Miami Heat 1-on-1: Counting down to another season

And what’s one thing you think the team will surprise people with this year?

Ebrahim: I think once the team gets Butler… (Just kidding… Or am I?) But in all seriousness, if that trade doesn’t happen (and fingers crossed that it does), I think the surprising thing will be that president Pat Riley will blow up the team by the trade deadline, if they’re not reaching the expectations of being a fifth or sixth seed. What I mean by this, is that, if the team goes on to have a first half like they did in 2016-17, then you can see roughly half the team gone by the deadline. Fire sale. Everyone (except Richardson and Adebayo) must go. And you’ve already seen the inklings of this during the offseason… Suddenly, Whiteside and Waiters were on the trading block. And then you heard that almost anyone on the roster was available. Then the deal for Butler comes up and even Richardson (and a protected first rounder) was apparently included. I think Riley’s patience is running thin and with the right (more so, wrong) spark plug, he could easily turn this team upside down.

Rahming: The Heat come out guns blazing in two ways. Since they don’t have time to be messing around at the free throw line due to poor career shooters in that scenario, they will make sure to rachet up the pace, and most importantly, the made 3-pointers. This should be apparent just from watching Dwyane Wade. His first preseason bucket was a stepback corner 3. That basket tells me everything I need know. Between the sharpshooting of Wayne Ellington, McGruder, Richardson, and Kelly Olynyk, coupled with the team’s defensive philosophy, the Heat would be able to compete from behind the arch without liquifying the score and possession count to the point where they look like the Golden State Warriors/Houston Rockets. Like I stated in a previous piece, the goal for the Heat is to push the pace and improve their free throw percentage. This season appears to be their time to make that happen. Well, at least the pace part. Miami cannot afford to have another season where they’re ranked 23rd in points per game. Going from 103 to 110 points per game is a challenge, but it must be done to ensure the Heat don’t give away games they’re supposed to win.

Less than a week to go.