The Miami Heat's surprise run to the NBA Finals in 2023 was one that no one really expected. In fact, looking back, there's an argument to be made that it even caught some inside the locker room by surprise, too.
In an honest admission from Max Strus, he even admits that the lights were too bright during that NBA Finals appearance (for him) in 2023.
Max Strus admitted he wasn't ready for the Heat's 2023 Finals series
“Game 1, you can look at history and can’t deny the stats. My game 1 was awful. The amount of pressure that goes into the finals and everybody in the world is watching this game and talking about this game, you can’t escape it. It did get the best of me. I’ll admit it. You walk in and you’re like ‘I’m really playing in the NBA finals. This is nuts.’ It probably did get in my head a little bit”
Facing a much more experienced team in the Denver Nuggets, some of the Heat's supporting cast played like a deer caught in headlights. Specifically, as Strus notes, he was pretty bad during that Game 1 performance.
In the game that Strus was referencing specifically, he finished 0-10 shooting from the field, including 0-9 from 3-point range. Considering he had become one of the Heat's most consistent threats from 3-point range, that's not exactly what Miami wanted to see.
The Heat losing in the NBA Finals wasn't just Strus' fault, but there's no question that his lackluster performance didn't help. He was slightly better the rest of the way, but not by much. Strus finished that series by averaging six points per game on 23 percent shooting from the field and sub-20 percent from 3-point range.
Klay Thompson brings much-needed championship experience to the Heat
At the very least, the Heat's lack of championship experience certainly mattered. And that fact makes it even more clear why the Heat pursued a player like Klay Thompson so strongly.
Thompson is not perfect, nor is he still in his prime. But in theory, he's a player that you wouldn't expect to play like a deer caught in headlights on the league's biggest stage. Thompson hasn't just been there, done that.
No, Thompson has been there and achieved that. He's won four NBA Championships and been a key cog in all of them. Thompson doesn't just bring veteran experience with him to Miami, but he brings a championship pedigree that is going to be needed if the Heat are going to emerge as a legit contender this season.
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