NFL
By: Monte Perez
Three seasons ago, the Miami Heat lost in the NBA Championship to the Los Angeles Lakers. Last year, they came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics. The Heat have a record of 11-14 and are the 10th seed in the East.
Here are 5 Reasons Riley should break up this team:
5) Free Agents Love South Beach:
Miami is a place where NBA players flock to in the off-season. No disrespect to the fine people of Wisconsin, but NBA stars are not going there in the summer to vacation or visit. It shouldn’t be hard to attract players this off-season.
4) No rebounds… No Rings:
May 30, 1984 — Riley once said In Los Angeles, we have a saying, ‘No rebounds, no rings.” (Quote from the LA Times). This team is not made in his image. The Heat have been horrible on the glass. They are 27th in rebounding and 23rd in offensive rebounds.
3) Miami doesn’t need a Herro:
Tyler Herro is a nice player. He is averaging 20 points, 4.2 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. What he isn’t, is a No.2 option. On a championship team, he would be a perfect No.3 or 4th go-to guy. He is not in the same category as Khris Middleton, Anthony Davis, or Kyrie Irving.
2) Kyle Lowry is way past his prime:
The Heat signed Lowry hoping he would be the player he was in Toronto. He is not that. He is on the “back-9” of his career. Lowry is shooting 39% from the floor and 34% from 3-point range. This is a team that needs Kyle to score 20 per game for them to be successful. He can ‘t do that consistently anymore.
1) Jimmy Butler has become LeBron James in Cleveland:
LeBron’s first 7 years in Cleveland were a struggle. James had to do everything, every night for his team to be able to win. Butler has become that player for the Heat. Riley said, ” Jimmy is the anchor and face of our franchise.” Butler is playing 35.5 minutes per night, averaging 21 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds per game. In order for the Heat to win a playoff series, he is going to have to be the best player on the floor for 4 out of 7 games. He has very little help on the offensive side of the ball and he is under contract through the 2025-26 season.
Summary:
Let us assume that all NBA teams are healthy, are the Heat better than Boston, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Brooklyn, or Philadelphia? I don’t think so. Riley has always been a visionary when it comes to running a franchise. He has to think two or three steps ahead here and move players that have value to championship rosters. If he doesn’t, the Heat will be mired in mediocrity for the next few years. That is something the 77-year-old does not want.
Follow The Sports Whisperer on Twitter: MonteJp231 and TikTok: MontePerez231
