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Many nay-sayers deemed the Miami Heat’s improbable run to the NBA Finals last year a fluke. It was bubble magic, created and manufactured by a rushed reboot in Orlando.
Forget the fact that the franchise was 96 minutes away from winning a championship. Heat president Pat Riley has prioritized getting back to the mountaintop as evidenced by his recent trades for Victor Oladipo and Nemanja Bjelica. He also made a serious (albeit unsuccessful) run at James Harden.
It was all part of the promise he made to Jimmy Butler when Miami traded for the star forward in 2019. Riley sold Butler on being in the best position to win a championship during his prime, per Bleacher Report’s Farbod Esnaashari.
That being said, if the Heat fail early in the playoffs this season, expect some major changes with most of the team entering free agency this summer, a source in the organization said. Pat Riley said that they will find “The Next Thing,” no matter what or who that may be. Bernie Lee, Butler’s agent, said on the Five on the Floor podcast in December that the team sold Butler on being in the best position to win a championship during his prime. He noted that whatever Riley and Andy Elisburg promise, they always keep it. They promised Butler a championship window, and they intend to keep that promise.
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Miami Heat Looking for The Next Thing
The Next Thing was a reference to linking Butler up with another All-Star scorer. Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Bradley Beal all remain options next year in free agency after the organization struck out on luring Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2020. Riley knows it’s an uphill climb in the suddenly stacked Eastern Conference.
Harden’s “Super Team” in Brooklyn has been something to behold. So has the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons-Tobias Harris triumvirate in Philadelphia. According to Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Heat are obsessed with finding the Next Thing. Especially after falling just short of a title in the bubble.
“Do you just run it back without doing anything, if you got the cooperation [from the team’s free agents to re-sign]?” Riley asked. “I think about that. We were in the Finals. Are we a Finalist? Can we get through the Eastern Conference next year with what’s happening in Philadelphia? Or what’s going to happen in Milwaukee or Brooklyn or Boston?”
Bjelica Winning Over New Teammates
Bjelica has been slowly earning minutes in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation. He should have a key role off the bench for the Heat in the playoffs. The 32-year-old Serbian forward saw 17 minutes on Thursday night and scored eight points (2-of-5 from deep).
It was the most playing time he’s seen since Miami acquired him on March 25. Butler knows Bjelica briefly from their time together with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He knows Bjelica is a professional shooter, and he wants him to shoot it all the time.
“I want him to hunt shots, just like all our shooters do,” Butler told Ira Winderman. “That’s what he’s here for. And the more that he plays, the more that he gets his feet under him, he’s going to be a huge addition, as well. I just want him to understand that his role is to catch the ball and jack it at the rim as many times as you can.”
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