2025-26 Miami Heat Regular Season Thread 3.0

[joeshred]

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[Crazy-Canuck]

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[VaDe255]

Spoiler:

Feels like there is another gear from him but not able to reach it, maybe just satifsfied on receiving salary?

The two 40-point games he had here showed flashes that he can become a true 1A option, he just lacks consistency.

As for the weaknesses you mentioned, MJ and Kobe also had plenty of flaws early in their careers, but their work ethic was on another level. When I watch Wiggins, it still feels like I’m watching his Minnesota days.

I get the feeling he has maxed out his potential, people are just disappointed because they projected more from him, being a former #1 overall pick. He doesn't come across to me like a guy that isn't giving his all, I do think he just lacks some basic skills that aren't necessarily trainable. Like having a good handle, its very rare a guy comes into the league without a handle and develops that at the NBA level, that's something you either have or you don't.

Bam for example, people praise his guard skills and ability to dribble the ball as a big, but he grew up with that playing the guard positions until his growth spurt. He always had that ability in his bag, just not always was able to show it off.

That said I haven't closely followed Wiggs whole career, I'm sure Canuck or vagelis could give better analysis.

Also to relate back to a former Heat prospect, I remember people for a long time projected Dorell Wright would become T-Mac 2.0 as soon as he mastered his handle. But that never happened, and his peak was a 3-point sniper, for the Warriors ironically enough.

I am clear with Marson in this conversation.
Wiggins has the tools to be a franchise guy but he has not the character and the personality to gain it by himself.

I think he has zero main flaws in his game right now.
Yes, he could have better handles but he is decent and I don't think MJ had the best handles too.

As about the assists, he does not have the ball in his hands in order to give more assists.
He has 40-45 touches per game. How should he have better assist stats?

I really think that if you force Wiggins to score, he can go to 25ppg easily.
He has the shooting ability right now to do it efficiently too.
I know the more you force him to do things the better he is. I have seen it in Minesota and he proved me right in NBA finals 2022 where he had his biggest role in his Warriors period.

I disagree with the Pippen comparison.
Wiggins has better scoring tools than Pippen.
Pippen was a better athlete in open court but Wiggins is better in set defenses.
Pippen had the speed in open court but Wiggins has the first step and the scoring ability like MJ/KB.
MJ was a better athlete than Wiggins but Wiggins is slightly better athlete than Kobe imo.


I am really tired with him because he could have a better carreer and he didn't demand it.

For me he is an Alpha as a basketball player but he is not an Alpha as a personality.
Sorry from Wiggins about what I am saying and I really wished he realized this.

"zero main flaws in his game right now" is really funny to me.

i) His biggest weakness is his handle. It’s the main reason he never developed enough counter moves or the ability to squeeze through tight spaces like elite scorers can. He can't manipulate the defense with his dribble at all and is helpless once the paint is walled off.

Comparing him to MJ is totally off, imho. MJ had elite fundamentals, footwork, counters and ball protection were on another level, MJ is much closer to Kyrie skill wise when it comes to handle than Wiggins is to MJ.

ii) We literally saw high usage Wiggins in Minnesota (25%+ usage) and he basically averaged 2 asts and 2 TOs a game. This is his second biggest flaw and makes me want to put my skull through the wall watching him play sometimes.

He's a play finisher, not a creator. His tunnel vision, getting the ball in the paint and proceeding to try finishing 1-on-2 or even 1-on-3 is easily the most infuriating part

iii) "I really think that if you force Wiggins to score, he can go to 25ppg easily"

We saw "25 ppg Wiggins" in Minnesota too, high usage, low efficiency scoring, little playmaking for others. The lack of handle, counter moves and court vision makes it very difficult to translate volume into high efficiency, even if you are a freak athlete.

iv) Pippen was more of a "point forward," whereas Wiggins is a wing scorer. Pippen is much closer to Jimmy than Wiggins is to Pippen, they are a different tier impact wise, but I get the comparison in the sense that he's seen as a "complementary piece" to a star

v) "For me he is an Alpha as a basketball player but he is not an Alpha as a personality"

I'd agree he's an athletic freak with physical tools most guys in the NBA don't have, but it's not just personality that held him back. The lack of an elite handle and court vision are very significant technical flaws that limited what he can become and he never really improved those

[3ammy3uck3ts]

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[SerialChiller]

Joe outta nowhere to start the next thread...I like it haha!

