Q: The Hawks have lapped us. So much for the division. – Carl.
A: The division? Hopefully that never is an ultimate goal. But even in that regard, the Magic also already have lapped the Heat this offseason. Still, yes, the Hawks are a much better team at the moment than the team the Heat defeated in overtime in that winner-take-all play-in game in April. Kristraps Porzginis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and their other moves? The type of action that puts the Heat’s inaction into even greater perspective.
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Q: Will the Heat now do what they always do, feed the media hope that they will get Giannis Antetokounmpo? – Paul.
A: Arguably no team in sports “feeds the media” less than the Heat (and, no, not talking about pregame media meals, although that is another story for another day for those who crave middle-school meals). And, to be fair, that is not something the Heat do or control. That is the media machine that assuredly will rev back up regarding Brook Lopez leaving the Bucks for the Clippers in free agency. The bottom line is that it practically is an exception when the Heat are not linked to a star who might shake free. So, yes, more likely Giannis Antetokounmpo Heat talk
Q: So much consternation over Miami not making moves, but if a move isn’t going to make you appreciably more competitive – never mind an actual contender – why make a move? So they’re punting on this next season, but why doesn’t anyone talk about the fact that sometimes punting is the prudent move? – Aram, Raleigh, N.C.
A: The hope is that some of that has been noticed in this space in recent mailbags. But if the approach is forward thinking, then why rush into locking Davion Mitchell into a 2026-27 salary or potentially doing the same with Duncan Robinson (which we still don’t know about at the time of this posting). Absolutely no issue here about an extended look at Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, Kasparas Jakucionis, Pelle Larsson, even Jaime Jaquez Jr. Young teams are fun. So if that’s the approach, simply acknowledge it and move forward. No, not tanking, but growing from within. Such an approach has created some of the most fun Heat seasons.