Does Heat bench need boost at buyout deadline?

Q: So who will it be: Danny Granger, Big Baby or someone off the radar? Could the Heat still cut Toney Douglas Jr. and sign two? And, what happened to our great bench that was considered the Heat's big strength? -- Chet.

A: Good questions. First things first: Yes, I certainly could see them going for more than one addition, certainly with no enduring commitment to Douglas (other than having to eat his salary, although that also would strip them of a third-string point guard, should Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole go down). I can't recall this many potentially helpful names being available at the buyout deadline. Of course, there have not been many seasons like this, with teams seeing how low they can go in order to maximize their lottery odds. And your point about the Heat's questionable depth is legitimate. It's almost as if they have to add another wing, amid the current shaky shooting from both Shane Battier and Ray Allen (of course, they still have James Jones, although you wouldn't always know it by looking at who's in uniform lately). These next few weeks could be as intriguing as some of the past offseasons have been to the Heat, when it comes to personnel and rounding out the bench.

-- South Florida Sun Sentinel