4 NBA D-League Players Miami Heat Should Consider Signing
By Wes Goldberg
Oct 4, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jeff Withey (5) battles Miami Heat forward Khem Birch (14) for a rebound during the second quarter of play at KFC Yum! Center. New Orleans defeated Miami 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
2. Khem Birch (C, Sioux Falls Skyforce)
The comet landing of Hassan Whiteside has made Heat fans forget about Khem Birch (or at least stop talking about him).
However, with Birdman’s inability to stay healthy and Udonis Haslem being borderline unplayable and officially entering the “keep gettin’ dem checks” faze of his career (H/t Jalen Rose) it might be time to bring up The Tree Branch.
There are two main reasons for this.
1. Everything I just said in that first paragraph.
2. He’s getting some looks from NBA teams and, if the Heat want to keep another squad from stealing him away they may not have a choice but to sign him.
The D-League ranks him fifth among prospects.
"Potential defensive ace protecting rim and guarding pick-and-roll. Rebounding, shot-blocking and finishing inside have translated well. Slight build with limited offensive game; needs to bulk up to compete at the next level."
The “slight build” stood out in person when I attended the D-League Showcase in Santa Cruz earlier in January. But Tyson Chandler has chicken legs so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
He’s still raw and has some work to do on offense and in regards to defensive positioning. Juwan Howard is a freaking gawd among big man coaches, evidenced by his craftsmanship with Whiteside. Get Birch with Coach Howard and the Heat can start developing an intriguing core of big men to transition into the post-Heatles era.
Next: The Next Iman Shumpert?