We already discussed the best centers in Miami Heat history, so why not take a look at the other frontcourt position?
Of course, the lines between centers and power forwards get blurred a lot in today's game — to the point where most people generally just call them “bigs.” However, back in the day, there was a difference between the two positions.
Today, we come up with the five best power forwards to be part of the franchise's all-time depth chart:
5. Grant Long
Miami became an NBA franchise in 1988, and in that first season, Grant Long was the team's starting power forward.
Long spent six-plus seasons with Miami overall before finding his name in a lot of Heat news after being traded to the Atlanta Hawks very early during the 1994-95 campaign. During that time, he was a rather steady contributor.
He was never a star, but Grant was solid on both ends of the court, with his best season in South Beach coming in 1991-92 when he averaged 14.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and 80.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Long tends to get forgotten about because he was never a member of any of the truly significant Heat squads, but that doesn't mean he didn't make his mark.
The Eastern Michigan product posted averages of 11.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals a night throughout his Miami tenure.
4. Lamar Odom
Yes, we get it, Lamar Odom was only with the Heat for one season in 2003-04. However, in that one season, Odom truly broke out and became a terrific all-around player.
Odom also helped lead Miami back to the playoffs alongside a rookie by the name of Dwyane Wade and played a vital role in even pushing the Heat to the second round.
That year, Odom averaged 17.1 points per game, which was the second-highest output of his 14-year NBA career. He also logged 9.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals a night while playing sort of a point-forward role for the Heat.
That ensuing offseason, Miami traded Odom to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that brought Shaquille O'Neal to South Florida, so Heat fans quickly forgot about him.
Nonetheless, there is no doubt that Odom was very good in his lone season with the Heat.
It's rare that NBA players spend their entire career with one team. It's even rarer when a role player does it.
Yet, Udonis Haslem holds that distinction, as all 17 of his NBA seasons have come with the Heat.
Haslem broke into the league with Wade in 2003 and had a very impressive rookie campaign, averaging 7.3 points and 6.3 boards per game while aiding Miami's playoff run.
The following year, Haslem nearly averaged a double-double (10.9 points, 9.1 rebounds) alongside Shaq up front as the Heat made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
No one has ever confused Haslem for a star, but his consistency, his efficiency on the glass, his defensive chops and his toughness have all been valuable attributes for Miami throughout most of his tenure.
Yes, Haslem has barely played over his last five seasons — taking on more of a player-coach/mentor type of role — but one day, his No. 40 may very well be up in the rafters at American Airlines Arena.
Remember: he is the only Heat player other than Wade to have been present for all of Miami's three titles.
Haslem owns career averages of 7.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
2. P.J. Brown
Due to Alonzo Mourning‘s dominance in the mid-to-late '90s, P.J. Brown was a rather underrated member of the Heat during his four years with the club.
A reliable, durable veteran and a terrific defender, Brown played a pivotal role in Miami regularly being near the top of the Eastern Conference standings during his tenure.
Similar to Haslem, Brown was never going to wow you with his skill set, and he wasn't going to post numbers that jumped off the stat sheet. But he was very consistent and was the perfect complement to Mourning at the frontcourt.
Oddly enough, Brown ended up facing Miami as a playoff opponent twice afterward, as he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets during the summer of 2000. PJ and the Hornets beat the Heat in the postseason that ensuing campaign before later falling to Miami in the first round of the 2004 playoffs.
Throughout his time in South Beach, Brown averaged a respectable line of 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He would later go on to win a championship with the Boston Celtics during his final NBA season in 2008.
1. Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh was on the centers' list, but he is making the power forwards list as well.
Bosh was always a bit disrespected throughout his six-year run with the Heat because he was clearly third fiddle to LeBron James and Wade. Well, in the minds of the fans, anyway.
A legitimate argument can be made that Bosh was actually the second-most important player behind James during the latter half of Miami's four straight finals appearances between 2011 and 2014, as Wade was clearly declining and Bosh had become a legitimate two-way force.
Bosh wasn't a tough guy, and his rebounding left much to be desired, but his defensive versatility was crucial to the Heat's success. Moreover, the fact that he even developed a rather reliable three-point shot made him the model modern big man.
Blood clots ended Bosh's career at the young age of 32, but last year, he was immortalized in Miami when the Heat raised his No. 1 into the rafters.
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