What is the Heat getting with its three new players? An NBA scout and others weigh in
So what is the Heat getting in the three 6-foot-6 wing players acquired before Thursday’s trade deadline, all of whom were declared available for the Heat’s Sunday night game in Portland?
A veteran NBA scout from another team weighed in, on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly:
ANDRE IGUODALA
The question is how much he has left at 36, more so after not playing since last June.
“He was a little less last year; he wasn’t as good as he was the prior year,” the scout said. “He’s lost a step. Obviously a smart player and can do a lot of different things. Not a great shooter. Is he a stopper now? No. He’s still a good defender but no longer elite.
“Maybe you play him 20 to 25 minutes a night. You could go offense/defense substitutions with him and Duncan Robinson late in games to some extent, but I don’t know if they’ll sub out Iguodala much late in games.”
Keep this in mind on Iguodala’s late-game prowess: Over the past two regular seasons, he was a combined 11 for 22 in the clutch, defined by the NBA as the final five minutes of games with a margin of five points or fewer. In the past two postseasons, he was 7 of 9 in the clutch, including 3 for 3 on threes.
On the flip side, his three-point shooting dropped the past two regular seasons, to 28.2 and 33.3 percent.
The positive that should not be underestimated, the scout said, is his “championship DNA” and stabilizing influence on a young team with several key players who will be making their playoff debut. “He’s done it, so that’s his biggest plus. But you have the uncertainty of him not having played this year and being a year older.”
The view among analysts with a public pulpit has been mixed, with TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley concerned about how much Iguodala has “left in the tank,” but ESPN’s Tim Legler saying: “His playmaking, his passion, his vision, his IQ for the game - that’s where his impact will be most felt.”
JAE CROWDER
The concern is that both the shooting percentages and defensive metrics have fallen off dramatically. Crowder shot 36.8 percent from the field for Memphis this season, which would be a career-low and well off his 41.9 career average. He’s shooting 29.3 percent on three-pointers (78 for 266), a big dip from his 33.4 career average.
What’s more, the player guarded by Crowder is shooting 46.5 percent, compared with the 45.7 that player shoots overall this season. Last season for Utah, players defended by Crowder shot 44 percent against him. Two seasons ago for the Cavaliers and Jazz, players defended by Crowder shot 40.2 percent against him.
“Never been a big fan,” the scout said. “He’s a very streaky shooter at best, more of a four [power forward] than a three [small forward]. He’s a little bit more of a playmaker this year than prior years [his 2.8 assist average would be a career high]. Maybe your fifth starter on a good team.
“He’s smart, will swing the ball. He’s a glue guy. He does have some toughness and can guard, but I don’t think he can guard threes very well. I don’t think he does anything [exceptionally] well. Not a great shooter. Perceived as a defender but not a stopper. He knows what he’s doing and he backed off on looking for his own shot this year to an extent, which was good.”
Crowder’s playing time increased a bit this season in his move from Utah to Memphis, but his field goal attempts per game dropped.
Still, the scout said he was “a little surprised” Memphis traded Crowder and Hill because they “were pretty important in a veteran kind of way for the Grizzlies. They both took a back seat willingly and provided stability and leadership.”
A few of those with a public forum have been more positive. “I love Jae Crowder,” Barkley said.
SOLOMON HILL
He started only three of his 48 appearances for Memphis this season - compared with 45 starts in 45 games for Crowder - but has been more effective on three-pointers, shooting 38.1 percent (56 for 147), a big jump from his 33.8 career average.
On the flip side, players defended by Hill are shooting 51 percent, a big drop from last year, when players he guarded shot 39.9 percent against him. Hill spent the previous three seasons in New Orleans after spending his first three with Indiana. He started for the Pacers in 2014-15 and for the Pelicans in 2016-17 but has been mostly a reserve since, never averaging more than 8.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.
“Hill has been a big surprise to me,” the scout said. “He’s making shots. People thought he was done. Has had a solid year. He’s not very athletic, but the big difference is he’s making shots. He probably can guard some fours, gives effort defensively and has good defensive IQ but is a little challenged defensively against threes.
“If he can continue to make shots, he can give them something occasionally, but I’m not sure you can rely on him as a rotation guy in the playoffs.”
Overall, the scout said: “The Heat has overachieved. With Iguodala, they probably go up one peg. It would have been three pegs if they had gotten [Danilo] Gallinari; that would have been a game-changer.”
The scout said the Heat probably is sixth in talent in the East, because I think “1 through 8 Indiana is better with [Victor] Oladipo back” though Miami entered Sunday fourth in the East, three games ahead of No. 5 Philadelphia and four games ahead of No. 6 Indiana. But he gave the Heat credit, saying they’ve been clearly better than the 76ers and Pacers this season.
NOTES
Spoelstra said he’s playing Andre Iguodala, even after just one practice. He hasn’t played since June. Does one practice suffice?
“I don’t know if he’s ready or not, but I’m playing him,” Spoelstra said. “We’ll find out. The guy is a freak. Six percent body fat. To be off that kind of time, he looks incredible. That’s not basketball shape. We get it. How do you get somebody in basketball shape? You play him in a basketball game and start that process.”...
Spoelstra had no update whether Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro would play before the All Star Game; both are out Sunday.
Here’s my Saturday night Heat six-pack, with news on Jimmy Butler’s and Tyler Herro’s injury, Justise Winslow fallout and buyout talk.
This story was originally published February 9, 2020 at 1:11 PM.
