Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Is LaMarcus Aldridge A Good Fit for the Miami Heat?

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There have been some rumblings about the possibility of LaMarcus Aldridge being traded to the Miami Heat.

There’s not much to dive into about contract stuff, since he’s going into the last year of his deal. I’ve discussed what that means to Miami in past articles when dealing with a guy with an expiring contract. But what I want to look at now is how he would fit with this current team.

To start off, when the Spurs were shopping Aldridge before the deadline, they saw Miami as a possible destination for him, which makes this more interesting.

The Miami Heat were one of the best three point shooting teams this past season, even with two starters that were not three point shooters.

And even though Miami seemed to be pretty dominant throughout the playoffs, teams were constantly trying to eliminate their threes. That obviously led to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo attacking the basket.

Something I mentioned during those stretches was that Miami would need to begin to take the mid-range jumper. That is just something a three point shooting team must do to be successful. For instance, the Golden State Warriors took advantage of that mid-range when they were chased off of the three, which is why Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry improved in that area.

But what better way for Miami to improve that area than to get one of the best mid-range shooters in the game.

LaMarcus definitely gives a little flavor to Miami’s offense with that area of his game, but does he actually compliment Bam Adebayo?

I believe that Bam compliments Aldridge more than Aldridge compliments Bam. But that goes without saying since Bam compliments everybody.

Bam’s length and quickness on the defensive end could really help LaMarcus out on defense, since he’s been playing next to Jacob Poeltl, which means limited movement.

But Miami isn’t making a decision to help out LaMarcus Aldridge, they’re making a decision to help this Heat team.

And ultimately, I believe that he actually hurts Miami more than he helps them. Obviously he’s a savvy veteran who can find his spots on the floor, but I don’t believe that is what Miami needs right now.

They need a big that can stretch the floor with a respectable three ball, be active on the boards, and can protect the rim a bit. And clearly, you wouldn’t be getting that from Aldridge.

And since the league is becoming smaller and smaller by the year, you must have bigs who can at least move around. The speed of LaMarcus on the defensive end doesn’t seem to be enticing as well, which won’t be improving at the age of 35.

I do believe there’s a case to be made that he can help a bit, but I don’t think it’s the best fit, especially since there are so many options this off-season.

Miami is currently whale hunting, and I don’t believe that LaMarcus Aldridge is the biggest fish in the sea.

Miami Has One Decision to Make to Acquire Jrue Holiday

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Pat Riley seemed pretty adamant in Friday’s presser about finding the “next thing,” and going “Whale hunting.”

He is not afraid to pull the trigger on a possible deal that makes them better immediately.

It’s clear though that Jrue Holiday changes this whole team upon arrival, since he’s one of the best defensive guards in this league, and has a solid offensive game.

When people around the league begin to talk about Jrue Holiday, they usually start by talking about his motor.

Sound familiar?

Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are two guys that play hard on both sides of the ball as well, and are known for their motor and toughness. Jimmy has talked very highly of Jrue in the past as well, as shown here…

It’s pretty obvious that Jrue Holiday fits this organization and team perfectly, but what is the one decision Miami will have to make?

The baseline trade that has been discussed has involved Kendrick Nunn and the 20th pick as the main assets, but I see New Orleans wanting another player instead.

Duncan Robinson.

Obviously everybody knows that if there’s anybody that can pull off a deal without giving up a guy like Duncan, it would be the Miami Heat front office.

But I just don’t see them giving Jrue up unless they get Duncan in return. He fits their team perfectly right now, since his gravity on offense from beyond the arc can open up the floor for Zion Williamson.

His movement without the ball is much like that of JJ Reddick, but obviously you’re going much younger and cheaper.

Now, I definitely believe it’s something that Miami thinks about. I’ve been a strong proponent of keeping the core, but if you are giving up Duncan Robinson for Jrue Holiday, that’s hard to pass up.

A big three of Jimmy Butler, Jrue Holiday, and Bam Adebayo would be a scary sight on the defensive end, since they can basically switch everything. And you still have your 20 year old offensive talent in Tyler Herro.

That’s a team that can win a title right now, and then go after a “whale” in 2021 free agency.

Once again though, it’s hard to see Miami giving up Duncan Robinson like that, especially since they have a bunch of assets right now. I also believe it comes down to how much they value KZ Okpala. If they value KZ more than they value Duncan going forward, I think they do it.

But if they’d rather go forward with Duncan instead of developing KZ, then I believe they can make something work without Duncan.

 

Also, check out an episode of Five on the Floor where they discuss Jrue Holiday.

