After a great showing at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Andray Blatche may be acquired by the Miami Heat.
In a report by Yahoo! Sports, the Gilas Pilipinas center confirmed that he was going to South Florida to iron out a deal with the Miami Heat. In the offseason, Blatche lives in Miami, but the report confirmed that he was headed back for a different reason.
A Filipino reporter, TJ Manotoc, tweeted the news, "Caught @drayblatche at airport. he's still sad he couldn't bring Gilas further. he's off to Miami now to nego!"
Since the end of August 2014, Blatche and the Heat have been eyeing on each other. In a report by Netsdaily.com, Miami has long been searching for a center who could consistently score and help Chris Bosh in the paint. Blatche is currently in the free agent market but the Heat can only offer the veterans' minimum at the moment.
A lot of experts regard Blatche as an underrated player. He had good statistics with the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. During his short stint playing for the Philippines at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, he led the team in scoring with 21.2 points a game and averaged 13.8 rebounds per night.
According to Rantsports.com, acquiring Blatche would be a great addition to Miami. Since 2010, the Heat was in need of a reliable center. He is expected to strengthen the frontcourt together with Chris Andersen and Josh McRoberts. Blatche is an average defender so the Heat will benefit the most from his offensive prowess. He was, however, showing consistency in blocking shots during the FIBA World Cup. With the proper training and the guidance of Pat Riley, he can be honed to become lethal on the defensive end of the court.
Blatche is a passionate player and a great scorer, which would take some load off Chris Bosh, who is more of a mid-range player. It is only a matter of whether he is willing to take the veterans' minimum and can behave himself while in Miami. The Nets were certain that they did not want to re-sign him due to poor conditioning and his partying habits. Since Miami is now without Michael Beasley, Greg Oden and Ray Allen, it would be a great opportunity to discuss the details with Blatche and add the final pieces to their upcoming roster.