Udonis Haslem is there to block it from being dunked down. There is a time and a place. The Miami Heat had just gone up by 18 points against the Chicago Bulls and were on their way to victory. It was time to say goodbye. When he looked down his bench, he called out a familiar name. Udonis Haslem, now 41 years old and with scattered gray hairs, rose up, walked down to the scorer's table and checked in. Haslem, who is now in his 19th season, went to France for a year before making the league with his hometown team. When Haslem entered the game against the Bulls, he was joined on the floor by four other players: Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, Omer Yurtseven, and GabeVincent. In a league with 510 roster spots and only 60 draftees a season, every team uses undrafted players. According to research by the sports information company, Miami is the fourth team in NBA history to use at least five rookies in at least 65 games. The only team with a winning record is the Heat. The full 30 for 30 library, premium articles from our NBA insiders, and more are available. You will be able to get everything on the Disney+ network if you sign up now. Because they have to, the Heat have mastered the art of winning with undiscovered talent. Pat Riley has been the team president of Miami since 1995 and has made an effort to go after big names through trade and free agency. The strategy has worked in the past. He traded for Tim Hardaway when he first arrived in Miami. In 2000 there were Eddie Jones and Brian Grant. In 2003 there was Lamar Odom. The deal to acquire O& Neal was done with the help of Grant and Odom. There was a decision to bring in the two superstars in 2010. Jimmy Butler was brought in by Riley in 2019. Those types of names have large salaries. Pickings get moved often. Riley has made only 14 first-round picks in 26 drafts, and three of them were traded in draft-night deals. Miami has to hit on its signees to be successful. It is an organizational philosophy of ours, and we have done it for several years. We know what we want. We are not for everyone, but we love to be dream makers. The Heat didn't have any of their picks in the NBA draft, but that didn't stop a long-time member of the team's player personnel department from working out players. At a private workout in Los Angeles, he saw a player who wasn't on many draft boards, but one who could be a mainstay for years to come. Duncan Robinson was the former D-III transfer turned Michigan star. Kammerer asked what the kid's plan was. The rep said that this was their first workout. Kammerer had a different idea. He turned on his phone. He said that he just finished the greatest shooting workout he had ever seen. The head coach excitedly asked who the promising young prospect was. Kammerer told Duncan Robinson. "You mean the sixth man from Michigan?" he asked incredulously. After his first professional workout, the Heat set their sights on the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. Robinson signed on to be a part of the summer league squad. Robinson averaged 12.4 points over seven games, shooting 21-of-38 from distance. He was given a two-way contract with the Heat. Robinson spent time with the Skyforce in the G League. Robinson was a starter by the time the season ended. Robinson signed the largest contract in NBA history for an unheralded player -- $90 million over five years. The Miami franchise has a familiar Robinson story. The first step is to find a prospect. Give him a chance. Step 3 is to watch him succeed. Haslem says that they will give you the same opportunity as they give the No. 1 draft pick. We give everyone confidence. We believe in leadership at all levels. The Heat's recipe for success is very simple. Not every player the Heat discover turns into a success story, but the organization is consistent in its search criteria. The majority of the coaching staff are from the player development program. They do a great job. According to Max Strus, the team cares about individual players more than anything. The NBA playoffs began Saturday and run through June, when the league will crown a champion for its milestone season. Day 2 had the biggestTakeaways from Day 1
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Strus says that they want to work with you and see you be great. The biggest difference between the Heat and a lot of other organizations is how much they care and want to develop guys.
The work put in by veterans such as Haslem is what determines player development.
That is our biggest thing. You can put in all the work, but if your veterans aren't really promoting that and facilitating that, it's really tough for young guys in this league.
The biggest vet leads that charge.
The reason we can get these guys to work hard is before we even approach these guys about basketball, we let you know you are part of the family and we want the best for you, Haslem says.
I understand that your career may not be here as long as you want it, but I will invest in you so that you can get the best out of your career no matter where you go.
They listen.
Robinson says thatHaslem doesn't need to look any further than him. He likes guys with chips on their shoulders. That is a perfect fit.
Max Strus hit a buzzer-beater.
Robinson started all but 16 games in the past three seasons.
His role changed late in the season. Robinson was moved to the bench and Strus was put into the starting lineup. Miami went 14-2 with Strus as a starter.
Strus says that it suits guys like them because they never know when they will get one.
Robinson did not skip a beat.
He had 27 points in Miami's 115-91 Game 1 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, matching his best output during a game in the regular season, and set a Heat playoff record with eight 3-pointers.
The Miami players who were not drafted racked up 40% of their total points, second best in the NBA. Robinson (10.9 points per game), Strus (10.6 points per game), Martin 9.2 points per game, and Vincent 8.7 points per game accounted for most of the points.
The second most points scored by any team this season was by the Miami players against the Magic. There were 14 instances of players who were not drafted scoring 70 points or more in a regular-season game. The Heat had eight of them.
They needed every one of them, with Jimmy, Kyle, Bam, and Tyler missing a combined 86 games.
Four of the top five games played for the Heat this season were played by rookies: Robinson,Vincent, Strus and Dedmon. P.J. Tucker was second on that list with 71.
It was the first 50-win season in South Beach since the Big Three season of 2013-14, and the Heat were a No. 1 seed.
Haslem says that they don't have the luxury of making the mistakes that the draftees did. The draftees had the luxury of being lazy. We don't have the luxury of not knowing the plays. The draftees got to play hard, so we don't have that luxury. We don't have those luxuries when you're not in the military.
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