The Miami Heat were obliterated at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks this past season and it wasn’t pretty. Coming out of the season off the tail of such a defeat, the Miami Heat had to do something.
That’s exactly what they did too, giving their team a makeover this offseason that should put them squarely in the room of contention, alongside the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Philadelphia 76ers, depending on how they proceed with the Ben Simmons situation.
With that though, the Brooklyn Nets still have a few things to prove. For all of the might and star power that they can throw at you, they still have to, somehow, fill out the rest of the roster with players that can contribute at a championship level.
On top of all of that, they still have to prove that they can make stops when they need to. When it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers, they have to figure out their roster situation, first and foremost.
If Ben Simmons is around, he must figure how to effectively contribute. If not and after that, they must figure out how to close games and series.
Basically, they have things to figure out too. With those two teams there, the only other team that can rightfully be put above Miami are the champs.
They don’t have anything to prove, as they are the champs. But Miami surely does.
That’s what this offseason might of been about. Here are the 3 ways that Miami Heat directly attacked them with their offseason moves.
Miami Heat: 3 Direct Offseason Attacks On Bucks – Giannis Defenders
The Miami Heat got a lot done this offseason. Here’s how they aimed it Milwaukee.
Stacked Guys That Matchup, Relatively, Well With Giannis Antetokounmpo
With the late addition of Markieff Morris to the Miami Heat, the Miami Heat had solidified their power forward rotation supremely. Something else they had done, was sure up a very versatile core of defensive peoples who would matchup well against a myriad of different playing styles.
While that is the case, something else stands out about the guys they signed there, such as Morris, P.J. Tucker, and even Dewayne Dedmon, so to speak. These are all guys that have, at least, had a bit of success at frustrating Giannis.
At the very least, they are the tough type that would serve to bother him the most. While they all have that same intangible thing that makes them the players they are, they come in a plethora of different body types and sizes as well, which also gives them another edge in that area.
When you are talking about competing against one of the most uniquely gifted specimens to ever enter the league and now, with the confidence of a title, a NBA Finals MVP, and other accolades under his belt, you need all you can to neutralize him. Note, “neutralize”, because you won’t ever truly stop him.
Miami Heat: 3 Direct Offseason Attacks On Bucks – Kyle Lowry To Counter Jrue
The Miami Heat destroyed the Bucks in the NBA Bubble. The Bucks brought in Jrue Holiday and returned the favor in these past playoffs.
Brought In Kyle Lowry To Counter Difference Between Bubble-Bucks And Title-Bucks
The difference between the team that the Miami Heat handled in the bubble and the team that obliterated them this past season is literally Jrue Holiday. While there are other things at play there, such as development from players, motivation to beat Miami, and other things, that is something to think about.
The Miami Heat brought in a guy of their own, in Kyle Lowry, that should neutralize the presence of Jrue Holiday. Different types of players, this isn’t saying exactly what you think it might be, however, it’s saying that their impacts should counter one another’s and balance things out.
That leaves it up to the same guys that dueled in the bubble to figure it out. While Giannis is the best player of the four remaining and with Kyle Lowry there to neutralize Jrue Holiday’s impact, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are still the second and third best player of the remaining four, which is why they have an advantage there.
Yes, what Khris Middleton was able to do in this Finals run was amazing, but he had a few clunkers along the way too and again, what if Jrue Holiday’s impact isn’t as greatly felt? Is he still that same guy?
The answer remains to be seen, but you have to take your chances that he isn’t when Jrue Holiday’s impact isn’t as greatly felt as it was in this run. That’s what you hope Kyle Lowry does for you if you are the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat: 3 Direct Offseason Attacks On Bucks – Stealing P.J. Tucker Away
As mentioned earlier, the Heat are stacking guys to guard guys like Giannis. One of those new guys is a former teammate that just helped him win a title.
They Took P.J. Tucker Away From Them
One of the best ways to directly hurt your competition is to snatch some of their players. When you are talking about a player who can and did mean as much to them as P.J. Tucker did in their title run, it becomes even that much greater of a get for Miami.
As mentioned, not only will he, now, help to stop Giannis, but you won’t have to worry about him destroying your game plan. He’ll help a ton for Miami, but at least the Bucks don’t have him either.
The Miami Heat still have a lot of work to do to build chemistry and in fact, continuing to build out their team and roster. What they have now though is a great start!
While there are a few teams in the East worth keeping an eye on if you are Miami, you have put yourselves right there to compete. When it comes to the team that just won the title though, in the Milwaukee Bucks, the moves you have made this offseason should give you as good a chance as any to beat them, specifically.