SerpApi.Org
When the Miami Heat traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo last month, many felt they were decimating their squad without getting enough in return.
Not only did the Heat give up four key players to the Milwaukee Bucks to acquire Antetokounmpo, including second-leading scorer and All-Star Tyler Herro, but they also let last season's top scorer, Norman Powell, walk away in free agency to clear cap space for Giannis.
But despite suffering heavy manpower losses to get the "Greek Freak", Heat president Pat Riley says that nothing changes. The Heat are still in it to win it.
"Our mentality is we want to win now, just like everybody else who thinks they're good and wants to win now, and that's what we want to do. So whoever we bring in will help us win now, you know, 10,11,12 players," said Riley.
"I don't want the team to think that way," he added. "I want them to believe in the roster that we have. I think that's a mentality more than anything else. You don't rush to it. You just have to go out and compete every night. But we have the pieces, the main pieces."
Impressive frontcourt, but needs a backcourt boost
By adding Giannis, the Heat will have one of the most imposing frontcourts in the NBA. With Bam Adebayo starting at center and Giannis at power forward, Miami arguably has one of the best big man duos in the league today. Add in Bobby Portis, Nikola Jovic and Andrew Wiggins, and Miami does have a very talented forward rotation available at Erik Spoelstra's disposal.
However, after losing Herro, Powell, Jaquez, and Jackucionis, the Heat look thin at the guard spot.
Including young center Kel'el Ware, the Heat saw over 50 points per game of production leave the roster following the Giannis trade. That figure doesn't even include Powell's scoring, something Riley openly acknowledged.
"Everybody talks about shooting; that's not the main priority right now. It's another real playmaker. Tyler was great. Norm Powell could score at the end of games and get their own shot and stuff. So we need a little more of that. We got a great power rotation. And we got great depth," Riles added.
The best playmaker is still in the market
Talking about their needs, the Heat signed veteran "sniper" Tim Hardaway Jr. to help address their shooting needs. They also still have point guard Davion Mitchell, who has developed into a reliable pass-first playmaker. But if Riley says their biggest need is a playmaker, the best option is still available and unsigned. It's just that he has not made his decision yet.
While it remains to be seen whether the Heat can land LeBron James, Miami has reportedly emerged as one of his three preferred destinations, together with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. It's also unclear whether Riley still hopes to secure LeBron, which is why he says they are still in win-now mode despite gutting their rotation for Giannis.
LeBron aside, the Heat, as Pat said, do have the main pieces in Bam and Giannis. It will be interesting to see what moves he makes after LeBron makes his decision, if it's not Miami again.
However, anytime you have a healthy Giannis available, that team cannot be discounted as a title contender... So, yes, the Heat are in a win-now mode next season.
