ASK IRA: Did lottery put the Heat further behind the curve among young guns in East?
Q: Ira, two teams in the Heat’s division (Atlanta, Washington) have the first two picks in the draft, Orlando won the division with a young roster, and Charlotte’s rookie (Brandon Miller) finished ahead ahead of the Heat’s rookie (Jaime Jaquez Jr.) for third place in Rookie of the Year. When is Pat Riley going to get the message that we’re too old? – Lawrence.
A: Or you could make an argument that the Heat have a solid base of youth with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic, as well as this being a wide-open draft where No. 15 could turn out to be as solid a pick as one of the lottery selections. Plus, the Heat typically will zig while other teams will zag. Also, I wouldn’t get too caught up in youth until that youth produces. The Hawks for years loaded up on youth with uneven results (with perhaps no move as uneven as trading the draft right to Luka Doncic for Trae Young). And Charlotte and Washington assuredly are more than a single piece away. As for Orlando, that should be concerning going forward. If there is a concern about the Heat, it might be about how the latest round of two-way players has failed to impress, without a Max Strus or Gabe Vincent in that group. There had been high hopes initially with Jamal Cain, but that appears to have waned, based on his minimal usage this past season. That is an area that likely will have to be upgraded.
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Q: Ira, the East is awful. We just had the misfortune of playing the Celtics first. – Nate.
A: Agree, and so did Erik Spoelstra, when he said after the Celtics series that the difference in the timing of playing Boston in the first round was the Heat were unable to gain their footing, unlike last year when the teams met in the Eastern Conference finals. All of that said, I never understood this notion that it doesn’t matter when you play someone, since you have to beat them to get where you want to go. No, if the Heat would have managed their regular season better (given a bleep), they, at worst, could be where the Pacers stand at the moment. And the deeper the run, the more successful a season appears. The 2023-24 Heat fooled around and fell on their faces.
Q: Ira, you know who the Heat need? They need T.J. McConnell. – Wes.
A: Which has been mentioned several times over the years, particularly as he is racing beyond them in transition. But T.J. McConnell is under contract for one another season with the Pacers at a highly economic $9.3 million for next season. And when he does become a free agent in 2025, he will be 33 (which, an argument could be made, puts him right in the Heat’s sweet spot).
