The Heat’s all-time Top 10 sixth men
MIAMI — At the inception, there was little in reserve. Cobbling together starting lineups was enough of a challenge for the expansion Miami Heat in 1988.
But as the franchise came of age, so did the quality of sixth men that Ron Rothstein, Kevin Loughery, Alvin Gentry, Pat Riley, Stan Van Gundy and Erik Spoelstra could put into play.
Which is why, upon reflecting on those who have offered support beyond the starting lineups, the top 10 lacks room for the likes of Isaac Austin, James Jones, Jason Kapono, Rasual Butler, Gary Payton, Michael Doleac, Mark Strickland, Anthony Carter and even the supernova that initially arrived as a bench boost in the form of Hassan Whiteside.
Throughout this 30th-anniversary season, the South Florida Sun Sentinel will look back at three decades of the Heat, at the men and the moments that have made this an exhausting, exhilarating and enduring ride.
Today we look at the franchise’s Top 10 sixth men.
10. Bimbo Coles
Although he played mostly as a starter during the final two seasons of his Heat tenure before being dealt by Pat Riley to the Warriors for Tim Hardaway, the first four seasons came as a needed offensive spark off the bench, averaging double-figure points in 1991-92 and ’92-93, when the overwhelming majority of appearances for the 1990 second-round pick came in reserve.
9. Eddie House
In 225 appearances over four seasons with the Heat, there were only 11 starts. Instead, as with many of today’s 3-point shooters, there was a consistent long-distance spark off the bench. The 2000 second-round pick often found himself as a leading man during closing time, when scoring two at a time wasn’t enough. It was among the reasons he was brought back for a 2010-11 return after eight seasons away from the team.
8. Tyler Johnson
Erik Spoelstra had gone out of his way until this season to do anything and everything to avoid utilizing Johnson as a starter, with the undrafted 2015 free-agent addition starting only seven of his 141 Heat appearances entering this season. In 73 bench appearances last season there was a 13.7 scoring average. The goal ultimately is to get him back to that role, which could fuel a rise on ensuing versions of this list.
7. Chris Anderson
Birdman appeared in 181 games over four seasons with the Heat with only 21 starts (20 coming in one season). His high-energy, shot-blocking approach off the bench helped fuel the Heat to their 2013 championship, after he was signed at midseason. All 38 of his playoff appearances with the Heat were in reserve, resulting in a pair of Finals appearances.
6. Udonis Haslem
After his rookie season in 2003-04 as an undrafted free agent, Haslem was locked into the starting lineup for the next five seasons, appearing only once off the bench. And then came the next phase, with no starts in 2009-10 and relatively few during the Big Three era — or since. The effort and the energy never waned, often entering as enforcer, with purpose to many of his fouls.
5. Norris Cole
Three-plus seasons with the Heat, three NBA Finals, two NBA championships, with all 60 of his Heat postseason appearances coming off the bench. From the moment he was selected out of Cleveland State in the first round of the 2011 draft, the energetic point guard emerged as a complementary component during the team’s Big Three run, his hustle earning the favor of LeBron James.
4. Shane Battier
By the end of his three-year run with the Heat, Battier had moved into more of a starting role, but in his first two seasons, which both produced Heat titles, in 2012 and ’13, only 30 of his 137 regular-season appearances came as a starter. He wasn’t necessarily a dynamic presence off the bench, but rather a steadying force, able to convert timely baskets when most needed, taking on some of the biggest defensive challenges.
3. Mike Miller
There were only 21 starts in his 139 regular-season appearances with the Heat and just five in his 58 playoffs appearances, the team advancing to the NBA Finals in each of his three seasons, winning titles in 2012 and ’13. His energy off the bench was infectious, his playoff 3-pointers essential and his ability to hit a shot in the Finials without a shoe epic. He was the type of reserve who got the crowd going just by walking to the scorers’ table.
2. Antoine Walker
A starter for all 23 of his appearances in the 2006 playoffs on the way to that season’s championship, Walker otherwise mostly was a reserve during his two seasons with the Heat, starting just 34 of his 160 regular-season appearances over his two seasons with the team. Little did more to spark the Heat during those seasons than Walker entering and hoisting away from the 3-point line with his “tippy-toe” launches.
1. Ray Allen
Forget everything else and just remember this: Ray Allen came off the bench on June 18, 2013, the night he converted the final-seconds 3-pointer against the Spurs that forced overtime of Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Two nights later, the Heat were NBA champions for a second time during the Big Three era. As it was, Allen started just nine of his 152 regular-season games and only one of his 43 postseason appearances with the Heat.
iwinderman@sunsentinel.com