The Miami Heat made the bold decision to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason. That decision took away most of the depth that the team had, but it gave them the superstar they crave. Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA when he is healthy.
Once they acquired him, the Heat decided to try to surround him with shooters. That is an under-the-radar move that John Hollinger of The Athletic believes needs to be talked about more. He gave the Heat praise for being able to get shooting around him.
Heat Given Praise For Adding Shooters Around Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hollinger likes the fact that Miami brought in players such as Klay Thompson to complement what the Heat are getting with Antetokounmpo.
“The formula that worked for the Milwaukee Bucks was “Giannis plus shooting.” Antetokounmpo is not a shooting threat, but the gravity of his drives opens up countless clean looks for his teammates. As a result, the Heat needed to lean into shooting with their limited remaining assets,” Hollinger writes.
Hollinger likes the Thompson addition, as well as the addition of Simone Fontecchio and Tim Hardaway Jr.
“The arrival of Klay Thompson is getting much of the attention — we’ll see how much he has left in the tank — but the Heat didn’t stop there. Getting Simone Fontecchio to come back on a minimum deal was an important coup, as he adds a productive shooter at limited cost. Tim Hardaway Jr.’s arrival was another important addition after he thrived playing next to Jokić a season ago in Denver,” Hollinger noted.
Adding shooting around Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks win a championship in 2021. With the number of assets that the Heat gave up in order to get Antetokounmpo, they need similar results. It was a clear all-in move to go out and get Antetokounmpo.
Miami’s Coaching Will Have a Big Impact on Future Success
For most of the last two decades. Erik Spoelstra has been considered one of the best coaches in the NBA. His ability to get the most out of his guys was on display when the Heat made the Finals in both 2020 and 2023. His abilities will be put to the test this season.
Figuring out a backcourt rotation that will be able to score and make enough shots to be a threat could be challenging. Thompson likely will have to come off the bench, as will Hardaway Jr. That leaves Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson as the likely starters.
Neither of them is a good 3-point shooter, which is what Antetokounmpo needs. Last season, Miami was 15th in the league in made threes. Adding Antetokounmpo will likely decrease the number of outside shots they are able to make. That’s okay if they can make a higher percentage of them.
Spoelstra will be tasked with figuring out a combination that can effectively match shooters with Antetokounmpo’s ability to barrel to the rim. He also needs to figure out a competent bench.
Heat Under-the-Radar Moves Around Giannis Antetokounmpo Seen as Shrewd