Where Do The Miami Heat Stand NOW In The Eastern Conference? | The Five Guys

Where Do The Miami Heat Stand NOW In The Eastern Conference? | The Five Guys

[Music] all right welcome to the latest episode of The Five Guys here on the five Reon YouTube channel hello hello to everybody tuning in here I’m Ethan skolnick you follow me Ethan J scolnick at a five ver Sports got Alex Dono you can find him at Alex Dono we’re here every Tuesday and Thursday talking about South Florida sports issues if you want just heat content of course five on the floor Dolphins content three yards for carrye and all dolphins hurricanes I’m not going to mention because I know you’ve got uh you’ve got another competing interest there uh so I’ll leave that one out uh soccer although listen to Alex’s podcast too but as well as vicious uh at five at six rings canes and vision Jazz and also also of course check out Messi and Company on the well on Messi actually but he’s he’s playing tonight but uh but he’s not playing for inter all right we are sponsored we’ll tell you about our sponsor first and then we’ll get to today’s episode which is about the heat we know you want to talk about the heat because things are rolling uh water clean up of Florida your One-Stop water and mold cleanup shop we mentioned Michael Robert and his entire Team all the time why do we do that because they do the best job even before forand we we recommend if you have a leak of any kind reach out to them they will take care of it for you um and again make it that you don’t have to deal with the insurance companies and the cleanup afterwards but of course they can do that too so reach out to them water cleanup of Florida again you can find them at wcu.com if you’ve got the schwoz they got the guts and speaking of guts Mr Don is I’m plugging in my microphone here which I forgot to do I sound better I should have noticed that something sounded a little bit different you still you still sound Majestic it’s just not oh Majestic that’s that’s the word that people use for me uh no that’s that’s like the last word that anybody uses for me um Majestic doesn’t describe the Heats off season either so let let let’s get to it um here’s what they’ve done all right and then we’ll get into some of the circumstances of it but because we’ve done a lot of five on the floor I really with you want to get into like where they stand um yeah so they resigned Kevin Love they resigned Thomas Bryant after he opt it out which seemed like a favor to move a a little bit further under the apron at that point Josh Richardson opted into his contract dlon Wright uh left for Milwaukee on a one-year minimum deal um Caleb Martin of course that’s the big one we talked about sorry we talked about that one and with that one they offered him a sizable contract in fact four years at 58 million on top of the 7.1 million if he had opted in they told his agent if you opt out we’re not going to be able to offer this same amount we just can’t don’t come back to us for that he came back to them for that they couldn’t offer it they ended up instead of working out another type of deal with with him which they were willing to do he took the money uh in Philadelphia which was roughly half 32 million over four years so that’s uh where it stands for him hey with heith re signs on a two-year deal um roughly 11 million total talked to him yesterday and he said that basically you know he he’s that he’s still a young player in his eyes and that you know he wanted flexibility going forward but he wanted uh to come back and of course they added Alec Burks on a minimum and here’s the big thing Duncan Robinson and Tyler herro Terry Rosier are all still here um as is Jimmy Butler although he has indicated he’s not going to sign an extension after the season and there’s no indication that heat are GNA give him one right now and of course bam maab bio has signed an extension uh which can earn him up to $166 million uh before we get into the circumstances and where they stand Alex how would you rate the offseason because at this point I said this on Five on the floor I it’s pretty much I mean i’ like to Hype something else but I mean there could be a trade that presents itself they’re still looking to improve the team but the roster spots are pretty much filled at this point and the money is spent right I mean it’s it’s over in terms of free agency like you said the only thing that could shake this up would be a trade that we don’t foresee happening at this point so they they they’re locked in right now with 14 guys on the roster so um yeah how do I how do I rate this off season um thankfully because I watch and listen to five on the floor um my expectations were not set too high like a lot of Heat fans were so I I’m not too surprised by the way this is shaking out so I mean I I I guess I’d give it a two or a three I mean it’s like a zero on the excitement scale but like you know in terms of uh you know making some of the moves that the heat made and I I don’t you know discount uh keeping Kevin Love around either you I’d give this about about a three and when in offseason I I would also include draft kle wear who’s out there you know dismantling the G League which is or the the summer league which is nice to see uh I don’t know we’ll see how much he contributes this season so no it’s a two or a three off season Ethan and part of that is you know we had some hopes heading into it that maybe there was a big trade to be made unfortunately Donovan Mitchell did not become available like a lot of us hoped and so you know you basically ran it back but you could argue from a transactional standpoint with losing Caleb arton your roster has gotten worse so it’s like running it back but not even completely running it back because you’ve just lost a really important piece so yeah I I can’t give High marks whatsoever for this offseason because it’s been a little depressing as a Heat fan well it’s as Freddy say kind of like running it back harder although when I talked to somebody inside the Heat yesterday they