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- May 8, 2002
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Q: Supremely disappointed. Start the timer, because when this build inevitably ends, the malaise we’ve been in the past few years will seem like a warm vacation compared to the mess awaiting them. – John, Ocaa.
Q: It is my opinion that this trade demonstrates why Pat Riley should retire. This trade is for an oft-injured player who over the past four years has played less than 60% of regular-season games. To top it off, he gave away the current and future core of Heat exceptional players, too many to mention. What a dumb unimaginative trade. Who does Riley think will play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo to win a championship ? Second-rate bench warmers? Rescind the trade. – J.M.
Q: No youth. No future. No way to replenish. The Bucks will be mopping the floor with the Heat in three years. – Ray, Deerfield Beach.
Q: Ira, please explain this while everyone is celebrating Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami: How is it that Jimmy Haslam picked the pocket of a desperate trading partner for an aging superstar? – Rodney.
A: To get something of great value you have to give something, and sometimes the value spent is more in terms of quantity than quality. None of the players the Heat dealt might ever wind up All-NBA, a level that Giannis Antetokounmpo still stands. And yes, a portion of the future also was dealt. And yes, that means a diminishing window. But if ever there was a time to go for it, it is at the start of Bam Adebayo’s maximum extension. Much like the planning that went into the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat decided the time is now. That is risky, but also brave. So stress about the future, if you must, but the moment is brighter for the Heat than it has been in a while.
Q: Could not think of a better year to buy a second round pick. – Chadwick, Lake Worth.
A: No, cannot, considering the Heat’s position hard against the first-apron hard cap. With second-round picks counting half of a standard contract otherwise, it is a prudent way to fill out such a roster. Plus, the money spent to purchase a pick does not count against the salary cap, luxury tax or aprons. The Heat can spend up to $7.9 million (but assuredly far less) to purchase a second-round pick beyond No. 41 on Wednesday night.
Q: Where do you draw the line on salary to re-sign Norman Powell? He is declining and is a defensive liability. Why not start Pelle Larsson and find a cheaper 3-and-D wing option? – Richard, Plantation.
A: Certainly possible. But the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade puts the Heat in win-now mode, and Norman Powell is far more of a scoring and shooting threat than Pelle Larsson. You need spacing. Pelle would be left open to shoot all the 3-pointers he wants. Now, agree that there has to be a cutoff where it’s not cost-effective with Norm. And it is possible, as you cite, that the Heat simply are not positioned to operate at such a threshold.
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Q: It is my opinion that this trade demonstrates why Pat Riley should retire. This trade is for an oft-injured player who over the past four years has played less than 60% of regular-season games. To top it off, he gave away the current and future core of Heat exceptional players, too many to mention. What a dumb unimaginative trade. Who does Riley think will play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo to win a championship ? Second-rate bench warmers? Rescind the trade. – J.M.
Q: No youth. No future. No way to replenish. The Bucks will be mopping the floor with the Heat in three years. – Ray, Deerfield Beach.
Q: Ira, please explain this while everyone is celebrating Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami: How is it that Jimmy Haslam picked the pocket of a desperate trading partner for an aging superstar? – Rodney.
A: To get something of great value you have to give something, and sometimes the value spent is more in terms of quantity than quality. None of the players the Heat dealt might ever wind up All-NBA, a level that Giannis Antetokounmpo still stands. And yes, a portion of the future also was dealt. And yes, that means a diminishing window. But if ever there was a time to go for it, it is at the start of Bam Adebayo’s maximum extension. Much like the planning that went into the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat decided the time is now. That is risky, but also brave. So stress about the future, if you must, but the moment is brighter for the Heat than it has been in a while.
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Q: Could not think of a better year to buy a second round pick. – Chadwick, Lake Worth.
A: No, cannot, considering the Heat’s position hard against the first-apron hard cap. With second-round picks counting half of a standard contract otherwise, it is a prudent way to fill out such a roster. Plus, the money spent to purchase a pick does not count against the salary cap, luxury tax or aprons. The Heat can spend up to $7.9 million (but assuredly far less) to purchase a second-round pick beyond No. 41 on Wednesday night.
Q: Where do you draw the line on salary to re-sign Norman Powell? He is declining and is a defensive liability. Why not start Pelle Larsson and find a cheaper 3-and-D wing option? – Richard, Plantation.
A: Certainly possible. But the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade puts the Heat in win-now mode, and Norman Powell is far more of a scoring and shooting threat than Pelle Larsson. You need spacing. Pelle would be left open to shoot all the 3-pointers he wants. Now, agree that there has to be a cutoff where it’s not cost-effective with Norm. And it is possible, as you cite, that the Heat simply are not positioned to operate at such a threshold.
Continue reading...
