The Miami Heat are off to a great start and though only one game into their newest season, that one game was a great way to get it tipped off.
In a blowout win over their rivals, the team that sent them packing ferociously in last year’s NBA Playoffs, and the defending NBA Champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Heat certainly have done their part to begin to put the rest of the league on notice.
While the Miami Heat’s main guys, the starters, had a key role in the win, their bench guys did work as well. Those include guys like Markieff Morris, Max Strus, and of course, Tyler Herro, but there was another guy who turned his wrench a lot too.
He got down in the muck, he did the dirty work, he got greasy, and that was your favorite Miami Heat Mechanic, Dewayne Dedmon. No, but seriously though, he is a huge part of what are the Heat’s nuts and bolts.
Miami Heat: Dewayne Dedmon Displays Value & Expanded Offensive Game
When you talk about a Miami Heat Culture Guy, a guy that’s always going to give maximum effort, all he has, and do the work, regardless, that’s Dewayne Dedmon. That was on full display in game one, early and often.
Finding himself in the middle of the ruckus more times than he didn’t, Dedmon will be a solid addition to Udonis Haslem’s Miami Heat Dojo. Showing his chops during his short stint last season, he has officially graduated from cadet to full-fledged Culture Enforcer.
You know what? And you just love to see it.
That wasn’t the only thing clicking for him on Thursday though. He continued to do something that he has done since he arrived in Miami near the end of last season.
He finished the plays. When you get Dewayne Dedmon a good look in his areas, near the hoop, as the rim-runner, or off the roll, he’s going to convert most of those.
On top of that, he was on his complete game Thursday, showing something we knew he had with him and had been calling for. He hit a triple and though not shocked, because we knew he had that in his game, you’ve been waiting for one to finally go down for him.
Miami Heat: Dewayne Dedmon Is Perfect ‘Power’ To ‘Finesse’ Of Reserves
That should start a, relative, avalanche for him from range and especially considering you only need him to hit one or two of the three or four he’ll take per game, at max. Those will be a key few though, as with his size, finishing ability, and physicality, a big will certainly follow him wherever he goes.
That opens up real-estate in the painted area, where said big is no longer occupying. That just means easy buckets for another of Dedmon’s teammates, such as Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, or any number of other candidates.
Lastly, he also did have a moment of shock and awe though, if being honest. There was this one possession near the end of his time on the court, as the main guys and including the main reserve guys, sat near the end of the game.
He proceeded to show you the ability to do some things going to the rim and off of his own creation. Specifically, there was the move along the baseline.
That was the one that saw Dewayne face-up, hit his defender with a quick rip-through, and all while in route to the cup for a smooth reverse layup. It was as smooth as smooth could get for a seven-footer like The Ded-Man.
All in all, he was impressive, showing his massive value to the team along the way. Well, there was that and an expanded offensive prowess that’ll surely help the Miami Heat and their reserve unit.
There is but one thing to leave you with. With this in mind, Dedmon, Herro, and Max Strus will terrorize benches all year long.
Count on it.