Ranking the 15 most underrated players in Miami Heat history

Jun 19 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15)lays the ball up between Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Nick Collison (4) and James Harden (13) during the second half of game four in the 2012 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Larry W. Smith/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports /

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Miami Heat Shane Battier (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

6. Shane Battier (2011-14)

After losing the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat entered the offseason in hopes of adding another strong supporting player that could help get the team over the championship hump. One of the bigger offseason additions for the Heat was Shane Battier. As the ultimate professional and one of the most versatile players in the game, Battier was exactly what the Heat needed to allow head coach Erik Spoelstra to fully embrace his journey toward the first incarnation of positionless basketball.

Ahead of his time, Battier was a player who could play on the wing or even the small-ball power forward position. Spo utilized that during the three seasons Battier spent in a Heat uniform. During his best season with the Heat, Battier averaged seven points on 43 percent shooting from 3-point range. During the team’s first championship run, Battier started 16 of the 23 postseason games played. He averaged 12 points per game on a blistering 58 percent shooting from 3-point range in the NBA Finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Battier played a very important and underrated role in the Heat turning their disappointing NBA Finals loss to the Mavs into two-straight championships the following two seasons.

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