Miami Heat: Couple Of 2020 Part-Timers Are Full-Time Contributors Now
Miami Heat Full Timers Were 2020 Part-Timers: Trevor Ariza
As far as Ariza goes, the player that Coach Spo calls one of “the most underrated player” in the league, he’s just that. Since arriving to Miami, he’s continued the hot shooting that he started last season.
A famously known stat, at this point, he finished his 21 games played for Portland last year shooting 40 percent from deep. Thus far for the Heat, he’ shot 34.9 on almost one more attempt per game than last season.
As always with him though, it’s not about what he does on that side, as much as everything he can do on the other side. He’s still one of the best defenders in the league and it shows, even as the Heat have asked him to play up at the four, something he’s grown accustomed to doing over the last few years during the league’s small ball transition.
He is still very adept at getting in the passing lanes and is still as good a wing defender as there is. His presence has been invaluable to the Heat since they were able to bring him over.
The Miami Heat excel at these types of moves. Whether it be these types of guys, later in the year, or picking up an unheralded, under appreciate, or undervalued guy from another roster or the scrap heap, they excel in these situations.
With these two guys though, they may be the guys that can help take them over the top. Exactly what “over the top” looks like for Miami, though, is yet to be determined.
Next. Should they be looking directly at Portland this offseason?. dark
Regardless though, these two guys will have a lot to do with it. That’s how they’ve gone from part-time players, last season, to full-time and major contributors for the Heat, this season.