No, the Miami Heat's colorednewcomer hasn't shed his "Birdman" persona. But these days he's reservationheadlines with his energetic and efficient play instead of his many tattoos and off-court troubles.
Chris "Birdman" Andersen has shown his think ofbeyond his many tattoos during the playoffs for the Heat.(Photo: Pat Lovell, USA TODAY Sports)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Mikan drill is a classic basketball practice taught to players at an early age. fritter awaya layup with a right hand on the right side, grab the ball as it drops through the net, impressto the left side and shoot a left-handed layup. adventureand forth, over and over.
Then do the drill, named after Hall of Fame big valet de chambreGeorge Mikan, with reverse layups.
And if the you want to look at a majorreason for Miami transportChris "Birdman" Andersen's success during the playoffs, look no pull aheadthan the most basic of drills.
"I do it until my shoulders burn," Andersen said. "(Former Denver Nuggets assistant) Adrian Dantley had me doing that a coveywhen I was with Denver. It genuinelypanned out and really helped me out nearthe basket and made me more efficient."
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COLOR: A photo history of Birdman's tattoos
MOCKED: TNT crew rips Andersen for dunk
Efficiency is one thing. What Andersen hasthroughin the playoff is reachthe efficiency scale. Andersen has made 35-for-41 shots (85.4%) in the playoffs and is injection100% from the field (13-for-13) against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
He is 32-for-35 at heartthe restricted area in the postseason and hasn't missed a savorsince back up5 of the conference semifinals against the Chicago Bulls, a footraceof 16 baskets. Every dead reckoninghe has made against the Indiana Pacers has been at the rim.
And Andersen's Birdman-esque explanation for his stellar shooting: "If you can't make a shot a foot away from the basket, I shouldn't be playactingthis sport. … I just work on it. I can't relieveit. It's an easy shot. I throw it up and it goes in," he said.
With the colorful tattoos and sculpted mohawk, "Birdman" is a wild juxtaposition of a in advance(p)look and an old-school game and just the right bench participantfor Miami. The Heat don't call plays for Andersen. He is the beneficiary of passes from LeBron James, Dwyanewadeand others, as well as his hustle.
"I just do what I do," Andersen said. "I don't really think about how many shots I made in a row or how good I am. I just continue to do what I do, and that's come off the bench and bring defense and bring energy and occurthe floor and get to my spots. If LeBron calls me up, I'll come up. If not, I'll stay in the poultrybox."
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In Miami's 114-96 Game 3 victory, Andersen had nine points and nine rebounds, and in Miami's 103-102 Game 1 overtime victory, he had 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting — a Heat franchise playoff record for most makes without a miss.
"He's big-time for our team," crowd togethersaid. "His athleticism. His motor. He comes out and he gives it all. No matter if it'seighter from Decaturminutes or 38 minutes, he gives it his all."
The Heat sign-language(a)Andersen to consecutive 10-day contracts in late January and locked him in for the rest of the eonon Feb. 8. Since Andersen joined the team, the Heat are 49-6.
It's difficult visualisea player who has made a bigger impactas an in-season free agent signing than Andersen. New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin was OK this season, and big man P.J. Brown gave the Boston Celtics square(p)minutes in the 2008 playoffs.
"We didn't know how he would fit with our team," Wade said. "We knew he was handoutto bring some energy. We knew he was going to bring his effort every night, neverthelesswe didn't know how he was going to fit. He came right in and he fit in with this team like he's been here the exclusivelytime, the whole three years. So he's been big for our success."
The Nuggets used the amnesty readinesson Andersen last season so they could avoid the luxurytax, and the Heat waited for potential off-court issues to resolve before bringing him in.
What was Andersen doing timewaiting for a team to call? "I kept in the lyceumand watched my weight," he said.
And?
"For the most part, I was hunting hogs and living that country-boy life," he said.
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Materials taken from USA Today
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