Ranking the best Miami Heat players from 2000-2009
By Cory Sanning
9. James Posey
Stats (2006-2007): 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 39 percent from 3-point range
Posey may come off as a surprise, and I’m sure there are plenty of hands rubbing their eyes at this point.
Originally the 18th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Posey, like Jones, spent time with several teams before venturing to Miami before the 2005-06 season.
Until that point, Posey had experienced a fairly successful career, averaging 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from the field.
Never an offensive juggernaut nor Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Posey was a classic ‘swiss army knife’ type of player.
There was not one area in which he excelled, but there also wasn’t any category in which he struggled, either.
That was evident during Miami’s run to the 2006 championship, a stretch when Posey not only knocked down timely shots but threw his body in front of the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, and Richard Hamilton.
He was Miami’s fifth leading scorer during the 2006 NBA Finals, where he knocked down eight of his 20 3-point attempts during those six games.
Much like Shane Battier, Posey’s numbers will never make your eyes pop. He never made an All Star team and never received an All-NBA vote, but his contributions that assisted in the Heat winning their first championship warrant a spot on this list.