Coach Wants More Energy From Blatche

MIAMI, March 21 -- Darius Songaila's improved play of late and Coach Eddie Jordan's growing confidence in rookie Dominic McGuire has meant fewer minutes for Andray Blatche.

In Monday's loss to Atlanta and Wednesday's win over Orlando, Blatche played just under 11 minutes combined.

Blatche entered Friday's game at Miami averaging 20.6 minutes, and he put up solid numbers in 14 starts. But lately, Jordan has not been pleased with the third-year forward's production or approach.

"We're looking for a more professional approach and a little bit more energy, a lot more alertness," Jordan said before Friday's game. "So, we'd like to see some improvement there, but at the same time, Darius has been really good for us and when Caron [Butler] is out, Dominic can do some good things for us at small forward. He's quicker, he has range, he can cover more ground, and he rebounds at both ends. But yeah, we'd like to see Andray be a little bit more alert and a little more consistent with his energy."

Blatche responded well Friday night, coming off the bench to score seven points on 3-of-4 shooting with a rebound, an assist and two blocks in just over 22 minutes.

Feeling Drafty

Heat Coach and President Pat Riley was not on the bench Friday night because he was scouting players in the NCAA tournament. The Heat will likely land one of the top picks in the draft lottery this summer.

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