Fans of the Miami Heat disliked Pat Riley’s remarks about “running back” the same unit for the previous season. They had better retrain themselves for it this year.
Along with losing star guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks, veteran player Jrue Holiday was also dealt to Portland, therefore the Heat were unsuccessful in acquiring him. The former Buck was quickly acquired by the Boston Celtics, making Miami’s conference rivalry even tougher. Holiday was probably the last star they could recruit for the upcoming season, barring any significant events in the upcoming weeks.
Jimmy Butler’s outstanding efforts were primarily responsible for the Heat’s march to the Finals last season. These probably won’t be sufficient to defeat adversaries this time. Despite the fact that the current roster is still respectable, it cannot compete with Milwaukee, Boston, or groups like the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Even if they manage to catch up with them, it will probably be another challenging journey rather than a definite path to success.
Miami may have had a chance with smaller acquisitions like Christian Wood or Kelly Oubre Jr., but they missed out on signing either in pursuit of Lillard. With a frontcourt lacking size and a backcourt lacking a true star playmaker, the Heat’s ceiling is no longer high. It looks like it will be another offseason with no major transactions.