Heat's Spoelstra calls outside-the-box McRoberts 'an artist'

Miami Heat fans may feel like they don't know Josh McRoberts very well.

That's because the nine-year big man has played only 25 regular season games in a Heat uniform since the beginning of the 2014-15 campaign.

Despite not being available to his team for much of his tenure in South Beach, head coach Erik Spoelstra has a good handle on McRoberts' unique capabilities.

"He's an outside-the-box player," the Heat's bench boss explained to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman. "Most of his actions happen in random, unscripted situations. That's where he's at his best, and those are also the toughest situations to guard."

The 6-foot-8 stretch-four boasts a dynamic skill set that lends itself perfectly to the ever-changing matchups seen on a nightly basis throughout the NBA.

Sporting a 34.3 percent shooting average from beyond the arc, while also possessing the ability to back opponents into the post for closer-range shots, McRoberts offers Spoelstra an array of offensive options.

"He's an artist out there," he said. "He's not somebody that has to be given a sequence of paint by numbers. That just doesn't work with him."

"I gave him as much freedom and autonomy to make decisions on the fly."

By McRoberts' own admission, he is not the flashiest of players. Lest we forget, however, that the 37th pick in the 2007 draft was once known for his hops.

"Believe it or not, I actually came in, started as a dunker, an athlete," McRoberts said Thursday. "The way you guys have been talking, you'd think I've never dunked before."

With the luxury of having an upgraded roster at his disposal, Spoelstra has been able to bring "McBob" along as he returns from injury. Through eight games this season, he is averaging 2.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 14.3 minutes.

"I think people want to make him a conventional stretch-four," Spoelstra said.

"That's putting him in a box. He's capable of so much more than that. With more time, he will take and make enough shots to make you pay for not guarding him, and to keep defenses honest."