If the Miami Heat want to surpass the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and other Eastern Conference rivals, they’ll need to change their approach.
Over the past few seasons, they’ve made few significant changes, leading to repeated shortcomings. On his show, per NBACentral, Dan Le Batard predicted that Heat mastermind Pat Riley might attempt to re-sign Jimmy Butler and pursue Kevin Durant.
Le Batard acknowledged there are many potential downsides to this strategy, but it might be one of the few ways the Heat can maximize their immediate success.
He pointed out that the Heat made critical errors after their surprising playoff run two seasons ago. Entering the postseason as the eighth seed, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and had a Cinderella run to the Finals, only to lose to the Denver Nuggets.
Le Batard believes this success misled the front office into thinking no changes were needed. This year, the Heat didn’t fare as well and exited in the first round of the playoffs.
While Riley typically moves slowly and methodically, he might be ready to make bold moves to achieve quick wins. Acquiring Durant would significantly boost the team, though it might not guarantee the success they seek.
Durant’s tenure in Phoenix has been underwhelming so far, showing that he can’t instantly lead a team to postseason triumph. Despite this, Durant remains an enticing player, and the Heat’s strong desire to win might push them to take a big risk and pursue him.