Heat forward Trevor Ariza has provided a maximum payoff since being traded to Miami earlier this year, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Ariza has since earned a role in the team’s starting lineup, giving consistent production on both ends of the floor.
“Trevor’s one of the most underrated players in this league,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Ariza. “But I would say that the contending teams that had him before, he’s not underrated. He does so many things — his activity, his deflections, his ability to guard multiple positions.
“And he also has been a very underrated scorer over the course of his career.”
Ariza has averaged 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season, playing an average of 27.1 minutes across 23 contests. He’s provided versatility alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo at 6’8″, also shooting 35% from downtown.
Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division tonight:
- Wizards guard Russell Westbrook further proved that he’s still a star in the team’s game against the Mavericks on Saturday, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. Westbrook finished with 42 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals against Dallas, shooting 17-of-30 from the floor.
- Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald examines the impressive milestone from Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson. Robinson became the fastest player to reach 500 made threes in NBA history on Saturday, finishing the game against Cleveland shooting 6-of-9 from deep. He’ll be a restricted free agent in August.
- Josh Cohen of NBA.com examines 10 interesting basketball facts about new Magic forward Ignas Brazdeikis, who signed a 10-day contract with the team on Sunday. Brazdeikis, the No. 47 pick in 2019, holds brief NBA experience with the Knicks and Sixers.
You know who else is underrated? Olynyk, Good trade.
Ya but Dedmon has been really, really good so far anyway
Mavs are cold garbage. Luka is not LeBron.
The only thing Russ has proven is the ability to put up meaningless triple-doubles.
His teammates in Washington help him do this just like the ones in OKC did. Sad.
He has devalued the triple double. The way he’s gone about it. It’s triple double first, win second. Makes me think of that Bernie Mac movie, Mr. 3000.
When he was in OKC and had a triple double, they had a strong record, so this narrative is trash
When he was in OKC and had a triple double, they had a strong record, so this narrative is trash
….wow I obviously dont know how that happened lol
When Westbrook averaged a triple-double in OKC the team finished 47-35, 48-34, and 49-33. Those records were 6th place, 4th place, and 6th place in the West so not exactly strong records there for a guy obsessed with padding his stats.
Their record in games when he had those triple doubles was strong. The rest of his team had injuries and there was no spacing on the floor for them. That’s not his fault. They were only as good as they were b/c of him, and the run Washington has made recently also coincides with how he has played
He’s proven he’s a hell of a lot better than John Wall these days that’s for sure
Good Mojo in Wash right now, your grey clouds aren’t going to deter that
Let’s see who is in contention in 2022 and 2023. The Wizards are barely poised to make the play-in tournament right now even with all of their recent success. Houston has a far brighter future ahead of them while Washington will eventually be forced to unload Bradley Beal and remain being a lottery team as they’ve been for many years now.
He is underrated, only teams who played for really knows his value…
But he played for 7458 NBA teams…so… Maybe Real Madrid and Olympiakos don’t know his value
Sillivan?
Thank you for the smile this morning Wally !! That was a good chuckle.