During Giannis Antetokounmpo’s introductory press conference in Miami, Heat owner Pat Riley insinuated that the team wasn’t done taking big swings.
“We landed the plane,” Riley said in part. “There’s another one we have to land.”
Of course, the 81-year-old championship-winning owner is referring to the Heat’s pursuit of free agent superstar LeBron James. Miami is considered a finalist in LeBron’s ongoing free agent frenzy that has continued to drag on since informing the Los Angeles Lakers that he’d be moving on June 30.
Even though Riley wants to land another plane, adding arguably the greatest basketball player of all time to a roster with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, LeBron’s fit in Miami raises some major questions.
There’s only one basketball.
This offseason, Antetokounmpo was Miami’s big move.
They mortgaged their future draft pick arsenal and gutted their bench while also moving on from Tyler Herro to land the Greek Freak in South Beach. Of course, when healthy, Antetokounmpo is a top five player in the sport.
And even at age 41, LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game, shooting 51.5% from the field.
Antetokounmpo and James would be a formidable duo, especially in a league that’s built on athletically dominant wings.
But Antetokounmpo isn’t a spring chicken anymore. Defensively, he’s still way better than LeBron. But over the course of an 82-game season? It’s hard to see a world where Antetokounmpo, LeBron and Adebayo are enough to compete in this Eastern Conference – especially because the lack of depth Miami has been left with after the blockbuster trade.
Furthermore, where’s the shooting on this team?
Last season, LeBron’s three-point numbers dipped. Antetokounmpo has never been considered anywhere close to a lethal three-point shooter. He makes defenses pay around the rim.
Where’s the floor spacing coming from? Davion Mitchell? He’s not much of a threat. Tim Hardaway Jr.? He could definitely knock down threes, but teams aren’t necessarily fearing his long-range ability coming into each game. Andrew Wiggins? Really, that’s just more overlap on the wing.
Sure, the Heat could make another trade, especially if LeBron arrives on a team-friendly contract. They’d almost have to. Any LeBron team without ample shooting has been a failure.
But location-wise, LeBron has played in Miami before. He’s won two championships with Riley, even though their relationship was complicated towards the end of LeBron’s tenure there.
Certainly, South Beach is a place where LeBron and his family found comfortability earlier in his career.
But do the Heat have enough to actually contend for a championship? Even if LeBron isn’t ring chasing, the Golden State Warriors are probably a better basketball fit. If he is ring chasing, the Cleveland Cavaliers present a way better opportunity in the current Eastern Conference, as they were in the conference finals with a team that was assembled in the 11th hour of the NBA season.
Riley wants to land another plane this offseason, but Antetokounmpo was their move. Even though the Heat remain in the mix, it’s hard to envision LeBron in Miami for a second time.