#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions #3

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Well, it’s still not out of the question that he resigns with Miami. For one, Miami is in search for a big to play with Bam Adebayo or play behind him. And if they don’t sign one of their ideal big man options, Meyers might be a smart resigning.

I actually believe that it would make sense for Meyers to make a return back to Portland, if Miami chooses not to resign him. The city loves him, his teammates loved him, and of course there’s an opening as well.

Hassan Whiteside is entering free agency, and Portland seems to have their starting Center in Jusef Nurkic. This means that Portland will be searching for a back-up big as well, and an old friend may be on the market.

Obviously Miami would love to bring him back due to the leadership he brought to this team, but the question will be if he would rather a much bigger role.

I feel that Miami and Portland may be his two main options.

The easy answer would probably be to try and improve the fundamentals on the defensive side of the ball. It’s pretty obvious that Tyler Herro’s offensive package is pretty solid already, since he has the jumper, the ability to attack, and a nice handle.

I have a feeling there will be a lot of ball-handling improvements that will be made throughout this off-season, especially if he takes the role of starting point guard. He has a great vision for the game, so the passing side of things isn’t an issue.

Another thing I see him improving is his body. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes back with even more strength by gaining some muscle, since that ultimately can help on the defensive side of the ball alone.

Well, in my opinion, I feel like Miami would be letting Derrick Jones Jr walk even if they didn’t have KZ Okpala.

But yes, I do feel this makes it pretty certain that DJJ will be gone. KZ already has a skill-set to replicate what DJJ did this season, and obviously much cheaper. We haven’t really been able to see what KZ has to offer right now, but due to the fact that Miami was so high on him upon drafting, and also giving him a full year to develop, I’d say it’s a good replacement.

It makes it even more clear that they will let DJJ walk since he wasn’t even apart of Miami’s rotation upon injuries in the playoffs. Miami felt more comfortable putting in Soloman Hill than Derrick Jones Jr, which further proves they don’t feel the need to give him a good sized contract.

And due to DJJ’s youth, other teams will be looking to sign him since he has a ton of upside. Those teams would probably include the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, and others.

5 Pat Riley Comments from His Miami Heat Presser

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Pat Riley held a press conference with media on Friday afternoon, which he usually does following every season. This one was clearly a little different, since he was doing it in October instead of June. Either way, it was still the iconic Pat Riley speaking about this intriguing Miami Heat team led by Jimmy Butler. Here’s what Pat Riley had to say…

Comment #1:

Pat Riley discussed free agency briefly, mostly since he can’t mention other players directly, but said “If there’s a next thing that can take us to the next level, I’m open to it.” I think this comment was pretty known when discussing the Miami Heat, since Pat Riley is always willing to make a move to win now. There are plenty of guys that can take this team to the next level, including via trade and free agency, but the big fish he’s going to be focused on is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He made it clear throughout that having cap flexibility going forward is a priority, and it’s because of that very reason. He also mentioned that the trade back in February for Soloman Hill, Jae Crowder, and Andre Iguodala had a lot to do with staying flexible. When asked about if this team is good enough to grow on their own or if it needs a boost, he said “I’ll kick that around. Are we good enough or do we need to get onto the next thing earlier.”

Comment #2:

After discussing the possibility of needing the next thing to take them to the next level, he also mentioned the other side of things. Pat said, “Do you just run it back without doing anything? I think about that…We were in the finals.” Not only is Pat Riley thinking about that, but I feel that everybody feels the same way about that question. You may have the ability to try and get somebody to take you to the next level, but you also have the ability to take this youth and watch them grow. Pat ends his answer asking, “Can we get to the Finals next year? That’s a question I’ll kick around with Spo.” This team has so many options and Pat Riley is aware of all of them.

Comment #3:

Pat Riley also discussed their 20 year old rookie who had an amazing post-season run. He starts off by talking about how important the mentorship this season was for Tyler Herro. He mentioned UD, Butler, Goran, Andre, saying “All these veterans took them under their wing, because they saw something special in him.” He also talked about the improvements he can make going forward, saying “He will go to another level when he gets older. He just turned 20. My gosh, he had a great year.” He seemed to shed light on all of Miami’s young core, saying “What a young nucleus we have that can play.” He talked briefly about their centerpiece Bam Adebayo as well, but didn’t want to go into the logistics of his contract moving forward. He did make it clear that they “value Bam Adebayo,” and they take care of the players that they value.

