Udonis Haslem is a household name when it comes to Miami Heat basketball, though he never became the franchise's main star. Despite this, the veteran forward understands why Kyrie Irving wants to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. In a radio interview, Haslem explained that young players in the NBA today aim for the "opportunity to have their own team." He also said that these lads have the desire to be the best version of themselves.
Haslem added that James is the greatest basketball player as of the moment. That is why it is impossible for someone to be the best on a team if he is playing with the "King." The 37-year-old has the right to discuss the experience of teaming up with James.
The two spent four seasons together in Miami and captured a couple of NBA championships in 2012 and 2013.
Miami Heat motivated
During the radio interview, Haslem also spoke about the Heat who he believes are motivated. The 6-foot-8 power forward shared that the likes of Dion Waiters and James Johnson are still working diligently, even after receiving lucrative deals back in July. Last season, Miami started flat and many expected the team to have a terrible campaign. However, the Heat were able to turn things around in the second half of the season. Unfortunately, their efforts came up short as they finished ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-41 record.
Reduced role for Haslem
It appears Haslem is ready to help Miami in the 2017-18 NBA season.
Sadly, his contributions may be off the court. In the Heat depth chart provided by ESPN, Haslem is the fourth man at the power forward position. In front of him are Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, and Okaro White. Johnson is projected to be the starter in the new season following an impressive outing last season. Olynyk is one of Miami's newest acquisitions and is likely to be Johnson's main backup.
Meanwhile, White is a much younger option at the No. 4 spot. The present situation suggests that minutes are going to be hard to come by for Haslem, who already experienced a significant decline in playing time for the past two seasons.
In the 2015-16 season, Haslem averaged just seven minutes per game (37 games), the lowest in his 14-year career.
That number improved last season to 8.1 minutes, but he had lesser appearances only seeing action in 16 games for the Heat. What is happening to Haslem is understandable considering that he is close to retirement.
