There is little doubt that the Miami Heat hit a few home runs this offseason.
While many teams regressed or remained stagnant, the Heat simply got better. Outside of bringing back Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng and Goran Dragic, Miami made several big additions that have catapulted them from Eastern Conference afterthought to NBA Finals contender.
It all started with the selection of Justise Winslow with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Winslow was projected by many to fall between the No. 4 and No. 7 picks, but by sheer luck Winslow dropped into the Heat’s lap. He won a National Championship at the University of Duke in his lone season as a Blue Devil and projects to be a versatile, lockdown defender in the NBA.
The Heat’s good fortune carried on into July as they signed veterans Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire to one-year, $1.5 million deals. Both are proven players that were signed to the veteran’s minimum.
Not a bad job at all by Heat president Pat Riley.
Riley commented on the team’s championship outlook last week following the re-signing of Dragic:
“You have to have high expectations…We have moved on from what happened last year. With a complete roster, we can contend in the East…and I mean contend high. We’re gonna go for it.”
If the Heat are to truly contend with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, their newcomers will have to step up.
Let’s take a look at what to expect out of Miami’s four new faces for the 2015-16 season.
1. Josh Richardson
The 21-year-old shooting guard was drafted with the 40th overall pick by the Heat in this year’s draft.
It’s clear that Josh Richardson is the least-hyped out of the four players on this list and it’s really quite simple for why that is the case: he might not even be on the roster on opening day.
The Heat currently have 17 guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts for the 2015-16 season. They are as stacked as can be at the swingman positions with Wade, Green, Deng, Henry Walker, Tyler Johnson, James Ennis and Zoran Dragic all currently on the roster.
Richardson has seen major playing time during the summer league as veterans like Walker and Shabazz Napier have been slowed down due to injuries.
The second-round draft pick saw the most action out of any Heat player during the Orlando Summer League. While averaging 25.6 minutes per game, Richardson averaged 11 points, one block, one steal and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 86 percent from the free-throw line. He led all players on the roster in points, minutes and steals.
While he has shined in the summer league, he is a late-round draft pick on a stacked roster. So what exactly is the expectation for the University of Tennessee product this season?
With the Heat shopping around Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen, there will be some roster space cleared up in time for training camp. With Zoran, Walker and Ennis all on the bubble, it would come as no shock if Richardson were to crack the 15-man roster by late October.
What is the expectation for Richardson in 2015-16? Expect him to make the active roster while seeing sporadic playing time due to the team’s veteran depth.
Next: Justise Winslow
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2. Justise Winslow
When Winslow was selected by the Heat, the immediate thought was that the Duke product would take over the starting small forward spot.
This was days before Deng exercised his opt-in clause for the 2015-16 season, when many expected him to opt out. Barring something unexpected, it’s safe to assume Deng should remain in the starting lineup while Winslow plays the sixth-man role off the bench.
Riley had nothing but positive things to say about Winslow’s maturity:
“Coach Spoelstra talked about this a minute ago and we call it it. It can’t be defined. You don’t see it and I think it’s an intrinsic, inner quality that players have. That is something that helps self-motivate them. I don’t know Justise, I just met him and talked to him the other night, but I think that’s what we’re talking about, that it quality, that intrinsic motivation, that desire, that grit, to go and do whatever he has to do to win and I think that’s what’s compelling.”
While Winslow’s maturity is a positive trait for a 19-year-old kid fresh out of college, it’s his versatility that will land him a spot in the Heat’s rotation. He has the ability to guard every position on the court with the exception of centers and excels in a fastbreak offense.
Though Stoudemire and Green are the proven veterans, it will be Winslow who will be counted upon to contribute the most out all of the bench players.
When it comes to defending top-flight players such as James and Derrick Rose in the Eastern Conference, Winslow will be expected to guard those elite players.
Next: Gerald Green
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3. Gerald Green
After going through a tough stretch early on in his career that saw him play with four teams in four seasons, Green has finally found a niche as a three-point shooter in the NBA.
After bouncing out of the league for three years, Green emerged as an elite three-point shooting threat with the fast-paced Phoenix Suns during the 2013-14 season. He ranked fourth in the league in three-point field goals converted, and scored a career-high 15.8 points per game while playing alongside Goran Dragic.
Though his numbers and minutes dipped last season in Phoenix, he still converted on 35.4 percent of his three-point attempts.
The Heat were a below-average team from long range last season. It’s clear what Green’s role is, and that will be to stretch defenses while converting on a few shots from downtown.
What Ray Allen was for the Heat for two seasons from 2012 until 2014 is what Green will be to Miami for the upcoming season.
Next: Amar’e Stoudemire
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4. Amar’e Stoudemire
Of the four players on this list, Stoudemire might be the hardest to project.
Why is this? The man they call “Stat” is a six-time All-Star who was one of the best big men in the game from about 2004 until 2011.
Knee injuries and other ailments have slowed down the 32-year-old but that doesn’t mean that he still can’t contribute as a scorer off the bench averaging about 20 minutes per game.
Miami’s top big men off the bench last season were Andersen and Udonis Haslem. They were a large reason why the Heat ranked 28th in bench scoring as the two combined for just 9.5 points per game while combining to play around 35 minutes per contest.
Stoudemire will be called upon to provide instant scoring despite his defensive and rebounding limitations.
As he has over the past two seasons, do not expect the 13-year veteran to average any more than 24 minutes per game.
If the Heat can limit his minutes, Stoudemire could play a huge role in the postseason as Miami looks to establish itself as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
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