Comment #4:

When Pat was asked about this last NBA Finals and what could’ve happened if Bam and Goran never got injured, he said “It’s an excuse.” He also mentioned that they didn’t have enough, which is another small comment that can mean much more. That seems to be another indication of needing the “next thing.” He also praised Jimmy Butler for his finals performance, calling him “Superman,” and saying that those two game were two of the best he has ever seen. He did give credit to LeBron James and the Lakers, saying “The Lakers were great…And they have the greatest player in the game today.”

Comment #5:

And here’s another one of those famous Pat Riley quotes. “This isn’t for everybody.” That’s what he had to say when discussing the culture of this Miami Heat team. It’s clear that a big reason that culture was shown this season was because they were led by Jimmy Butler. Pat discussed Jimmy for a bit as well, which he said “I love Jimmy.” He also said that Jimmy is a different kinda person, and mentioned his relationship with Jimmy being outside of the box. He then said, “As long as he taps and throws me a heart back, I’m cool.” Its obvious Pat has no worry in losing that intense reputation of that Heat culture, when he has an absolute dog like Jimmy Butler as the leader of this team.

 

Some side notes:

  • Pat Riley mentioned that they will use the 20th pick, but are unsure whether or not they will keep it, which tells me there’s a good shot it ends up getting traded.
  • Goran Dragic will be taken care of by this Heat team.
  • Lastly, although he talks about re-signing and possibly running this thing back, the theme of this presser was the “next thing.” He is always searching for that piece to put them over the top.

Is A Miami Heat Trade for Kyle Lowry the Most Ideal Pick-Up?

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There’s been a lot of discussion about possible trade options for the Miami Heat, including Victor Oladipo and Jrue Holiday, but is Kyle Lowry the best fit?

I believe he is. For one, there’s a known relationship between Lowry and Jimmy Butler. He’s the type of player that Jimmy would love to play with as well, since he’s one of those gritty and tough players.

Miami is also in need of a defensive guard, and with Kyle Lowry, you know you are getting that and more. He’s a guy that you can trust to guard an opposing point guard, which ultimately takes a lot of pressure off Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy would also get some pressure taken off of him on the offensive side of the ball. Lowry averaged 19 points a game this past season, while hitting about 3 threes a game.

The fitting factor with Kyle Lowry on this team is obvious, since he fits the culture mold, but what does this effect?

For one, the Toronto Raptors will not just be giving Lowry away for free. But, the reason they will be willing to make this trade is because they will need to sign Fred VanVleet, and it’s clear that’s the route they will go for their future.

Miami’s trade package that people have discussed lately includes Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, the 20th pick, and possibly KZ Okpala. This may seem like a lot for a 35 year old Kyle Lowry, but if Miami was to trade for him, they’d definitely find a way to give up much less than all of these assets.

Another trade that has been discussed is giving up much less, but sending Duncan Robinson to Toronto. Once again, I would not include Duncan in this type of trade, and I don’t believe Miami would either.

It impacts Miami’s cap space for this season as well. Kyle Lowry is going into the last year of his deal, which is worth $30 Million, and could impact possible re-signings for Miami. The only positive thing though is that it wouldn’t impact Miami’s run at Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021, since it will be off the books.

Would Miami be willing to give all of this up for another run at an NBA Championship next season?

Well, I’m not sure, but it’s clear that Pat Riley isn’t afraid to make moves to win now.

Although you may be losing some key role pieces, you’d still have a core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson. And I believe that you can compete for a title with that core.

Could Miami Go From Kendrick Nunn to Kris Dunn?

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Other than Kris Dunn and Kendrick Nunn’s rhyming last names, they share absolutely nothing alike.

Kendrick Nunn showed throughout this regular season that he is a pretty natural scorer of the basketball, even though it was hard to see that during some stretches of the postseason. Kendrick’s downfall though is that he is not a great defender, and that is what Miami lacked this past season.

Kris Dunn, on the other hand, is one of the league’s best guard defenders in the league. He received the most votes for the all-defensive team among those who didn’t make it this season.

Kris was second in steals per game this season with 2.0 a game, only trailing Ben Simmons with 2.1, which Dunn averaged 10 less minutes a game.

Not only was his name at the top of the defensive statistics like defensive plus/minus, deflections, and loose balls, but he also elevated the Chicago Bulls to a top 10 defense before his injury.

All of these things show pretty clearly how effective he is defensively, but how is he offensively?

Well, he really isn’t the most efficient player. In 51 games played this season, he averaged 7 points a game shooting 26% from three.

That may look bad on a stat sheet, but it really isn’t all his fault.

He did not seem to have a fitting role on this past season’s Chicago Bulls team, especially with Zach Lavine having a decent season, which he controlled the ball most of the time. Dunn was attempting under seven shots a game, which further proves that he wasn’t very comfortable.

