Miami Heat: Does Impending Ben Simmons Move Help Or Hurt Them?

The Miami Heat are in a very unique position among the rest of the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Being pegged as the, likely, third or fourth-best team in the conference, they come into the season with the requisite talent and experience to get some great things done though.

With that ranking in mind, specifically how they might stack up against the rest of the East, they may be third or fourth because of the situation in Philly right now. With a healthy Joel Embiid, along with Tobias Harris and an in-tune Ben Simmons, they are still the team that finished with the best record in the East a season ago.

However, with all that has happened since and mainly Ben Simmons wanting out, where does that leave them? That’s a question that can’t be answered at the moment, but it does beg of another interesting question about the Miami Heat in relation to that situation.

Does the whole Ben Simmons fiasco help or hurt them and their chances? How so?

The Miami Heat may endure dual-natured consequences surrounding the Ben Simmons ordeal. There are short-ranged and long-ranged versions.

Well, to be frank and in the immediate, it helps them, regardless of the outcome. If they get back pieces or talent that isn’t as good or effective as Simmons is, that’s self-explanatory.

However, even if they get back equal or better talent, it still would take time for that new situation in Philadelphia to gel, one would imagine. So, that still should mean the Miami Heat having a leg-up there.

Now, in those same scenarios but not so “immediate”, the results could differ. If the talent isn’t as good, the long-ranged impact is similar to the same.

If that talent isn’t there, it just isn’t there. In the long-range though and say, if it’s a guy like Damian Lillard that they land, that could spell even more potential trouble for the last 2/3rds of the Heat’s three-year plan… based on Kyle Lowry‘s deal.

It’s all fascinating to think about, also something that they can’t control, but definitely worth monitoring because of all the aforementioned.

Ben Simmons doesn’t appear to be long for Philly at this point and the results will send shockwaves throughout the league. Hopefully, the Miami Heat are well-braced for the recoil.