asked me what running it back means because they say there’s only I think seven players left from the finals uh at this point which does indicate some change um I think to to I think to a lot of fans running it back just means Tyler hero is still on the team like that that’s that’s kind of what it feels like I honestly and I mentioned that to someone and he kind of laughed because I think they’re aware of that as well um and I think that situation has gotten a little toxic uh with fans and I feel bad for Tyler uh in that regard honestly um but look I you know they knew uh that free agency was not going to be beneficial to them pretty much once they made the Rosier trade uh the Rosier trade you know when they decided not to let Lowry’s contract expire then they were essentially in a situation where you know they they were filling that slot and not only that but it made it harder to make a trade because you you gave up a first round pick um yeah I I I don’t you know again the Rosier trade most people at the time were in favor of it um Heat fans wanted them to push forward to help Jimmy if they hadn’t done anything like say they traded Caleb Martin at the time I think Heat fans would have revolted so you know again I understand kind of uh you know I understand the frustration with the lack of movement and we’re going to get to that with the rest of the teams in the east in a second but I also you know there a lot of this was circumstantial again and I I people say I’m carrying water for the front office it’s just the reality they’re not going to go into the second apron so uh we knew what that meant and if you look at the teams that that acquired players during this stretch most of them were not in the apron yet um and that’s that’s just kind of the way that the new CBA is designed now you know are the heat gonna be stuck in this place forever I don’t think so like over time they they are accumulating more things that they can work with uh particularly these young players that they’re drafting that it seems like they’re hitting on whether it was hakz or yovic or or now we and we’ll see what Larson becomes as well or kashad Johnson maybe becomes a playable piece and maybe a tradeable piece down the road who knows but I’m just saying like I understand the frustration from Heat fans who just want to see change um but some of the change they’re talking about like go get Zack LaVine and pay him $50 million like I don’t you know Trey young like I understand the guy’s been you know multi-time Allstar um his skill set on offense would certainly help them defensively of course not uh but again is that the am amount of money you want to commit to somebody um you know and to pay somebody is one of the top three and our friend Lynette I think we need to be realistic who was actually available that he could have got to put him in the same class as Boston don’t think there was one or is one I mean it was Donovan basically and Donovan was unavailable so so that’s where it’s at Alex um I I I’ll say this like do do you have any thoughts that like this is not even a playoff team like or a bottom end play in team well here’s I I do also want to pres present a more optimistic Viewpoint right because I I just said it that when it comes to what the Heat have done in terms of making moves this offseason right I I rate it as a two or a three I’ll call it a 2.5 right really really uninspiring free agent period I understand there’s only so much they could do but you know it’s it’s not not been a lot of fun but at the same time it’s like you know from a transactional standpoint the heat haven’t gotten better right but people also need to remember that in this league especially when you have a handful of promising young players players are not necessarily the same thing that they were last season Ethan and and and that that’s what gives me a little hope that’s what gives me pause right it’s so okay I’m going to give you an optimistic Viewpoint which doesn’t mean I think they’re a top three seed or an Eastern Conference Champion but um you know and actually let me get one clarification before I go on when you’re asking me if they’re a playoff team does that include the playin or we only talking top six seeds well I I mean I guess it I guess it includes the plan if you’re assum they’re getting out of the plan uh which there’s no assumptions that can ever be made on that considering they they dropped the first game in the play in the last two years I feel like the Chicago Bulls live in the playin uh the heat are certainly renting uh that’s you know I mean Atlanta and Chicago and that’s again when we talk about the conference there is a floor there where they really can’t fall through like people want them to tank remember they got this thing where if they don’t convey their pick next year it conveys unprotected the year after so there’s there’s a benefit to try to make the playoffs next year and just give up the pick um but look Detroit is not going to be competitive Charlotte is likely not going to be competitive Washington is not going to be competitive Brooklyn is not GNA be competitive okay that’s four of your 15 teams in the Eastern Conference right they’re not gonna be competive I’ll say this um uh I I think the heat could be a seven or eight seed which would have been old playoff which is now now play and the reason why I say that is it’s like again um just because you have a lot of the same players doesn’t mean they’re going to be the same that they were last year because I want to continue to see the development of yic and hakz especially I mean hakz is just heading into his second year so I imagine there’s going to be a lot more growth there we saw a lot of growth already from L yovic last year I think that’s going to continue and then also um you can hope and pray for a little bit better luck on the injury front right because this the team’s been especially snake bit the last couple of years I understand that it’s been a trend for this team but if I’m going to take a leap of faith and Hope that Jimmy