Rapaz wrote:▪ What’s the organization’s plan moving forward after a first-round loss to Boston and a relatively quiet first week of free agency, which included re-signing Kevin Love, Haywood Highsmith and Thomas Bryant; losing Caleb Martin; and adding skilled three-pointer shooter Alec Burks at the minimum?
The plan now is for patience and prudence, to wait for an opportunity to pounce when a player the Heat really likes becomes available in the trade market, with the hope that the other team likes Miami’s assets.
The Heat does not look at this as a situation where it absolutely must change its roster by the start of the season. While the Heat would like to upgrade, the Heat sees that opportunity being available all the way up until the Feb. 6 trade deadline. That’s how it’s being viewed internally.
▪ So why is Miami OK with keeping together a team that was the eighth seed the past two years?
The Heat still believes in Jimmy Butler and a core that made three deep playoff runs, and two Finals appearances, in five years.
Those playoff runs carry more weight, in Miami’s view, than the fact that the Heat finished with a top-four seed only once in the past five years (fifth, sixth, first, eighth and eighth).
Though the Heat knows an impactful addition from outside would be helpful to make the team a more serious title threat — and will continue to seek one — the organization decided there’s no need to blow up the roster, trade Butler at this time or make a lateral move simply for change’s sake.
The Heat’s belief is that health and game availability — not a serious talent deficit — is what mostly has held Miami back. That conclusion did not change during an offseason evaluation, even with an acknowledgment that more is probably needed to win a title.
▪ Is the Heat in the mix for any of the players bandied about publicly in trades?
As of early this week, nothing was imminent.
so are they going to tone down on those infamous practices and focus more on recovery? tired of seeing random dnps through out the season
