- MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 28: Kelly Olynyk
The Miami Heat have been trying some different lineups this preseason and may have found some two-man combos that work.
Experimenting with your team, working out any last minute kinks, and giving us something to talk about. It’s what preseason basketball is all about. And the Miami Heat have succeeded at all three.
For the most part, this is a very similar team to last year’s. There was not a lot of movement when it comes to the depth chart. This offseason, president Pat Riley wanted to secure a few players with contract extensions and try to go after a few big names.
Once Gordan Hayword made his decision to go to the Boston Celtics, Riley secured Dion Waiters and James Johnson. The Heat should be excited that they’re practically bringing back the same team from last year and adding Kelly Olynyk.
One loss to the roster was Josh McRoberts. Riley knew that he had to keep Wayne Ellington to help perform from beyond-the-arc. The only way to do that was to trade McRoberts and his $6 million. So that’s what he did. McRoberts and his $6 million salary went to Dallas and Ellington stayed in Miami.
Pat Riley worked his magic to now put together a young core that works cohesively and could continue to do so for a long time. Olynyk and Waiters are both 26, and signed four-year deals.
Basketball is much more than just names. The right chemistry has to be there for a team to succeed.
When it comes to Miami, there’s a couple of duos that could make things scary for the rest of the league.