Udonis Haslem still at work for the Heat, in his own way

The first thing Udonis Haslem wants to make clear is that this is not a role of choice. The second is that it's still an opportunity to have an impact.
"I've had so many different roles in my career," Haslem said, with the Miami Heat now shifting their attention to Thursday night's game against the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Arena. "I've been a starter. I've been a sixth man. And now my role is coming to the point of where I'm more of a mentor, I'm more of a leader off the floor.
"But it's still a job. It's still something that I have to do my best at. It's still something that I've got to put effort into. It's still something that I've got to master. It's still something that challenges me every game."
Save for late-game mop-up duty, almost all of Haslem's impact in his 13th season comes when the clock isn't running. He is a vocal presence on the bench and in the locker room. And much of his time on the bench isn't on the bench at all, often rising to direct the team's younger players or console the veterans.