Is the next notable Miami Heat high-flyer on the roster?

The Miami Heat tend to go for a certain type of guy. Call it what you will at this point, they have certain traits that they look for and though they aren’t always the exact same in every player or express themselves exactly the same in totality, those are the traits they look for.

For example, guys with a certain edge are the types they look for. Think Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem, or Tyler Herro even.

They also look for guys that have already shown that they will outwork the next man, regardless of whether anyone has seen it yet. Think Haslem and Butler again but even a guy like Duncan Robinson, who though owes everybody a resurgence this year in light of the next fact, worked his way from Division III to becoming a $100 million dollar NBA man.

Tenacity, grit, hustle, effort, determination, cunningness, ferocity, nastiness (hey Dewayne Dedmon), all possibly synonyms or different aspects of similar notions, the Miami Heat want guys with a few, all, or a highly keen sense of one of these traits.

Miami Heat: Is The Next Notable High-Flyer On The Roster?

Back to “expression” though and for whatever the reason for a few particular players finding their way to South Florida in recent years may be, that expression has often come with some pretty intense hops for those particular players.

When you think about guys like Derrick Jones Jr., James Johnson, and most recently, Caleb Martin, that is certainly the case. And they may just have their next one.

Well, Jamal Cain has the hops, but he has to land the spot.

With one roster spot left, the Miami Heat could opt to sign one of the four exhibit-10 guys they have in training camp or reserve it for a trade candidate.

Battling with Dru Smith, Orlando Robinson, Jamaree Bouyea, and possibly the ghosts of all the potential pickups out there across the league in some fashion, Cain does have an uphill battle before him.

However, he does offer some stuff that they could take advantage of at the four position. And in fact, it may be some of the same stuff that the last main guy to occupy the four-spot might’ve offered.

Miami Heat: If Jamal Cain Can Stick, He Certainly Has A Chance To Be It

Before closing your browser window, hear this out. There are similarities to what P.J. Tucker offered the Heat in Cain’s game.

He isn’t built like P.J. Tucker, more wiry strong than stalky and solid, but he does offer the same inside-outside presence that Tucker did as a guy capable of helping impact the game from the inside and on the perimeter on both sides of the ball.

An excellent rebounder for his size in college, he also was a high steals guy during his senior season at Oakland, averaging nearly two a game. Though the steals are there and he has the obvious athletic gifts to be a plus defender in the leage, you still need to see it against NBA level offense to make a complete determination or not.

He doesn’t shoot the ball nearly as well as Tucker did percentage wise, however, he’s capable of more versatility, overall and from range, than Tucker seemed to be. In one example, you are extremely comfortable with Cain with as a driver or slasher, at times, especially with his high athletic ability giving him a high chance to finish or draw fouls.

Besides some of the other things mentioned though, when it comes to the other high flyers that have helped make a bigger name for themselves in Miami, a few of them have started off really humbly as well. There is also something else, though from a different perspective.

Marquette guys tend to do well in Miami. And if he can remain until the final cuts are made, he might not just be the Miami Heat’s next notable former Golden Eagle, but their next notable high-flyer as well.