NFL
By: Kevin Lucas
Another year and another deep run for the Miami Heat that was an emotional rollercoaster from Game 1 of the regular season to Game 5 of the NBA Finals, where they ultimately lost to the Denver Nuggets. This 2022-23 Heat team displayed everything that Heat Culture represents from their discipline to their unwavering faith that they can win any game regardless of the deficit. Even with them struggling to both rebound and score at times, this Miami Heat team still ran through the top 2 teams in the Eastern Conference behind the basketball masterminds that are Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
Early Season Thoughts
Going back to this time last year I was a huge fan of running the team back even with the loss of PJ Tucker coming off of that heartbreaking Game 7 loss to their rival Boston Celtics. With Tucker’s departure, the next-man-up approach was in full effect here, and that next man was none other than Caleb Martin. Martin went from being a high-level scoring wing in both college and high school to being asked to be the power forward to aid Bam in the Heat’s small frontcourt. His only real scoring opportunities came here and there because coach Spo really needed him to lean in defensively and help secure rebounds while being assigned to guard some of the league’s premier wings. The main objective for Miami’s team this regular season was for Tyler Herro to carry the scoring load to take the pressure off of Jimmy to keep him fresh come playoff time. All in all, they may have shown some vulnerability during the 82-game stretch but they more than made up for that come playoff time.
The Heat ended up finishing as the 7th seed in the East with a record of 44-38, having to host a play-in game where Trae Young and company stormed South Beach and won the game 116-105. That secured the Hawks as the 7-seed leaving Miami to face the Bulls who were coming off of a play-in victory of their own vs the Raptors in a win-or-go-home situation. In this tightly contested game, the Heat somehow managed to come away with a 102-91 win with Bam and Gabe Vincent shooting a combined 1/11. Locking in their spot as the 8-seed Miami was set to face another one of their Eastern Conference rivals in the Milwaukee Bucks.
In this series, both Giannis and Tyler Herro sustained injuries during Game 1 that ended Herro’s season and forced Antetokounmpo to miss the next 2 games. Miami would then go on to win Game 1, lose Game 2, and shock Milwaukee in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4. In Game 4 the Bucks came out swinging with their backs against the wall, refusing to go down 3 games to 1. Then all of the world proceeded to watch one of the greatest playoff performances ever as Jimmy Buckets went off for 56 loud points that just completely demoralized the entire state of Wisconsin. As insane as Game 4 of this series was, Game 5 was even more epic as the game went to overtime off of a greatly designed Jimmy sideline out-of-bounds lob play. The Heat had all momentum in OT and ran off with the game which ultimately decided the series, costing Mike Budenholzer his job in the end.
In the next round, the Heat beat the Knicks in a junkyard dog type of series where their experience won out against a New York squad that had simply not been there before. Then came the rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals, where the Heat would yet again face off against their rival Boston Celtics. Miami came out and won the first 2 games in Boston leaving Celtic fans everywhere shocked and in disbelief. In their first home game of the series, they ran the Celtics out of the building by 26 points and all signs pointed to this matchup being a quick and easy series for Miami. Then Boston showed some heart by winning the next 3 games including a game-winning tip-in by Derrick White to force a Game 7 in Beantown. Sadly on the very first play of Game 7 Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle and the Heat ran away with the game from there while Boston had absolutely no responses to the Heat surge, propelling them to their 2nd NBA Finals appearance in 4 seasons.
In the Finals, the Heat ran into the most complete team in the league led by Nikola Jokic in the Denver Nuggets. They were already fighting an uphill battle but with their lack of size and 3-point shooting regressing to the means, it was no surprise that they lost the series in a quick 5 games.
What’s Next?
So where does this Heat roster and front office go from here? Like every offseason, the Heat are already tied to big-time names like Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving. As I’m sure you’ve probably already heard Bradley Beal was involved in a blockbuster trade this Father’s Day that sent him from the District in the Nation’s Capital to the Valley down in Phoenix, Arizona. With him off the board, it seems the Heat clearly have their sights set on Damian Lillard and his ongoing situation with the Portland Trailblazers. Should Dame ask for a trade I assume the Heat will be high on his list but as of now there has been no indication that he will request a trade and let the Blazers begin to rebuild.
Pat Riley and the rest of the Heat front office sure do seem like they have a plan to bring in the Hall of Fame point guard to a new and refreshing situation, which they have done plenty of times down there in Dade County. Lillard’s scoring prowess and playmaking would be a breath of fresh air for both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as defenses must pick up Lillard the moment he takes a step past halfcourt. Dame is one of the few guys in the league that is capable of going off for 50 points on any given night. He has been to the playoffs 8 times in his 11-year career and in those games he is averaging almost 26 points per game. Undeniably this move would give Miami that much-needed firepower that they’ve been lacking the past few seasons to grab that 4th championship. A lot of factors must go right in order for that to happen but the Heat are accustomed to making the improbable probable.
Kyrie here seems like a last resort option but when a talent like him is available the least you must do is see what he’s looking for in a team. He already has formed great relationships with both Bam and Jimmy so the chemistry won’t be an issue whatsoever. Heat Culture could be exactly what Irving needs to finish up the rest of his amazing career. Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are both unrestricted free agents this summer and I believe Vincent will be back while Strus will be playing elsewhere next season. The last problem that needs to be addressed is the lack of size in the frontcourt on top of the rebounding issues mentioned earlier. Naz Reid is a name the Heat should consider as he is only 23 years young and offers a 1% type skillset. Standing at 6’9, Reid has the same playmaking skills as Bam and is a better shooter from the perimeter. He will attract plenty of suitors this summer but Minnesota would be foolish not to keep him apart of their core next to Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.
Guys like Jakob Poeltl and Mason Plumlee would be the ideal backup big for Bam, as they have always done their job at a high level and know what is required of them no matter the city or team they’ve been with. Everybody working together in this Miami Heat organization knows they need their offensive punch to be on par with their defensive execution, so I believe this offseason will finally be the one that they use to seize hold of that last remaining piece. It’s mandatory for not only Jimmy Butler’s sake but for Pat Riley’s as well.