plays in more than 60 games and then seeing Jimmy’s motivation in a contract year now is going to be really fascinating to see if he just goes Hog Wild out there um you know playing for his next deal whether it be here or somebody else I think that’s something worth noting uh obviously we’re all big fans of bam uh you know Ty Tyler hero is very polarizing we’ll see and you know for him staying healthy has been another big thing and then you talked about Terry roier like we didn’t see a whole lot of him last season so that that’s almost almost going to feel like uh like a new signing for the heat because you didn’t see him consistently on the court last year so if you get a certain amount of development from some of your young stars or your upcoming stars and you get a certain amount of better luck from a health standpoint again I’m not going to go crazy here and say it’s a top three seed but I would look at the heat as a team that could be a seven or eight maybe even contend for a higher seed than that so again it’s going to it’s going to require some luck if you have you know important players missing 20 25 games like you have the last couple of years you’re probably going to be fighting for a nine or a 10 seed but I think this team can be better because just because the roster looks a lot the same doesn’t mean your young players are going to be the same guys they were last year no that’s true and after the break we’ll get into the teams on top uh and see okay is there an opening to actually get past any of them I do want to mention before we get to jerseys 305 here they’ve got a couple of things that that just dropped they got some white heart jerseys from The Big Three era and a couple of Dwayne Wade autograph jerseys as well as a Matthew kachuck kachuck excuse me autograph Jersey I think he’s finally come back from the beach so check those out they’re all on the website here’s more about Jersey 305 hey it’s 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teams uh above them because you mentioned like seven and eight well they’re not better than they’re not better than Boston on paper we know that right they’re not really better than Milwaukee on paper I gotta figure I mean even with Doc coaching that like in the next year Giannis and Dame will figure something out I don’t really like they’re Supporting Cast they added Delan Wright looks like they’re trying to trade uh Brook Lopez but M Malik Beasley is gone um I mean there’s I mean they have a lot of holes on that roster but again they have Giannis and Dame so I you know I’m gonna gonna give credit to maybe some better chemistry there in year two and maybe better health than they had at the end of last season uh Philadelphia added Paul George really haven’t lost anybody but Tobias Harris they’re better right um Caleb Martin Cale Martin embiid is they added Eric Gordon still has a little something left as a shooter uh I mean embiid you figure will start the season healthy at least I mean he’s on the Olympic team um so that’s three uh Cleveland kep Mitchell hasn’t really made another significant move that’s four Orlando added casy P they you know they just paid fron um Paulo’s developing into a real star that’s one of those situations where like like Orlando and and the Knicks as well think the Knicks and Orlando will both have a better regular season than the heat more than likely but then you know those are the types of teams you’d like to see in the playoffs if it could shake out that way uh and if Jimmy’s healthy but yeah I haven’t got to Indiana yet they were in the conference final yeah a little fluky but they were in the conference final uh we we figure Miami probably on papers better than Atlanta and Chicago so we’re kind of putting them in the eight with Atlanta and Chicago and the nine and the 10 again is that where we’re headed like I about to say I lost I lost count of how many teams you threw out there was that six or seven you threw out there seven seven seven seven that at least would enter the season I think uh with Vegas and I haven’t seen the latest numbers but with Vegas putting them ahead of the heat now yeah I think that some of that will be misguided because I do think like you said I think they have higher sealing uh young players than they had before and that coaching staff will improve them and I also think that and again they’re counting on this they’re getting contract your Jimmy like we should print those t-shirts um he’s gonna be more available and he’s gonna be more motivated so I think you add those things together you’re kind of like okay they can possibly scale one or two of those teams but I I think to say that they’re a top four seed right now I think would be overly optimistic I I just I have a hard time getting there um and and look that that’s not where the heat want to be I mean I you know this whole thing like the like SPO said last year like we’re not here to be a playing Team you know this is yeah it’s kind of embarrassing and it’s the worst place to be in the NBA like you don’t want to be like well it’s wor it’s worse to be at the bottom if you’re running competently like a lot of those teams that have been in the bottom for a while like Detroit for instance but you’d rather be like at the bottom like San Antonio was last year where you know you got really high ceiling players and good management and if you just add the right pieces you can scale quickly or like Okay C was a couple years ago um like that’s kind of you know you’re okay being they better than being in this seven to n to 10 area um and and and I they know it like I that’s the thing Alex and I’ll let you close on this they’re not delusional about this like they know this is not a championship Contender I’m not hearing that from anybody inside like I’m not hearing we have a championship Contender they feel they have a a good core or they’ve added some good pieces they’ve got some young players with upside and they have increasing flexibility as time goes forward to try to pounce on the right opportunity um but I don’t