The Miami Heat defeated the Trail Blazers 119-98 on Saturday night despite Portland’s push in the third quarter. Miami’s balanced attack and strong defense ultimately overwhelmed the Blazers, and the Heat closed the game decisively.
This matchup carried extra significance because of the drama involving then-Blazers star Damian Lillard during the 2023 off-season. Lillard requested a trade with clear intentions of playing for Miami and Miami only. Instead of taking a package that included Herro, Jaquez, and Jovic, Blazers GM Joe Cronin chose a different path, sending him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen. In the loss to Miami, Portland and Cronin were reminded of what they could have had in a Dame trade to the Heat.
Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. were among the best players on the court.
In Miami’s seventh win out of the last eight contests against the Blazers, Tyler Herro, the centerpiece of any Dame trade, was sensational, showing why he should be an all-star this season. Despite struggling early in the game, Herro scored 32 points while making seven threes. Herro is having his best season in the league, proving to be one of the best offensive threats in the league, while Portland’s replacement for Lillard, Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick in 2023, finished the game with only three points and a -17 on the floor.
Nikola Jovic, who has found his groove as of late, finished the game with a season-high of 21 points and tied a season-high nailing in four threes while being a team-high +20 on the floor. Jovic was not in Miami’s rotation during his rookie season, which made him less attractive as a trade asset, but he has ascended ever since. In the last two years, Jovic has provided great energy attacking the basket, while this season, as you saw in the win against the Blazers, has improved his three-point shot. A versatile player like Jovic, with great length and athleticism, can fit great on any team. Portland last year was missing a young and athletic piece, and instead of getting Jovic in a Dame package, they traded two first-round picks this offseason for former Wizards forward Deni Avdija; a lot to give up considering Portland could have had their power forward of the future in Jovic.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., in the absence of Jimmy Butler, has started to look like who he was in his rookie season. During the first four games of the road trip, Jaquez has averaged 16.4 PPG, including putting up 11 in the win against the Blazers. Jaquez was on the all-rookie first team last season, and given the opportunity with the ball, Jaquez is elite at driving to the basket, finding ways to score in the paint, and drawing fouls. The Blazers, a bottom-ten offense, instead of relying on the heroics of Anfernee Simmons and Shaedon Sharpe, should have thought about acquiring Jaquez after his four sensational years at UCLA. Instead, they missed out on a young emerging talent who will be in the league for a long time.
At the time, Miami’s trade of Damian Lillard for a package of Herro, Jovic, and Jaquez seemed like a no-brainer. However, now they are glad the trade never went through as the Bucks continue disappointing expectations with an older Lillard while the young guys are thriving. Despite the Heat offering a solid package, Joe Cronin said no and missed out on three rising stars.