Filed under: Heat, NBA Injuries, NBA Rumors, NBA Transactions
Erick Dampier officially joined the Miami Heat on Tuesday, practicing with his new teammates after passing a physical and signing a contract earlier in the day. "I just look at it as an opportunity of a lifetime here," Dampier said.
The news coincides with the announcement that key reserve Udonis Haslem, the team's co-captain and most physical presence in the paint the past several seasons, underwent successful surgery to repair a torn Lisfranc ligament in his left foot. Haslem, who suffered the injury in Saturday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, is expected to be sidelined for the next four months, and possibly the rest of the season.
Haslem has been the Heat's leading rebounder each of the past two seasons, despite not starting a single game since the 2008-09 season. And with Miami's frontline being abused even before losing Haslem, Dampier will be expected to make an immediate impact.
"He gives us size and rebounding. That's what he's always done throughout his career," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And now, since we are a little thin with UD out indefinitely, he'll be able to bolster our frontline and probably give us some of the things that we've been lacking so far in the 14 games."
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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/erick-dampier-joins-miami-heat-as-udonis-haslem-goes-under-the-k/
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