The Heat don’t need Dion for the playoffs

There are two planets. One’s ozone is collapsing, with overheating oceans causing superstorms.

The other is 2700 light years away, moderate amount of sunlight, with and 297 day calendar. That is the solar divide between living on Planet Dolphins and Planet Heat.

Pat Riley’s organization had an 89 percent chance of going to the playoffs before the last game of the preseason. The Dolphins have a 42 percent chance of finishing dead last and garnering the number one draft pick.
For the past two years the Heat have been one game away from making it into the playoffs. This summer they had the chance for Russell Westbrook but the ledger price would cost them the majority of the roster. Imagine parting with Goran Dragic, Justice Winslow, and Bam Adebayo- who’ve all proven to be Biscayne Bay approved, for one player. Especially coming off a season where Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant just got injured. The math didn’t make sense.

Last Friday night Erik Spoelstra, before God and Mike D’Antoni, sent out the JV squad to keep pace with James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The fourth quarter mirrored a finals game. Westbrook ran off the floor with an injured finger. Kendrick Nunn, a total unknown here before July, scored 32 points in 30 minutes — and ended the game with eight more. The Heat were within five. Spoelstra’s motive wasn’t to win. He came to compete. Jimmy Butler was on the bench, Dragic saw little time. This was about turning everyone into the first string.

The real glitch didn’t come from the Rockets. It was obvious Spoelstra wanted to see his second tier compete against Harden and D’Antoni. The main problem was Dion Waiters complaining as Nunn and Herro were scoring. A clear shot of the bench saw everyone clapping. Waiters, at one point, had his arms crossed.

If you’re sulking in preseason, what the hell happens during the playoffs? One of the biggest worries about bringing Butler down to Miami was how he would mesh with an already formed team. Meanwhile Waiters is on Instagram liking comments that say trade him. On Twitter, he’s doubling down on how “anyone can win with the Big Three.” He must have been on 2K when Hassan Whiteside was put on a plane to Portland.

While Jimmy Butler is getting everyone in the gym at 3:30am, the other serves friction. His message, “They’re stealing my showtime.” Pat Riley didn’t concede the team to Lebron James. What makes Dion Waiters think that he owns Miami? If Butler had instigated half of this, there would be hell to pay. Eighty-nine percent. The Miami Heat are going to the playoffs. Just don’t expect Dion Waiters to be there.