The Miami Heat have mastered winning with undrafted talent - 'It's an organizational philosophy'

IT WAS AN early April evening, and the Miami Heat had just gone up by 18 points with 1:36 to play against the Chicago Bulls. It was time to call it. So when coach Erik Spoelstra looked down his bench, he called out a familiar name.

Udonis Haslem, now 41 years old and with scattered gray hairs to prove it, rose up, walked down to the scorer's table and checked in.

Haslem, now in his 19th season, went undrafted in 2002 and played in France for a year before making the league with his hometown squad.

When Haslem entered the game against the Bulls that night, he stepped on the floor with four other undrafted players: Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, Omer Yurtseven and Gabe Vincent.

Every team uses undrafted players, a reality in a league with 510 roster spots (including two-way contracts) and only 60 draftees a season. Miami, however, became the fourth team in NBA history this season to use at least five undrafted players in at least 65 games, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Of the four teams, the Heat are the only one with a winning record.

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The Heat have perfected the art of winning with undrafted talent — because they have to.

Pat Riley, Miami's team president since 1995, has made an effort to go after big names through trade and free agency during his tenure. The strategy has worked — championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013 back it up.

When he first arrived in Miami, he traded for Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. Then there were Eddie Jones and Brian Grant in 2000. And Lamar Odom in 2003. Odom and Grant were used in the deal to acquire