Haslem asked teammates to send him out the right way. How is it going? ‘So far, so good.’
Just a day after announcing he was returning for a 17th NBA season in early August, Heat forward Udonis Haslem decided to send a message to his teammates.
While declining to definitely label this season as his final one, Haslem told reporters that day that it was up to his teammates to make him feel comfortable enough to retire. After all, the Heat had just missed the playoffs after posting a 39-43 record last season.
“You have to ask my teammates if this is my last season. It’s up to those guys,” Haslem said in August. “If they send me out the right way, you don’t have to worry about me no more. But if they don’t take care of business, then I might be back again answering the same question again next year, ‘Is this your last dance?’ So it’s up to the guys.”
It’s still early, but Haslem admits he’s more than pleased through the first 26 games of the season. The Heat entered Sunday with the fourth-best record in the NBA at 19-7 following Saturday’s overtime road win over the Mavericks.
“So far, so good. I’ll leave it at that,” Haslem said with a smile, as the Heat continues its three-game trip Monday against the Grizzlies.
The 39-year-old Haslem doesn’t get much playing time these days, but his status within the locker room as the longtime team captain makes him an important part of the roster. He has logged a total of 11 minutes of playing time over two games this season, and he has played in just 42 games since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Why does Haslem believe the Heat has been winning so many games to start the season?
“Man, we’re playing the game the right way. Everything is pure,” said Haslem, who has spent each of his 17 NBA seasons with the Heat and currently holds the longest streak by any active player with only one team in the league. “There’s no such thing as mistake-free basketball. We’re not perfect. We still have a ways to go. But we’re playing the game for each other. We’re playing the game the right way. We’re playing with purity. We’re excited to go out there and compete. We’re having fun with it.”
The Heat entered Sunday as one of only five teams with a top-10 offensive rating and defensive rating this season, along with the Bucks, Lakers, Celtics and Clippers.
As far as individual players on the Heat’s roster, here’s what Haslem had to say ...
▪ On what Jimmy Butler has brought to the team: “A leader on the floor. My voice and my influence only goes so far. For me, it has been a dream come true to have a guy like Jimmy, who I see a lot of myself in competitor wise and I see a lot of myself in as far as the will to win he has in him. For somebody to be that and have that on the basketball court, it just takes us to a different level of holding these guys accountable on the court.”
▪ On what has impressed him most about first-round pick Tyler Herro: “His basketball IQ is very good, on both ends of the floor. Even if he’s not in the right spot, he knows where to be. He’s just trying to get there, but sometimes it takes him a step longer. But he knows where to be and he knows what he needs to do. So he has the mental part of it.
“He can handle the ball, he can get us in sets offensively running the point. Obviously, everybody knows he can shoot. But he can get in the paint and he can finish. His pull-up jumper is amazing, he can finish with both hands in the paint against contact. He has the complete game.”
▪ On the emergence of undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn, who is situated next to Haslem in the Heat’s locker room: “Sitting next to K-Nunn every day in the locker room, I speak to him every day. More of our conversations are more personal, it’s not for everybody. Just staying in his ear, keeping him encouraged, giving him little pointers and just letting him know different things. ... I won’t let him lose that chip. I remind him of the chip on his shoulder every game.”
▪ On Bam Adebayo’s growth: “In my opinion right now, he’s an All-Star. That’s just my opinion, maybe I’m biased. He drives the boat on both ends of the floor for us, offensively and defensively. Defensively, he anchors our defense, finishes our possessions with rebounds. Offensively, he gets us in triggers and gets other guys involved.”
There has been a youth movement within the Heat organization this season, with the 19-year-old Herro, 22-year-old Adebayo, 22-year-old Derrick Jones Jr., 23-year-old Justise Winslow and 24-year-old Nunn each playing significant roles.
Haslem has noticed.
“I definitely see a difference with the youth, the future of the franchise is in those guys’ hands and to see where things are going,” he said. “The crazy thing about it is our veterans are young, too. You talk about Justise being a veteran, you talk about Bam being a veteran. Our veterans are young, too. The future is bright and it’s exciting.”
Haslem asked his teammates to send him out the right way. So far, they’re doing just that.
“I have a responsibility to this organization and to the guys before me to put this organization and this culture in good hands,” he said. “Trust me, retiring is not about walking away from the organization and not caring how it does when I’m gone. I want to see this organization continue to do well. I want to see this organization continue to raise banners and win championships. For me, I don’t want to be kicking myself at home wishing I could have done more.”
▪ The Heat listed Goran Dragic (strained right groin), James Johnson (personal reasons), Dion Waiters (team suspension) and Justise Winslow (strained lower back) as out for Monday’s matchup against the Grizzlies.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 4:27 PM.
