Watch Heatcheck every Tuesday from midday on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel – show also broadcast every Wednesday at 8pm on Sky Sports Arena
Thursday 28 May 2020 12:27, UK
The Miami Heat have enjoyed a stellar 2019-20 season to date but are not yet at an NBA championship-winning level. Can they vault into the title picture in 2020-21?
The acquisition of Jimmy Butler in the summer of 2019 and the emergence of numerous young players have propelled the Heat to a 41-24 record and fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
On the latest edition of Heatcheck, available to watch now across Sky Sports platforms, Ovie Soko and Mo Mooncey discussed Miami's success and potential steps the team can take to improve further.
Assessing the team's 2019-20 performance, Soko said: "The Miami Heat are always going to be a solid team but they've benefitted from some surprise performances from the young core of guys they've been drafted in. Then there is also the huge improvement Bam Adebayo has made.
"Those factors, along with (the leadership) from a franchise star in Jimmy Butler, have taken the team to another level a lot faster than a lot of people anticipated."
Mooncey said the 2019-20 Heat team are not yet of the calibre of championship-contending teams like the Milwaukee Bucks but praised the construction of their current roster.
Asked how far the team can go as constituted, Mooncey said: It's a difficult question to answer because it depends whether you are talking about this current line-up or what they will do with the salary cap space they are going to have in the summer. It is a question of who else they can add to this squad.
"This current squad, as good as they are, don't have enough to win an NBA championship. I don't think they can with Jimmy Butler as their (only) star player. Adebayo has been great, he is an All-Star now but I don't see those two pushing (the team) through to the NBA Finals.
"What is great about Miami and their young players is the fit of the team. On paper, you would expect a team like the Philadelphia 76ers to be better. Jimmy Butler is not known as a three-point shooter but in Miami he is surrounded by (pure shooters like) Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn. They offer spacing.
"(When Butler was in Philadelphia last season), you had three guys (in Butler, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons) wanting to be the No 1 guy. In Miami there is a clear pecking order. Jimmy is the No 1 guys, Bam is the No 2 guy and the rest of the team get open for shots and get their buckets too. It shows the importance of having clearly defined roles on a team."
With three players - Goran Dragic, Meyers Leonard and Solomon Hill - who make in excess of $10m a season all unrestricted free agents this summer, the Heat have the salary cap flexibility to add a second superstar player to their roster to pair with Butler this offseason.
However, Mooncey and Soko believe Miami should utilise that cap space in a different way and ideally preserve it in order to make a splash in free agency in 2021.
"The Heat were trying to acquire Danilo Gallinari before the February trade deadline," said Mooncey. "He is a stretch four who can spread the floor with more shooting.
"With Butler already on the team, you can't take the risk of bringing in a top, top dog. We have seen Butler has something of an ego. That's great on some teams but detrimental on others.
"They need to find someone who will fit the Heat culture, a complementary personality who shares the team's work ethic more so than focusing on the talent a superstar will bring."
Soko also warned against using their coming cap space to pursue a big-name, big-money free agent.
"I agree with Mo that Miami shouldn't necessarily go for the biggest-name player available. It has to be someone that fits," he said. "I would rather they upgrade the role-player pieces they might be losing in free agency rather than trying to bring in a single major piece. That allows the team to grow as a unit and still allows their young core to continue to develop."
"Another reason the Heat shouldn't make a major move this season is they can't put themselves out of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes in 2021 free agency," said Mooncey. "If (Giannis) did decide to leave Milwaukee, Miami is a very, very attractive destination.
"It is important to remember that Butler isn't as young as many people think. He is already 30 and would be close to turning 32 if Giannis were to join in 2021.
"Even now, at 30, I don't think Jimmy Butler can be the No 1 player on a championship-winning team if you are talking in terms of pure talent. He is an 'A' player whereas Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are 'A+' players."
