The Miami Heat have a new core heading into the season. They made the bold decision to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, which changes how the team is structured. That trade forced Miami to give up most of the depth they had a year ago.
Antetokounmpo joins Bam Adebayo to create an incredible backcourt. They have also added some outside shooting to help with the spacing issues Antetokounmpo creates. One writer doesn’t believe that is enough for the Heat to make the playoffs.
Heat Projected to Miss the Playoffs Because of Lack of Depth
John Hollinger of The Athletic doesn’t have much faith in the Heat. He believes they will finish ninth in the East and in the play-in because of a depth problem behind Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
“I don’t think the rest of the roster beyond Giannis and Bam Adebayo is anywhere near good enough, and those easy wins in the East will be much harder to come by this season,” Hollinger writes.
Miami decided that it was worth the massive upside that Antetokounmpo provides when he’s healthy to have a less deep team. Adding Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. to help with outside shooting are nice depth pieces, but neither of them is a core guy.
Antetokounmpo only played 36 games last season, so health is a major question mark with him heading into the season. Still, he has proven to be a top-five player in the NBA when he is right. He has scored 18 points in both of the preseason games he has played so far, playing less than 20 minutes.
Hollinger believes that the Heat don’t have a two-way wing player who can really help the team. A lack of playmaking in the backcourt remains a concern, as well. Miami also plays in what will be a much more competitive Eastern Conference this season.
Miami is Going All-In With Giannis Antetokounmpo
Pat Riley made it clear in the offseason that he is going to keep trying to win games at the highest level as long as he’s in charge of the organization. He is going all-in with the trade for Antetokounmpo, and he doesn’t have many trade assets to make more improvements if things go wrong.
The Heat own just three of their next six first-round picks. That, along with their financial situation, makes it difficult for them to make trades at the deadline. The roster they have coming into the season is likely going to be the roster they finish with.
Miami was 14th on defense last year, and that rating should go up. Having Adebayo improve his 3-point shooting is going to open up more opportunities for players around him. He shot just 31.8 percent from beyond the 3-point arc last season. That number must go up for Miami to not just reach the playoffs, but make a deep run.
Heat Projected to Miss the Playoffs Due to One Clear Problem