And with that offensive uncertainty, many teams will not have as much urge to jump at that type of player.

Unless, you are the Miami Heat.

Miami had one of the most dynamic offensive teams throughout this regular season, due to the shooting out-pour of Duncan Robinson, the evolution of Tyler Herro, and the throwback Goran Dragic season. It’s obvious that Miami doesn’t need scoring right now, they just need exactly what Kris Dunn is.

Kris Dunn is a restricted free agent, which means that Chicago will still have the opportunity to match a possible Miami Heat offer. But would they want to?

They had a pretty good rookie showing from their new point guard last season, in Coby White. And they now have the fourth pick in this NBA years NBA draft. It’s clear the way they’re heading with this roster, and it doesn’t seem that Kris Dunn will be apart of it.

It truly seems like a win-win situation for both Kris Dunn and the Miami Heat. Miami gets their guard defender, while Dunn gets a fitting role.

If Miami has an opportunity to pull off this signing without hurting their other off-season plans and re-signings, I believe they should do it.

 

#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions #2

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Honestly, if we’re talking about realistic possibilities, I would like to see a Jae Crowder re-signing more than anything. Obviously there is hope that Miami can throw him a big one year deal and try to get someone else, but in my opinion that should be priority.

We can discuss possible fits next to Bam Adebayo, mostly since there is a need for a rebounding big, but Jae had a pretty great run at the 4 next to Bam in the Bubble. If you take a look back, he had an amazing stretch shooting the ball, which was not something expected when Miami brought him here originally. He had some cold stretches towards the end of the run, but he kept that hot streak going longer than many expected.

His defensive presence was also known upon arrival, but he was given a much bigger defensive role throughout the playoffs. He had to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of the Milwaukee series, and held his own against Jayson Tatum. And when he was asked to guard opposing bigs on the Lakers, he did that as well.

Miami could really use Jae Crowder next season, and it’s a pretty realistic signing.

You mentioned it right there, Serge Ibaka is the most ideal signing. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t think there’s a better player to put next to Bam than Serge Ibaka. He’s everything you’d want, since he can rebound, protect the rim, and space the floor.

And when I say space the floor, I don’t just mean that he can shoot the three ball, which he can. I really mean that he has a great feel for the game, that he knows where to position himself offensively to find dead spots. It helps that he played with a dynamic Toronto Raptors team, so he had to get out of others way. He likes to position himself on the baseline right outside of the paint, since he can be a disruption on the glass. This would allow Bam to work in his favorite spots, mostly at the free throw line extended.

He also brings another element to their offense, which is a solid post-up game. Bam and Ibaka have such opposite playing styles, that I truly believe that big-man duo would work perfectly.

If Miami has a chance to grab Serge Ibaka, they will jump at it as fast as possible.

Well, I don’t know about significant, but I do believe that KZ Okpala could find himself a solid bench role.

Duncan Robinson bounced back and forth from the G-League to the Heat team all of his rookie year, much like KZ has. And look where he is now. This gave Duncan an entire season and off-season to be fully ready to make an immediate impact.

It seems like that’s the way they’re heading with KZ Okpala, especially since there’s a good chance Derrick Jones Jr won’t be in Miami next season. They are hoping he can take the role of DJJ, just younger and cheaper.

He showed during the season that he is an energetic defensive guy, and many believe his offensive package is evolving more and more.

Once again, I don’t know about significant impact, but I do believe he has a role next season off of Miami’s bench.

Could Miami Overload Shooting with A Joe Harris Pick-Up?

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Do you know what’s better than one Duncan Robinson?

Two of them.

There was a report about two weeks ago that said the Miami Heat might be interested in Joe Harris.

But is that what Miami needs right now?

Obviously you can never have too many shooters, which is why the Joe Harris fit isn’t an issue. The problem is you’d be using around $15 Million for a one year deal on a position that is not a necessity. Miami clearly needs a big to help out Bam Adebayo, but what if they could pull off both?

Once again, if any team could do it, it would probably be the Miami Heat. If Miami could buy into more of a back-up big type player such as Tristan Thompson, or even a possible DeMarcus Cousins signing, it’s possible they could pull it off.

To take a bit of a deeper dive into the exact fit, I believe he would most likely used as a sixth man. The toll that would take on opposing defenses would definitely be interesting, since they’d have to chase Duncan Robinson around for a whole quarter, and have the same exact type of player sub in with fresh legs.

