Shane Battier (Small Forward) – Shane has been a fantastic addition to the Heat this season. His shot from 3pt range hasn’t been there yet, but it is all of the little things he does to help this team on both ends of the court. He is a fantastic screener on and off the ball, which most people don’t realize. The area that has really shown to the fans is of course his defense. He is able to guard the opposing teams best wing player whenever
he is in the game and that allows Lebron and Wade to roam more on defense, which in turn helps the overall team defense. As his shot rounds into form, you will see him hitting the corner 3 that he is known for.
Chris Bosh (Power Forward/Center) – Chris has come out with what seems like more confidence this season. He has also been asked to step up in a few other ways this year. Over the summer Chris worked on extending his game beyond the three point line and it already has paid off for the Heat when he hit the game tying three to send the game into overtime versus the Atlanta Hawks earlier this season. He has also had to step up on the scoring end with Wade missing a number of games already and LeBron even missing one as well. Chris’ effort on the defensive end is something the Heat can be very proud of as well. He is making a point to give it his all on that end and guard the opposing team’s center for parts of games. As
long as Chris stays aggressive and doesn’t let himself get lost in games he should be able give the Heat even more than he did last year in the playoffs.
Udonis Haslem (Power Forward/Center) – Udonis is playing and that in itself is a great start to the season. Last year’s team just didn’t have the same feel with him out for the majority of the season. He provides leadership that every coach wishes he could have on his team. Udonis is back to his old ways of stepping in and leading the team in charges taken. His mid range jumper has been a little slow to come around so far, but his rebounding has been off of the charts. He is leading the league in rebounds per game for a player of the bench and doing so at a rate of almost 2 more rebounds per game. Having Udonis healthy all season will provide the Heat with a lot more depth on the bench to go to during games.
Juwan Howard (Power Forward/Center) – Juwan is a fantastic locker room presence and is always ready to step in when his number is called to enter the game. Whether it is for 3 minutes or 25 minutes he comes with energy and maturity that help shape this team. He has helped to shape Chris Bosh’s game while going up against him in practice day in and day out. It would be a great thing to see him be part of a championship team after all of the years he has had in the league.
LeBron James (Small Forward) – LeBron is on his way to what looks like his third MVP award. He is playing some amazing basketball to start the season and doing things out there that no one else in the league can do. He is shooting the ball at a career high rate and that has a lot to do with his shot selection. He has been attacking the basket with such strength and power that it has to be worry every opposing coach around the league. He has made an effort to bring his game to the low post and has no problem scoring or passing from down there. The other 29 teams should be very scared if he can keep this up the remainder of the season.
