Tom Haberstroh of ESPN reports:
Along with their propensity to turn the ball over, rebounding has been a documented chink in the armor for the Heat. Currently, the team’s 23.0 offensive rebounding rate places them third to last in the NBA. It’s unfair to knock 7-foot-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas for not collecting offensive boards, considering he’s typically roaming the perimeter for pick-and-pops. But Joel Anthony’s a different story. The 6-foot-9 center has been a below-average offensive rebounder this season, collecting 8.6 percent of available Heat missed shots. This, despite being firmly planted around the basket in offensive sets.
For all the energy Anthony brings, his hyperactivity doesn’t translate to beating others to the live ball. On the defensive end, the UNLV product is too busy fly-swatting others shots, rather than preventing the opposition from acquiring second-chance points. In fact, the Heat’s defensive rebounding rate soars from 61.5 percent while Anthony’s on the floor to 70.9 percent after he exits the game.
