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Knudson: The Quiet Heatle

By Mark Knudson, The Mtn. Insider
January 17, 2012

Unassuming among a star-studded ensemble, Joel Anthony goes about his business like a consummate professional, contributing something critical to the final product but not getting in the way of the runaway egos that define the group.

If George Harrison was the Quiet Beatle then Anthony is the Quiet Heatle, after Miami Heat teammate LeBron James dubbed the team The Heatles, which feature himself, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, due to the fanatical attention the team receives.

In the middle of the starting lineup that features those big three is Anthony, who at 6’9” is one of the shortest starting centers in the NBA. Even in a league full of giants, height has never been an issue for the former UNLV Rebel, who mans the post like a player who is 7’2”. Playing center on the 2006-07 Rebels squad alongside Louis Amundson, now of the Indiana Pacers, Anthony blocked 13 shots in a single game against TCU his senior season in Las Vegas on his way to winning the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Rebels reached the Sweet 16 that season, and to make things even better, the junior college transfer from Montreal, Canada graduated from UNLV with a degree in University Studies and a concentration in Sociology. That summer, the call came from Miami and his postgraduate plans were put on hold.

“I do want to return home and work with kids,” Anthony said of his post-basketball career. “Give kids who maybe haven’t had a chance to play a chance to learn the game the right way.”

No doubt he will teach them defense first. It’s his defense that has enabled the undrafted free agent to now be entering his fifth year with the Heat. He already ranks fifth all-time in franchise history in blocked shots.

“I enjoy the defensive part of the game,” he said after the Heat completed a morning shoot around at the Pepsi Center in Denver. “However you can help the team.”

His playing time has steadily increased during his time in the NBA to the point he is now starting alongside three of the game’s biggest stars. When the Heat faced the Nuggets that evening, Anthony won the opening tip against 7’1” Timofey Mosgov and then blocked Denver’s first shot attempt (although for some reason, the official scorer failed to record it).
 
After a rough and tumble first quarter, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra decided that the 245-pound Anthony was not a good match-up for the Nuggets bulky front line, electing to sit him in favor of 6’11”, 300-pound Dexter Pittman the rest of the game. It proved to be a bad decision, as Mosgov went on to pour in a season high 12 points to help the Nuggets steamroll the Heat, 117-104.
 
While he was no doubt frustrated with his limited playing time in that game, there’s not much chance that Anthony will stew over it before the next game. His team-first attitude should allow him to jump right back into the mix in the next game and once again strike a valuable chord in what many people think will end up being an NBA Championship tune.
See all of Mark Knudson's blog entries HERE.