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Ja wants Miami according to Wades (and Jimmy’s) old side chick Rachel Nichols

[Lennyzinho]

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There's no shot we send frps or swaps and essentially lock ourself out of any stars for the next 5 years, by being unable to trade future FRPs.
We are closing in an on offseason where we are purposely trying to keep the books clean as possible and so we can have as many tradeable firsts round picks as possible, and we want to blow all of that on ja morant?

The Heat effed up BIG TIME, by not tanking last year and trying to get a top pick in a season that Jimmy torpedo'ed with his antics and we just didn't have any semblance of chemistry or enough talent. Now we have our pick this year in an absolutely loaded draft, and we are gonna treadmill it again... if we are being this stubborn and patient, I have to believe 100% that it's not so we can lose our future flexibility on ja morant. When I know the Heat are instead going to try to send Herro JJJ Wiggins and all of our picks for Giannis or a star of that ilk.

[Lennyzinho]

Ja wants Miami according to Wades (and Jimmy’s) old side chick Rachel Nichols

Great, tell him to renegotiate his contract.

edit: just wanted to add... Trae didn't WANT to go to washington. He said he wanted to cuz it was the only team that even wanted him so ofc he's gonna be like, yeah that's where I wanna go and play. He's just working the angles and team to try getting paid as much as possible.

And if you're Ja... and you're hearing rumors of MIL or MIA... where would you wanna go if you're a diva and don't wanna be overshadowed by Giannis and you like partying and strip clubs ... come on. Milwaukee? Who ever WANTS to go to Milwaukee when Miami is a possibility.

[HeatFanLifer]

I don’t think anything is gonna happen and even if they trade for someone, it’s not going to help the win column. Spobot needs an offseason to process data and build a new scheme with every second of every game planned for.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

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[MartyCONLONNN]

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Looks like they're doing right by AD. There's no way they expect a good return with those health issues.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

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Bring my 3 and D goat home

[twix2500]

I figure this current roster may have 10 games from now to prove itself before a shake up happens. That would be Jan 29th about a week before the trade deadline which is feb 5th

[carnageta]

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Bring my 3 and D goat home

Miami needs a backup center after they trade Kel'el Ware for Kelly Olynyk, and now we have one available on the market for Spo

[MettaWorldPanda]

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Bring my 3 and D goat home

He stinks. Let him get traded to Istanbul

[carnageta]

If all it takes is matching salary to land Ja, you have to do it.

[carnageta]

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Bring my 3 and D goat home

He stinks. Let him get traded to Istanbul

Istanbul already have a dynasty with YurtSeven. They don't need HH

[MettaWorldPanda]

Ja wants Miami according to Wades (and Jimmy’s) old side chick Rachel Nichols

Need to close this deal. Watch Morant turn the switch on once out of Memphis.

[carnageta]

Trade for Morant.

Trade one of Herro or Powell (they cannot both co-exist).

Trade Wiggins for picks.



Morant/Smith
<Herro or Powell>/KJ
Larrson/Jaime
Jovic/Fonteccio
Bam/Ware


Then unload all picks (at least 4 FRPs) + Kel'el Ware + filler for a superstar in the off-season.

[MettaWorldPanda]

Miami won’t be able to pay Morant, Herro, and Powell so something has got to give. It’s easy to say send Rozier and Simone and adding 40 mil to books next year putting us in heavy apron territory.