Zach Lowe of ESPN tracks the Heat‘s impressive front office maneuvering that took them from the lottery in 2015 back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020, despite having traded away a number of their draft picks during that time. Lowe applauds the team’s savvy drafting of All-Star Bam Adebayo and potential future All-Star shooting specialist Tyler Herro in the 2017 and 2019 drafts, respectively.
“The doubt was whether [Adebayo] could really do much on offense,” said Heat senior adviser of basketball operations Chet Kammerer. “I just felt like, with his love for the game and his work ethic, he’s going to be OK in that area.”
The Heat also hit on three undrafted free agent role players in point guard Kendrick Nunn this season, shooting guard Duncan Robinson last year, and forward Derrick Jones Jr. in 2017 after a brief stint with the Suns. Miami was apparently one of two contenders for Dorian Finney-Smith after the 2016 draft, but lost out to the Mavericks.
Of course, All-Star Jimmy Butler was the key addition this offseason. During the 2016/17 “Three Alphas” Bulls season – when Dwyane Wade teamed up with Butler and Rajon Rondo in Chicago – Wade and Butler discussed just how special the much-ballyhooed “Heat culture” really was. That conversation apparently set the stage for Butler prioritizing the Heat above all other suitors in free agency during the summer of 2019, despite Miami lacking any room to sign a maximum-salaried free agent. Miami made a four-team sign-and-trade for the team’s now-top star.
There’s more out of South Beach:
- The Heat’s playoff-ready roster, comprised by acquiring key under-regarded prospects and never fully bottoming out, is also examined by HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina in another quality piece.
- 17-season Heat lifer Udonis Haslem, a crucial role player for each of Miami’s three titles, remains noncommittal on whether or not 2019/20 will prove to be his final season as a player, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “There is a value and a need for me here,” Haslem said. “It doesn’t have to be the way that everybody thinks it should be. If I have to put on a suit and stand on the sideline, just because everybody else thinks I should. I found value in this locker room, and I’ve been able to move the needle and help us win games, and that’s what it’s all about.”
- Ahead of the first game of the Heat’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Celtics, we asked you who you expected to advance to the NBA Finals from Eastern Conference. As of this writing, the third-seeded Celtics have received 54% of over 1,300 votes.
Three words this article was missing.
Kelly,
O,
Lynyk
As everyone knows I vote Heat to win
I suggest that each team needs 3 foul challenges a game
I don’t even know what that means; you can’t be remembered with such crap grammar and no sourcing or explanations.
Three coach challenges could be a bit too much… But i.m.o. the challenge should definitely be retained when successful.
I thought Herro was a lock to be picked by Boston in the draft. Instead Miami took him 1 slot ahead of Boston. Some thought Miami reached on draft night, but that has been proven wrong.
He looked more awkward and solo, unattached to teammates, at Kentucky. Now he’s all dialed in.
Boston is using Grant Williams at center, but at Tennesee he was more of a second rebounder, if that’s a thing, coming up with loose balls and such.
Spoelstra really impressive. Here I thought it was because of the Original Big 3 he won but he can coach.
I’ve had the same thoughts. He’s really proven himself to be an elite coach.
If heat win another ring haslem us going to stay another 8 years lol