Q: Ira, our season comes down to the Hornets, a team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2002 and hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2016. How did we wind up keeping such company? – Lance.
A: Through a confluence of luck, fate and approach. First, between Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, the Heat’s top two scoring guards have missed the equivalent of almost an entire season. Then there was the Terry Rozier mess, which basically had the Heat with $26.6 million of dead money on their payroll, while he was forced to remain sidelined by the NBA amid the FBI gambling investigation. And then there is the issue of ongoing impatience, in refusing at any recent point to step back into the lottery. The contrast is the Hornets’ roster, with Kon Knueppel a No. 4 pick, Brandon Miller a No. 2 selection and LaMelo Ball taken at No. 3. The Hornets have lost – a lot – to reach this moment.
Q: Enough already. The Heat are not one or two players away from being competitive, unless one of those players is Giannis Antetokounmpo. So why does everyone in the Heat world believe a rebuild is in order except for the team’s front office? – Bob, Davie.
A: Because Giannis Antetokounmpo very much sounds like a player that could be in play. But there also has to be a timeframe designated and a line drawn. That lesson should have been learned as the Trail Blazers played their waiting game with Damian Lillard. The Heat long have hovered around elite talent that might become available. They’re not changing now.
Q: What do the Heat do now with Nikola Jovic’s extension? – Dave.
A: There isn’t much to do except to hope for the type of revival that Jaime Jaquez Jr. experienced this summer. That could come in the form of the Heat adjusting the offensive approach, or it could be in the form of Nikola Jovic adjusting his game to fit the system. While the four-year, $62.4 million extension that kicks in next season hardly is toxic, it would seem highly unlikely at the moment that he is tradeable, other than as cap filler.