Miami Heat: A Lost Season For Josh McRoberts?

The Miami Heat won a close game over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. One moment stood out at the end of the third quarter for Josh McRoberts, formerly of Charlotte and in his first year in Miami.

Miami had squandered a first-half lead and the Hornets were up five and gaining momentum. A drive to the hoop by Heat rookie Shabazz Napier drew a double team and McRoberts was suddenly open on the wing.

Napier hit the seven-year forward with a perfect pass and McRoberts hesitated, released the shot and watched as it caromed off the rim. Charlotte’s lead would increase and Miami wound up fighting for their lives as time expired.

That sequence has been the norm rather than the exception this season. Here’s McRoberts’ forgettable stat line against his previous team; 17 minutes, three points, three rebounds and one assist.

In a wild offseason held hostage by the pending decision regarding LeBron James‘ next team, the news that McRoberts would join Miami met with mixed reviews. His highlight of a first-round playoff battle with the Heat was clotheslining James on the way to the hoop.

If Miami was trying to lure LeBron back to South Beach, removing any possible antagonists from opposing lineups was one way to go about it.

On the plus side, McRoberts was a versatile player that had really flourished under Steve Clifford, the first-year head coach in Charlotte. He could pass, score from long-range, initiate a team’s offense from the high post and he could finish at the rim with either hand.

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With James’ announcement that he’d be returning to Cleveland, McRoberts’ range of skills was a consolation.

Fast forward through the offseason and it’s revealed that McRoberts suffered a toe injury that required surgery. He’d miss every preseason game and the start of the regular season.

Once deemed ready to play, he was eased into the lineup and then went through another setback with a foot blister that made walking — much less jumping, cutting or running — an impossibility.

Just 14 games into the season and McRoberts has yet to stay healthy, establish consistency or be a factor of any kind for Miami.

He’s shooting less than 42 percent from the field (and just 20 percent from long-range), and is averaging just more than 12 minutes, two points and two rebounds per game, as well as less than one assist per game (well below his 4.6 APG from last season).

Clearly injury has affected him and, should he regain full health, Miami’s cautious approach might eventually pay off.

But there’s the distinct possibility that McRoberts’ best season as a pro was a fluke rather than the start of a pattern of growth.

It hasn’t helped that Miami’s stopgap for McRoberts — Shawne Williams — has also been really solid for Miami. Williams’ shooting from 3-point range had been sensational to start the season (it’s tapered off somewhat in recent games).

Additionally, Williams’ earnest defense against opposing big men has helped Chris Bosh stay out of foul trouble. Williams has had to guard some of the top centers in the game (Dwight Howard, Al Jefferson and Roy Hibbert) to ensure Bosh remains in the game.

McRoberts signed a four-year deal worth nearly $23 million; that’s starter money. Or, at least, productive sixth-man type of money. At this point, McRoberts is neither and while there’s been flashes of his ability — a nice pass or highlight-reel dunk — they’re too few and far between to justify his annual salary.

The concerns are both short- and long-term ones. If McRoberts’ struggles are merely a question of injury, an upcoming break around the Thanksgiving holiday will surely help though he may not round into form for some time.

His injury is the type that could linger and need significant time (like a full offseason) to heal properly. Strangely enough, this is the most optimistic prognosis of McRoberts.

The biggest fear is that Clifford’s offensive sets maximized the abilities of a player that had bounced around four other teams before landing in Charlotte. If that’s the case, then McRoberts’ contract becomes a much bigger burden than anticipated, as he’s the only other player other Bosh signed past the next season.

McRoberts may still turn things around, perhaps sooner than expected. But how far his ceiling in Miami reaches, or if we’re seeing a more grim sign of things to come, remains to be seen.

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