considering taking a look at former Heat small forward Dorell Wright this summer in free agency, but have decided to avoid the pattern of reuniting with former players. Although this may seem like a mistake considering the lack of depth at the small forward position on the roster, this is a very smart decision by Heat management.
Wright is not the type of player the Heat are looking to add to their roster at the small forward position. Not only is Wright currently 30 years old (which goes against the Heat’s need to bolster the roster with youth and athleticism), the 10-year veteran has also been on a steady decline since his breakout season in 2010 with the Golden State Warriors.
In his peak season with the Heat, Wright only averaged 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while playing an average of more than 25 minutes. Coincidentally, this was the same season Wright shot a career-high 49 percent from beyond the arc. Since then, all of his shooting averages have been declining, as well as his defensive prowess, which has regressed in the form of averaging just 0.2 blocks and 0.4 steals per game this season.
Wright is not the answer for the Heat at small forward. He wasn’t the answer back in 2007, and he definitely isn’t the solution now. The Heat need to spend every ounce of available cap space on a young, athletic small forward for their roster. Hopefully the 2015 NBA Draft will be able to provide such a player for the Heat organization.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
