Haslem addresses Heat ownership issue. And what 76ers say cannot happen with Jimmy Butler
A six-pack of Miami Heat notes on a Monday:
▪ Here’s one thing the 76ers will emphasize if Jimmy Butler (who is listed as questionable with a sprained ankle) is able to play when the teams meet in Philadelphia on Monday night or if the teams meet in the playoffs:
Taking away Jimmy Butler’s drives to the right.
The fact that the 76ers allowed that in their March 5 game irritated 76ers coach Doc Rivers and players.
“Jimmy, when he beats us right, that’s on us,” Rivers said. “It should never happen and it did in the first half four or five times.”
Butler scored 21 points in that game against his former team, shooting 6 for 15 from the field but 8 of 11 from the line.
Butler will warm up with the intention of playing on Monday, Erik Spoelstra said.
Incidentally, 76ers center Joel Embiid recently predicted the Heat “will be great” in the postseason:
“They’ve been doing it all season while missing a couple guys, too. That’s what they do. They’re a really good team. Tough defensively. If they’re going to make shots, it’s going to be hard to beat them.”
Philadelphia enters Monday’s game 3.5 games behind the first place Heat, with Milwaukee three back and Boston 3.5 back.
Update: Joel Embiid and James Harden aren’t playing, per The Athletic.
▪ Udonis Haslem indicated last November on Duncan Robinson’s podcast that he hopes to be part of the Heat ownership group one day. He reiterated that in an interview with CBS-4’s Jim Berry, a conversation that aired Sunday night.
Haslem, 41, said: “I passed up $70 million in my career to stay here and play. This is always the place I wanted to win. This is always the place I wanted to retire. This is always the place I felt I could make the biggest impact. I knew what my value was. I knew what my super power was....
“You don’t give up $40, $50, $60 million dollars temporarily because it [isn’t] temporarily coming back. So everything I’ve done is to be part of this organization for the rest of my life.”
Asked by Berry if it hurts his heart that Dwyane Wade is not part of the Heat’s ownership group, Haslem said: “Yeah, it was hurtful.”
Berry then asked him: “Do you think the Heat regretted some of the blowback from D-Wade not being part of the ownership group and that maybe will help open the door for you?”
Haslem said: “I don’t know that part. We still have our opportunity here. We still have our opportunity to continue to keep our bond together for the rest of my life and this organization and continue to try to build championships and move forward.”
It should be noted that the Heat said it spoke to Wade about an ownership piece. But he opted instead to join the Utah Jazz’s ownership group after developing a friendship with Jazz owner Ryan Smith.
On Robinson’s podcast earlier this season, Haslem said: “As I started to think about it more and more, this was a conversation that Dwyane [Wade] and I had years down the line. It didn’t work out this way, obviously he’s in ownership somewhere else, and I’m proud of my brother, I’m happy for him, but I still have the opportunity to do it myself....
“And what better place to do it than in my city? You know it’s genuine. You know it’s real. I can still move the needle around this NBA. I have so many relationships with so many NBA players just because I am the OG, so they value my opinion. It’s crazy, because when I was playing, and I was in competitive mode, I thought these [expletive] guys hated me.
“But now that I’m not playing as much, and I’m the OG, now it’s more guys come to me and we have conversations, and it’s just a different level when you are not just actually competing and trying to take your head off all the time.”
FYI: OG is a slang term for someone who’s incredibly exceptional, authentic, or “old-school.”
▪ For Haslem, here’s one difference with this Heat team compared with some others:
“I haven’t had to push [teammates] at all,” Haslem said. “Having more veteran leadership has helped me in my journey. It’s easy to lead and be the guy that sets the standards. I’m human. I have down days. I have bad days. I have tired days. The energy and the effort comes from these young guys.”
This is a grounded, self-motivated bunch.
And that’s important, because Haslem noted that “at this stage of the season, [Erik Spoelstra] wants to see us running the ship and pushing this thing and all he has to do is focus on x’s and o’s and put us in position to win games.”
Haslem credits the maturity and initiative of the Heat’s young players.“Those guys really spent a lot of time in the gym in the summer and it’s showing in their game. You look at Caleb [Martin] and the way he’s matured his game. You look at Gabe [Vincent] and the way he’s able to pick up the slack when [Kyle Lowry] is out.
“On a lot of teams, veterans and older guys don’t encourage young guys to be vocal. Often they probably say, ‘Shut up and listen young fellow.’ On this team, we encourage our young guys to be vocal. The more guys we have willing to step up and lead, the easier it is on us and the less stress it is on Spo.”
▪ Opponents continue to lavish the Heat with praise.
Cleveland guard Darius Garland said the Heat creates problems defensively because “they just shrink the floor. That’s it. They make you kick the ball out, make you take contested threes. That’s their game. They are super active, super long.”...
Minnesota coach Chris Finch, whose team swept the two-game season series with Miami, called Erik Spoelstra “one of the best coaches we’ve ever had. I love to watch his teams play. Everything that they do is simple. There’s nothing tricky. Then he’s got a lot of really creative set pieces that he’s able to sprinkle in there.”
▪ ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins on the Heat’s chances of winning the NBA title: “It’s very high. It takes me back to the 2004 Pistons. They’re getting it done collectively and they’ve got a stingy defense.”
ESPN’s Richard Jefferson said the Heat has a legitimate shot to win the title because “they’re pushing in the same direction. They are a great team. It’s how good they are collectively.”
▪ We’ve written for years about Heat interest in Wizards guard Bradley Beal, at least until Tyler Herro’s evolution from good player to great player.
The Athletic reported on Monday that the Heat is viewed “as a legitimate suitor for Beal should he elect to seek a new home.”
Beal, whose season ended with Feb. 5 wrist surgery, can opt out this summer and is eligible for a five-year, $246 million max contract.
But at this point I would be surprised if the Heat gives up Herro, 22, for Beal, 28. Two NBA scouts told me they wouldn’t do that.
Herro, incidentally, is eligible for an extension this summer - which can be five years if it’s a max deal (unlikely) or four years otherwise.
▪ The Haywood Highsmith signing was a bit risky in that it essentially prevented the Heat from adding another veteran if there are a string of injuries.
But the Heat saw considerable upside there, enough to give him the final roster spot with a month left in the season.
To be a Heat player, “you have got to fit that mold and he has that down pat,” Haslem said. “He can shoot the ball well. We like shooters. He’s another guy that can space the floor.
“Another of those guys that can be a swiss army knife and can play a little bit of 2. You can move him to 3 or 4. Once he figures out our defensive system, I think he can be a switch guy. He can play 1 through 4 once he figures out everything.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 10:52 AM.
