The Miami Heat are starting to round into form and look every bit as close to peaking at the right time as they would need to be heading down the stretch of the current NBA season.
Coming off a near-complete domination of LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers, the rumor mill is starting to churn out those lovely tidbits that keep every NBA fan and follower on the edge of their seats.
The Miami Heat are no strangers to this scenario or instance either, as they typically find themselves somewhere in the middle of it all.
Here is the latest Heat rumor.
It’s been all the rage to open the top of the week and comes from Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Per Iko’s reporting, the Miami Heat might have an interest in versatile Houston big man, Christian Wood.
Let’s get into some of the details revolving around said supposed interest in the guy who has produced in a few places, but has been unable to stick with most of them for some reason.
Miami Heat Rumors: Fear Of Unknown Says Stay Away From Christian Wood
Here is an excerpt from the report. It is framed in an interesting way.
After Iko discusses Eric Gordon and the lack of momentum on actually moving him, the reporting continues, before getting to Wood. Here is what was said on Wood’s situation and specifically, by name, the Miami Heat.
"The same can be said of starting center Christian Wood. The 26-year-old has been subject to interest around the league, and sources say Miami has been one of the more persistent teams in engaging with Houston on the versatile big man. But barring a blow-me-away offer, Wood should remain in Houston past the deadline, sources tell The Athletic."
Interesting. It is very interesting, indeed.
When it comes to Christian Wood and Miami Heat, the only question is why? When you look at what Wood has done across his career, he’s been pretty good for bad teams.
Yes, he’s put up numbers but that hasn’t impacted winning at the highest level— or the lowest, for that matter. You also look at it from a roster composition standpoint.
If you look at what the Miami Heat have, yes there is a fit there, as he’s a big man with inside tools that can also stretch the floor. However, they have other bigs, already, that can do that very thing, if need be, but ones that don’t cost them nearly as much as Wood does.
There are more layers to peel back though.
Miami Heat Rumors: Uncertainties, On Wood And Chemistry, Make This A No
To the last point of having guys that can give you enough of what Wood can provide, the production may not exactly mirror what Wood can do but again, the production is equitable. There is also this thought associated with the production.
He hasn’t been able to stick with a good team but has produced numbers on bad teams. So, who is to say that said production would translate into a winning situation?
You could take it at face value or on the surface, saying that his talent translates, but his past is his past and it has to be more than coincidence. Beyond just that though, there is more.
WIth what the Miami Heat currently have, the fits are much better. The mentalities of the players that are already in Miami are exactly what the Miami Heat Culture is all about.
To be frank, Christian Wood has shown to be a little pouty, at times. Looking at specifics, take an incident within the last few months, where he and teammate, Kevin Porter Jr, had a major kerfuffle mid-game.
Yes. They had problems with their coach in the middle of a contest.
That would not fly in Miami, at all. Do you even want that on your team?
Even if you look at it from the perspective of what it would take to land him, what do you send back if you’re the Miami Heat? Though many would run at the chance to get rid of the following guy, sending back KZ Okpala or anything else of that nature would be too much.
For a guy that hasn’t been able to thrive in a winning situation, it’s just not practical. Now, it does seem very appropriately convenient that as soon as the Miami Heat reach the top of the East, outright, the rumor mill starts to churn.
However, continue to trust Pat Riley, Spo, Andy Elisburg, and everybody else over there in the Miami Heat’s leadership group, as they won’t make any moves that aren’t net positives. This move for Christian Wood, as reported by The Athletic, wouldn’t be a net positive for the aforementioned reasons.
Stay away from Houston, please. Trading away pieces that have gone into developing the chemistry, the depth, and the talent of this team, while also bringing in a guy that hasn’t necessarily shown to be a team guy can hurt you a lot more than it helps you.
And if it doesn’t, you’re saddled with his $14 million dollars for next season, money that’ll surely be needed to bring back some of those crucial guys from this team.