He’s another shooter that never stops moving, and needs to have a body on him at all times. But what would him and Duncan look like on the floor together?

Due to the play-making abilities of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, this would make these two guys even more deadly on the floor together. Bam’s dribble hand-offs with Duncan have proved to be pretty close to unstoppable this season, so just imagine the sets they can run with all three of them.

Once again, I don’t believe this is a route they will end up going, since there are two other needs in this current roster. But since they’ve showed interest, it’s not impossible.

One year deals will be the only thing on Miami’s mind once free agency opens up, so if some guys on their radar begin to sign elsewhere, they could go this route to try and make their offense even more dynamic.

#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions

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This is something new that I will be doing for the Five Reasons Sports Network. This allows us to continue to be more interactive, and answer any questions you may have about the Miami Heat. Your questions are also heard every Thursday night on FloorsYours on the Five Reasons Sports Youtube Channel.

Anyway, here’s today’s questions….

This question definitely seems to vary based on who is answering, but in my opinion yes he is.

Tyler Herro has seemed to be in trade talks all season by Heat fans, but it seems that he’s above most of those deals now. Most of the guys that have been discussed do not display a clear separation between the 20 year old Tyler Herro. Bradley Beal is one that seems to entice Heat fans the most, since he does have clear separation, but is it really worth it?

And once again, my answer is no. Why trade away a key player like Tyler Herro for an all-star, with the highly anticipated 2021 free agency approaching. It seems as if Miami has a real shot at one of the best players in the NBA, in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and can keep their young centerpieces.

In my opinion, this is a no brainer. Tyler Herro is untouchable.

I absolutely agree. I discussed Christian Wood in an earlier piece, since I truly think he’s the perfect fit next to Bam Adebayo.

For starters, many believe that since he’s an evolving young player, he will be searching for a 3 year deal instead of a 1 year deal, but I’m not exactly sure that’s the case. He seems to be pretty adamant that he wants to win, which ultimately raises young player’s stock. Guys like Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns don’t get as much recognition as they should, since ultimately they never have the ability to play on the big stage. A guy like Paschal Siakam had a great championship run with Toronto and ultimately proved his worth. That’s just the way it goes.

But to the actual fit itself, I think Bam and Wood could not only be a great front-court for the future, but also for this upcoming season. Christian Wood proved this season that he has a respectable three ball, and can be an absolute havoc around the rim due to his length. His motor actually seems a lot like that of Bam’s, which is why it’d be so interesting to see this big man duo.

Christian Wood to Miami seems like a pretty ideal fit for both parties.

Many may disagree, but I really don’t think I would. Obviously James Harden’s abilities to score the basketball are second to none, but is that what this team needs right now? This team just turned the corner on a new era for Miami Heat basketball, which has fully represented culture and team chemistry. They have a group of guys who truthfully enjoy playing and being around one another, and they got to the NBA Finals doing just that.

I’m not saying that a big three of James Harden, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would not make some major noise, but they’ve gotten this far building this team exactly how they wanted, so why take a chance and revert back.

Tyler Herro seemed more comfortable in the post-season at 20 years old, than James Harden did in year 11.

And once again, they can keep both Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, and grab an even better player in 2021 free agency. That seems to be the route they’re leaning towards. And if they don’t land Giannis, then you think about making the huge move.

What Would A Miami Heat Aron Baynes Signing Look Like?

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There’s been some discussion about the possibility of Aron Baynes joining this Heat team. He had a career year this past season with the Suns, and has seemed to make it clear that he will be moving on this off-season. But how would he fit?

For starters, one of the biggest things to note with Aron Baynes game is that he has evolved into a knock down shooter. He went from attempting 1 three a game to 4 threes a game, and was a 35% three point shooter.

Going from 5.6 points per game to 11.5 points per game is also impressive in itself. And his three ball wasn’t the only reason for that, since he began to get more and more comfortable around the rim. Which offensively, are the two things Miami is looking for when adding another big.

But the most intriguing part of this signing would be Aron’s defensive abilities. He is 6’10 and 260 pounds, and has such impressive mobility. It seemed as if he made huge leaps this season defensively with Phoenix, since he took them from 29th in the league in defensive efficiency, to top 15 throughout the season. Especially since he took over the starting center role with Deandre Ayton on suspension.

The Meyers Leonard and Bam Adebayo starting front-court this season had great success. And this Aron signing makes me think of that same duo if Meyers had high tier defensive abilities and mobility.

I honestly feel that this signing makes a lot of sense for both parties, and will begin to be talked about more and more as we approach free agency.

And by the way, Aron Baynes seems to love the city of Miami…