Why Miami Heat Would Be Wise to Make Push for Chris Andersen

Though the league’s top free agents are already settled into their new homes—Ray Allen being one of them—the Heat still have a golden opportunity to enhance their chances at a repeat. I’m speaking, of course, about one Chris “Birdman” Andersen, whom the Nuggets amnestied and who is still without a team. Oh, and who is interested in taking what’s left of his talents to South Beach, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The Heat also have attracted the interest of free-agent center Chris Andersen, who recently bypassed a lucrative European offer and is believed to be amenable to a Heat offer at the NBA minimum salary, which is all the Heat, operating above the NBA salary cap, have available. Andersen was released earlier this summer by the Denver Nuggets under the league’s amnesty provision that eases a team’s luxury-tax liability.

Andersen may not appear to have much left in the tank, but he does, and at 6’10” and with a knack for blocking shots, the Heat would be doing themselves a favor by bringing him into the fold.

I mean, not only will Andersen come obnoxiously cheap, but he, unlike Eddy Curry, can still have an impact. And while Miami can exhaust the Dexter Pittman and Joel Anthony project all they want, it’s clearly not working out. Andersen, though, gives them another big man to throw into the fray, one who’s post game is more refined than anything the Heat currently have anyway.

No, Anderson isn’t going to be able to give you 30 high quality minutes per night, but he’ll be good for at least half that. And even though the Heat managed to small-ball their way to a title last season, it couldn’t hurt to provide a little extra interior insurance, especially if they’re looking to limit the amount of abuse Chris Bosh takes on a daily basis.

So, at least for this season, Miami needs to look past the tattoos and into the athletic freak Andersen once was. There’s still some fight left in that body of his, and he proved that whenever he was able to grace the court in Denver. He navigated the court well, rebounded fiercely and challenged shots by the possession—and that’s exactly what the Heat need; that’s the type of size LeBron James and Dwyane Wade could use to increase the threat behind their already feared dribble penetration.

So, even though Miami managed to drastically improve its roster with the additions of Allen and Rashard Lewis, the team is depriving itself of another offseason coup if it opts to ignore the interest Andersen has expressed. They present the perfect situation for him to be in—no pressure and minimal expectations.

Because after all, the Heat don’t need him to be a superstar, they just need him to be ready and willing.

And that he is. More ready than Curry ever was, and more willing than Anthony or Pittman will ever be.