Haslem Waits For His Opportunity
BOSTON (CBSMiami.com) – Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem hasn't seen the court since last November when he injured his foot. But, the man known as UD is one of the most talked about players in the second-round series between the Heat and Celtics.
Haslem tore ligaments in his foot and had to have surgery to repair the damage. Since then, the Heat has settled into a regular rotation of players and Haslem has been busy trying to rehab his injured foot to return to the Heat for the playoffs.
He's been practicing with the team consistently the past few weeks, and could be getting ready to come back to the court for the Heat sooner, rather than later.
"He's getting closer," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "So I'm giving him more thought. I'm not trying to be coy about it. We're just trying to be smart and judicious about this. It's never easy bringing somebody back into the mix.
While Haslem's impact on the game might be minimal, his presence in the game could be a spark to really ignite the crowd at the AmericanAirlines Arena, and give the Heat inspiration to finish off the Celtics and move on to face the winner of the Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks series.
For Haslem, it would be vindication for the intense rehabilitation he has been going through and would give him a shot at playing for another NBA Championship.
But, Spoelstra will take it easy if Haslem returns to keep him healthy in the playoffs and for future seasons.
