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3 Reasons why the Miami Heat need to sign Trevor Ariza

By Brandon Johnson

HOUSTON, TX - MAY 16: Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets talks to the media after the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 16, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 16: Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets talks to the media after the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 16, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – JANUARY 17: Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on January 17, 2017 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – JANUARY 17: Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on January 17, 2017 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Help Awaits

If a comparison to the Warriors’ potential for success wasn’t enough, Miami could also recreate the magic that blessed the Rockets with good fortune.

With any luck, Dragic and Bam Adebayo can become analogs to Houston’s Chris Paul and Clint Capela. Dragic has already established himself as a capable, willing passer and crafty gamesman, feeding Miami’s shooters when they catch fire.

Adebayo on the other hand, has the framework to become a new school center in the vein of Capela. From welcoming the fast break to finishing lobs and post drop-offs, Adebayo’s development can mirror that which makes Capela intangible for the Rockets.

Ariza then would feel right at home, benefiting from Dragic’s perimeter kickouts. And when he inevitably hits a rough patch as he did to start the season (18 percent from 3 in six games), Adebayo will be there to clean up the glass. Additionally, the stretchy wing options Miami boasts also provide reasonable facsimilies for the Rocket’s PJ Tucker, Luc Mbah a Moute and Gerald Green.

Joining Miami effectively means Spoelstra can run a deeper version of the Rockets roster that gave the eventual championship Warriors so much trouble. A Miami roster that lives by laissez-faire rotations rounded out by Ariza would wreak havoc through the east, matching up with tall, small, and everything in between.

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