ASK IRA: The refusal for a potential Heat tank is as much about draft-pick reality as any moral stance
Q: Would you agree that we are the eighth best team in the East, with seven teams in the West probably better than we are? We’re not even close to sniffing a title, and there are not one or two moves that are going to get us there. Would you agree that the mentality of us being close is holding us back? That means a three- to five-year rebuild is in order, or do you see another way? – Bob, Davie.
A: There has to be another way, because in the NBA, “rebuild” is code for something closer to tanking. And the last thing the Heat can afford, with potentially two unprotected first-round picks going out over the next four years, is to tank. Also, I believe if the Heat truly prioritized the regular season in the way their words currently are being offered, then they had (and potentially still have) a core able to challenge anyone in the East short of the Celtics. The Heat assuredly are not the most talented, biggest or most athletic team in the NBA. Based on those elements, they probably are, as you suggest, a bottom-third team. But they have shown, beyond the claptrap mottos, that when motivated, driven and prepared, they can compete way above their perceived pedigree. Keeping players healthy, and insisting on the proper 82-game motivation, could go a long way to a quicker turnaround than you suggest.
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Q: Players can look really good or really bad depending on the situation they are in. Imagine Tyler Herro with OKC, running with all sorts of young athletes and scorers. Or had the Celtics picked him and he was operating almost unguarded while defenses focused on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis. – Mark.
A: OK, here’s the deal: Judging Tyler Herro based on the Boston series is foolish and unfair. Tyler spent the entire season as part of a mix that included first Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, and then Butler and Terry Rozier. And then came the playoffs and none were present. Now, that doesn’t mean there aren’t means to take stock of Tyler season, just that utilizing the most recent memory is skewed. Tyler is an ensemble player who was asked to play without an ensemble. Now, if you want to assess the time lost to injury, the efficiency with the balance of the roster, all of that is fair. But to say Tyler fell short with a shorthanded team while going against the best team? Unreasonable. The Heat, as a team, came up short.
Q: It appears to me by the third or fourth year things seem to sour. There are exceptions, but cashing in for big bucks or moving on to another team seems to be the trend. Older stars tend to become more focused on themselves than their team. – Sheldon, Morriston.
A: So we’re talking in code, are we? I agree I was somewhat surprised with the tack Erik Spoelstra took in comparing Dwyane Wade’s Heat longevity to that of Jimmy Butler. Yes, cohesion means plenty. But the one thing the Heat have done best over the year is recognizing when it is time to move on to the next iteration. Grant, sometimes such an approach backfires, with Hassan Whiteside over Wade as an example.
