Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to become a member of the Miami Heat. It’s still surreal to type, considering Giannis’ long history with the Bucks (and the city of Milwaukee) and Miami’s recent pursuits of no-doubt-about-it superstars coming up short. Even during this cycle, there seemed to be real smoke behind the Boston Celtics landing Giannis for a package headlined by Jaylen Brown.
Ultimately, the Heat were able to land their whale. They had to empty the proverbial clip to do it — Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, three first-round picks (including this year’s selection, Nate Ament), a pick swap, and a second rounder — but they clearly felt it was worth it with a guy like Giannis on the table.
While last season was an injury-plagued mess for the Bucks, it’s worth remembering just how dominant Giannis still is. In just 28.9 minutes per contest, he averaged 27.6 points (65/33/65 splits, a career-best 65.8 true shooting), 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists. The list of downhill threats in his class can be counted on one hand. And when engaged, he can still be a rangy defender who can create havoc at a high level.
Landing the superstar is the hard part, and the Heat have done that. Their next job is to parlay this acquisition into building a legitimate contender — a tall task, but not an impossible one.
It’s fair to say they have some pretty big questions to answer before the season starts. Let’s talk through some of them, while examining some potential answers.