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LAS VEGAS — Amid the speculation and scuttlebutt, it is rare to find an NBA talent evaluator not directly tied to a team’s pursuit of LeBron James, with the Miami Heat among that group.
Fortunately there are a few able to offer unbiased evaluation from the sidelines of the LeBron Watch, including a decades-long scout who offered his thoughts as the Las Vegas NBA Summer League begins to the Sun Sentinel, albeit anonymously because of his work for an opposing team.
In the wake of the Heat’s acquisitions of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr., the longtime scout was asked where he views what the Heat currently have in place in regard to the Eastern Conference race.
“I would say four or five, maybe five,” he said.
And if Pat Riley were to reel in James for a second time?
“Two or three with him,” the scout continued, “up there. Top three, I would say.”
A LeBron fit with the Heat, he said, is intriguing and undeniable.
And necessary.
“I think the key thing is their backcourt is suspect, really suspect,” he said of a Heat group limited at the moment to Hardaway, Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith, and second-round pick Ryan Conwell, downplaying center Bam Adebayo as a ballhandler. “Bam’s not a secondary ball handler, OK? He’s not. He’s a good passer and all that, but you can’t rely on him for that. So LeBron can truly be a point guard or at a minimum could be a very good secondary ballhandler, which is what I think they need.
“So I think that is the key. I just think their backcourt is not good enough now and while he’s not actually a guard, or whatever you want to call him, he would take on that function. And in that role, he’s still very good.”
James finished last season seventh in the NBA at 7.2 assists per game, even with Los Angeles Lakers teammate Luka Doncic placing third at 8.3. Mitchell led the Heat last season at 6.5, 16th in the league.
But the scout said it is about more than a skillset, it is about rounding out a roster thin on elite talent beyond Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
“Absolutely. They need him, they need him. And the other thing is, he’d seem to take it willingly not getting in the way of Giannis’ arriving. He took a backseat last year, right?” he said of James deferring on the Lakers to Doncic, and even at times to Austin Reeves. “He’s obviously going to have to take a backseat.”
After the Heat’s 43-39 close this past season, the scout said the arrival of Giannis should vault the Heat into the 50-win range. With LeBron, he said the total would rise from there. Fifty wins would have been sixth in the East last season, but 53 would have gotten third and 56 second.
The scout also touched on other Heat offseason talking points as yet another LeBron Watch continues.
Q: Part of the Giannis equation is the extension desired, one that would pay upwards of $73 million in 2029-30, when he would be 35, and $78 million in 2030-31, when he will be 36. What about that element of the trade?
A: “That’s the risk. They made this move to win now, obviously. So, yeah, I mean, you’re going to have to bite the bullet on a lot of salary in the latter years. That’s sort of inevitable with these situations.”
Q: Portis came with Giannis from the Bucks in the deal. Are he, Bam and Giannis enough in the power rotation, without a true, bulky center?
A: “The three of them might be a little undersized. But Giannis is pumped, he’s Charles Atlas now versus what he was when he came into the league. No, I don’t think not having someone you might call a true center would be a factor.”
Q: As soon as the Giannis deal was done they moved to Hardaway. How do you see that as a fit?
A: “That’s a great move. Perfect. He’s going to get shots and he’s coming off a terrific year. He is what he is, a very, very good shooter.”
Q: But you cited the backcourt being thin. Would you consider him a starter on a championship contender?
A: “No, he should be your sixth man, ideally. He’s so otherwise limited,”
Q: Then there was the agreement to extend Andrew Wiggins. Your thoughts on Wiggins rounding out a frontcourt alongside Bam and Giannis?
A: “He’s going to have to be somewhat of a spot-up guy. But don’t sell that short. That’s a formidable front line, with championship experience. I’m not worried about their frontcourt. That’s good. It’s good.”
Continue reading...
Fortunately there are a few able to offer unbiased evaluation from the sidelines of the LeBron Watch, including a decades-long scout who offered his thoughts as the Las Vegas NBA Summer League begins to the Sun Sentinel, albeit anonymously because of his work for an opposing team.
In the wake of the Heat’s acquisitions of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr., the longtime scout was asked where he views what the Heat currently have in place in regard to the Eastern Conference race.
“I would say four or five, maybe five,” he said.
And if Pat Riley were to reel in James for a second time?
“Two or three with him,” the scout continued, “up there. Top three, I would say.”
A LeBron fit with the Heat, he said, is intriguing and undeniable.
And necessary.
“I think the key thing is their backcourt is suspect, really suspect,” he said of a Heat group limited at the moment to Hardaway, Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith, and second-round pick Ryan Conwell, downplaying center Bam Adebayo as a ballhandler. “Bam’s not a secondary ball handler, OK? He’s not. He’s a good passer and all that, but you can’t rely on him for that. So LeBron can truly be a point guard or at a minimum could be a very good secondary ballhandler, which is what I think they need.
“So I think that is the key. I just think their backcourt is not good enough now and while he’s not actually a guard, or whatever you want to call him, he would take on that function. And in that role, he’s still very good.”
James finished last season seventh in the NBA at 7.2 assists per game, even with Los Angeles Lakers teammate Luka Doncic placing third at 8.3. Mitchell led the Heat last season at 6.5, 16th in the league.
But the scout said it is about more than a skillset, it is about rounding out a roster thin on elite talent beyond Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
“Absolutely. They need him, they need him. And the other thing is, he’d seem to take it willingly not getting in the way of Giannis’ arriving. He took a backseat last year, right?” he said of James deferring on the Lakers to Doncic, and even at times to Austin Reeves. “He’s obviously going to have to take a backseat.”
After the Heat’s 43-39 close this past season, the scout said the arrival of Giannis should vault the Heat into the 50-win range. With LeBron, he said the total would rise from there. Fifty wins would have been sixth in the East last season, but 53 would have gotten third and 56 second.
The scout also touched on other Heat offseason talking points as yet another LeBron Watch continues.
Q: Part of the Giannis equation is the extension desired, one that would pay upwards of $73 million in 2029-30, when he would be 35, and $78 million in 2030-31, when he will be 36. What about that element of the trade?
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A: “That’s the risk. They made this move to win now, obviously. So, yeah, I mean, you’re going to have to bite the bullet on a lot of salary in the latter years. That’s sort of inevitable with these situations.”
Q: Portis came with Giannis from the Bucks in the deal. Are he, Bam and Giannis enough in the power rotation, without a true, bulky center?
A: “The three of them might be a little undersized. But Giannis is pumped, he’s Charles Atlas now versus what he was when he came into the league. No, I don’t think not having someone you might call a true center would be a factor.”
Q: As soon as the Giannis deal was done they moved to Hardaway. How do you see that as a fit?
A: “That’s a great move. Perfect. He’s going to get shots and he’s coming off a terrific year. He is what he is, a very, very good shooter.”
Q: But you cited the backcourt being thin. Would you consider him a starter on a championship contender?
A: “No, he should be your sixth man, ideally. He’s so otherwise limited,”
Q: Then there was the agreement to extend Andrew Wiggins. Your thoughts on Wiggins rounding out a frontcourt alongside Bam and Giannis?
A: “He’s going to have to be somewhat of a spot-up guy. But don’t sell that short. That’s a formidable front line, with championship experience. I’m not worried about their frontcourt. That’s good. It’s good.”
Continue reading...
