The Crazy Stat That Shows 'Birdman' Made The Heat Overwhelming Favorites To Repeat As Champions

In late January, the Miami Heat signed Chris "Birdman" Andersen. At the time, the Heat were just 27-12 and looked vulnerable in their quest to win back-to-back championships.

However, since signing Birdman, the Heat are a remarkable 43-4, including their first round sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks, and look unstoppable. To put that in perspective, 43-4 over an entire 82-game season is equivalent to winning 75 games. The NBA record is 72 wins, by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Andersen has averaged just 15 minutes per game with the Heat. But he is a tireless defender that allows others to get more rest while the team maintains their dominant ways on the defensive end. He has even picked up his game offensively in recent weeks, scoring at least ten points in three of the Heat's four playoff games.

Nobody is saying Andersen will receive MVP votes anytime soon. But he does allow the Heat's core players to be more dominant. Here is a look at how the Heat's record took off once Birdman became part of the team...

Data via Basketball-Reference.com