The Miami Heat needed Andre Iguodala a ton during their playoff run. With a year left on his deal, here are three areas of adjustment for next season.
The Miami Heat only went as far as they were able to go this season because of the shrewd move pulled off by Pat Riley at the trade deadline. In that deal, he was able to land Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Solomon Hill for Justise Winslow.
Winslow was somewhat of a fan favorite, most of the time, so it was hard to see him go, but what the Heat got back in return was crucial towards their bubble and Playoff run. While Jae Crowder’s deep shot and two-way ability were key, Andre Iguodala’s all-around floor game, leadership, and veteran savviness were on full display as well.
He was where he needed to be and made key plays during the biggest moments. There were times though where it wasn’t all clicking offensively for the former NBA champion.
With that in mind, here are three adjustments that he can make heading into next season. He’s locked into a deal and with what he was able to do during the run, you’d think he would be back.
Let’s get into it.
Relocate his offense and rhythm
I don’t expect him to run through the lane and dunk on the whole team a lot anymore, but he should still have something off the bounce. With a decent dose of that, that should only allow him to be a more dynamic piece for the Miami Heat.
Not only would he force defenders to guard his ability to finish at the hoop, but he is a very capable playmaker. We will touch on that a little later as well, but being able to get back into an offensive rhythm is key for what he can bring to the Heat in this coming season.
You would like to believe that him not playing a ton of live basketball last season before coming to Miami has a ton to do with it, so there’s that. This bleeds right into the next adjustment.
The Miami Heat have Andre Iguodala for one more year it seems. Here’s how they could get the most out of his game.
Relocate his shooting touch
He’s never been a knock-down shooter, per se, but he did shoot between 33 and 36 percent from deep in all but one of his six years with Golden State. What this means is that he is capable.
We don’t need nor want him to pull up off the dribble after he crosses half-court. Like Jae Crowder maximized this season though, we would love for him to be able to hit his open looks.
If he can somehow get back into the low thirties, at a minimum, we would be cooking with grease. That is his second adjustment.
Dive into the nuance of the Heat system and playbook
Iggy is a playmaker. But he is also just a good team basketball player.
What this points to is his knowledge and understanding of the principles and basics of basketball. Put him in any system, his style and knowledge of the game will allow him to fit in, if not more.
With his ability to make plays for others though, the more he knows about a system, the better it is for the overall productivity of your team. Whether that be offense or defense, he can make game-changing plays on both ends.
It would also allow him to open up more easy looks for himself. They all work hand in hand.
When he finds a better rhythm, perhaps his deep ball will come back, but that all could be accelerated or compounded in a good way by a deeper understanding of the system. It’s really fairly simple.
We have him on the books it seems for next year and he is a veteran, so note that this was an “adjustments” piece, not “improvements”, which means we may as well try to maximize what he brings. With these tweaks, the situation would be well on its way to doing just that.