Andray BlatchNow that the FIBA World Cup is in the knockout stage, some of the teams have said adios to Spain and headed home. There have been some players who made a great impact in a short amount of time and one player that caught the eye was Andray Blatche. Blatche was playing for his adopted team of the Philippines, and even though the team didn’t enjoy a glorious summer in Spain, Blatche definitely had a lot to smile about.

Going into the final round of fixtures, the statistics of Blatche showed how strong he was. Blatche was listed as being the first with respect to rebounds and fourth in respect to points. Given that he was playing for a poor team against teams from a higher status, there is no doubt that Blatche indicated that he was a player of great standing. This means that his NBA status at the moment, where is on the free-agency lost, a little bit puzzling. Perhaps teams were waiting to see how Blatche performed at the FIBA World Cup before making a play for the player but with that being the case, there is likely to be a rush for the player at some point in the near future.

It is not as if Blatche has been a terrible player in his time at the NBA, he has delivered in this league already. Blatche has enjoyed two effective seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, with the 2012/13 season being a highly efficient one for the player. He achieved a number of career highs to date in that season, so it is not as if teams will be taking a massive gamble in bringing him to the league.

Blatche has a questionable history that some clubs may be concerned about

Of course, it may be that some of the off the court activities of Blatche may have impacted on the thinking of some of the clubs who may hold an interest in him. The player also played for the Washington Wizards for close to 10 years, which means that he has a whole of history in the NBA. He also has a history with officers of the law with a high profile issue in 2013 slightly damaging the players reputation, even if nothing has come from this situation.

While it would be wrong to say that all NBA players are angels and whiter than white, there is definitely a bigger focus on players that present the right image. Clubs want players that are role models and who stay out of trouble, which may mean that some clubs are unwilling to take a gamble on Blatche until he can prove that he is able to behave himself.

Will Miami Heat step forward to grab Andray?

Miami Heat LogoThere have been a number of rumours about clubs who do hold an interest in the play and it seems as though the Miami Heat may make a move for the player. There is no doubt that the Heat need to start again this season, so a stylish player could be the perfect addition to get the fans excited once again, although does any player want to be the one that has fill the big shoes of LeBron?

So far, no other club has gone public, or at least leaked an interest to the press, but it has to be said that Blatche, on current form would be a great addition to any team. The player will no doubt be looking to enjoy a rest for a while, and there is still plenty of time before NBA teams return to training before the season gets underway.

It is likely that a team or two will eventually come forward with ideas of snapping up Andray Blatche but at the moment, it looks as though the player will get a chance to enjoy a holiday without a club to worry about this season.