think that they believe they’re a championship Contender no I mean I I think that the heat are the type of an organization and you appreciate this when they’re on top they’re not on top right now so fans get frustrated they don’t take big swings unless they know it’s worth the risk of doing so right that this is not the type of organization that’s going to make irresponsible trade offers or offer way too much money for certain players obviously the top players it’s it’s a Max anyway it’s not really negotiable but they they tend to be pretty conservative with the way that they deal and the plus side of that is hey like you know once in a blue moon you make these gigantic deals that other teams could not have pulled off we know of course all the ones that Pat Riley has done over the course of the last 30 years but then you know you’re not you’re not going to take big swings uh if you don’t feel like there’s too much of a risk of a big Miss on that and so you you get stuck in purgatory a little bit and I saw you know Ira made a column this week that he the headline was uh payroll Purgatory talking about what the heat are in right now you are in a in a tough spot and it’s why you’ve been unable to make these big swings you know without being completely irresponsible to do so and I also think that you know Heat fans are not are not accustomed to being in this position where you are relying on a team that like you put it has maybe more more young promising pieces than they usually we’re not usually in that position obviously there have been young players that have developed on Miami before but to have this many at once and to count on these guys making a leap no usually we’re in a position where you’re making certain big deals and you’re tweaking the roster and you’re bringing in veterans that’s just kind of been the the Pat Riley DNA over the years like we’re not usually this young right and so yeah yeah Heat fans are not accustomed to being in this position where like hey we might end up being better than we think we are because we’ve got this third year guy this seconde guy and and this rookie these rookies who are about to maybe take a step forward like that that’s the sort of unknown that we’re not really accustomed to but then at the same time we we love to praise uh rightfully so Eric spoler and the organization for the culture and the development so if you can praise that you should also account for the idea that maybe some of these players can turn into Superstars here and I get it we’ve seen it not work out because I think now we have a pretty good idea of what Tyler hero is right I mean if years ago people would have thought hey maybe he’s going to be a superstar he’s not a superstar like he could be maybe you know a third or fourth piece on a championship team we know who he is now uh but it doesn’t mean yovic can’t be a superstar it doesn’t mean kle wear can’t be a superstar so we’re just we’re in territory we’re not used to being in because usually the Heat have that veteran roster that’s already ready to go we’re in different territory than what we’re accustomed to yeah and and look that’s been mentioned in the comments here like I mean the cost of doing business to get get a pseudo Superstar like a Mel Bridges who’s not even a superstar he like five first round picks I mean this is you know the game has changed on them a little bit and uh you know people are gonna say Pat’s behind the times Pat said like three four years ago this wasn’t about free agency anymore it was about getting the guy a year early um but they just haven’t been able to get the guy and you know unfortunately again with the new CBA there are guys who are not the guy who are paid like the guy and then you have to make a decision like is that one we won on our roster and I just keep coming back to last year and everybody or a lot of people wanted Bradley Beal at $57 million with a no trade clause and that would have been disastrous it would have been disastrous right and I think Zack LaVine would be disastrous and Trey young again I could be talked into but I understand both sides of that argument I just uh you know change for change’s sake is one thing people are frustrated again that Tyler is still there that Duncan has been talked about but not moved the Rosier hero think probably ain’t going to work uh I I understand all of it uh but I also look at each individual situation and I’m like all right sometimes the movie don’t make is better than the one you do I mean some of the stuff exactly and we and we talked too about Rosier and the thing about Rosier is that uh you know again most people wanted that trade to be made and now you look back and the unintended consequence was it took them out of free agency I mean so that’s you know it’s just that that’s that’s the tough thing about it Alex and you know where do I have them I don’t have have them where they belong I’ll say that I don’t have them where they belong I don’t think it’s desperate the same smart people who were there are still there um I just you know this season to me looks like kind of a march to stay out of the playin and I’m dreading hosting 82 podcasts related to that so that’s kind of where I’m at um Alex we appreciate it we’ll be back on Thursday uh we’ll see where we’re going there we might need to get into that Tua thing again because I this right a training camp is creeping up uh we might need to talk about that uh thanks to everybody uh who has joined us here U we we see the comments all that stuff check out the Discord as well jerseys 305 water cleanup of Florida our sponsors thank you very much guys

Free agency has been extremely quiet for the Miami Heat. They’ve re-signed Haywood Highsmith on a 2-year, $11 million dollar deal, signed veteran free agent Alec Burks but have lost Caleb Martin to Philadelphia. For the most part, it’s another “run it back” season for the Heat, while other teams in the East have strengthened. Can Miami be more than just a play-in contender? Hosts Ethan Skolnick and Alex Donno break it all down.