Returning from an NBA Finals appearance, the Miami Heat needed a few more pieces to bring home a championship.
Though they pride themselves on defense, Miami’s guards didn’t have a true perimeter defender in 2019-2020. Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn are all known for their offensive skillsets. The Eastern Conference has dominant scoring guards, however, so a defensive guard was very high on the list of needs in Miami’s 2020 offseason.
Additionally, free agency saw forwards Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. leave for Phoenix and Portland, respectively. It then became a top priority for the Heat to replace the defensive presence those two brought to the team.
The Heat were linked with players like Victor Oladipo, Danilo Gallinari and Bradley Beal during the offseason. After seeing trade opportunities fall through and Gallinari signing in Atlanta, however, the Heat needed to fill their gaps while keeping their max slot available in next year’s free agency. To fill these needs, the Heat signed two underrated veterans in Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless.
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Avery Bradley
A two-time All-Defensive Team member, Avery Bradley played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, but opted out of the restart due to concerns with COVID-19 and his child.
The 6’2 guard played in 49 games — starting 44 of them — averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals across 24.2 minutes per game. Specializing in defense, Bradley held his opponents to 25.7% on three-point attempts in 2019-2020– the best in the NBA. Not only is Bradley an elite defender, he is also proficient from behind the arc, where he shot 36.4%.
Through seven games with the Heat, Bradley is averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 49% from the field and 45% from three. He has added a much-needed defensive presence to the squad.
The 10-year veteran will be a key part in the Heat’s playoff run, but that won’t be his first time on the big stage. In his 39-game postseason career, Bradley has averaged 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals across 32.1 minutes per contest. The experienced and composed vet can expect to play big minutes — similar to Goran Dragic — should the Heat return to the postseason once again. Dragic came off the bench for the regular season before starting every playoff game. Bradley is no stranger to pressure, as he previously hit a game winner against the LeBron James-led Cavaliers in the 2017 ECF.
Unfortunately, Bradley has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against Boston and there is currently no timetable for his return.
Without two days off in between games for the remainder of the first-half slate, Miami will have a hard time affording lost time due to health-and-safety protocols.
Maurice Harkless
Moe Harkless seemed to be the perfect fit in Miami. A player who predicates himself on defending, the 6’7 forward played for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019-2020 before being sent to the New York Knicks at the trade deadline. In 62 games (48 starts), Harkless averaged 5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals over 23 minutes per game.
Through his first seven games as a member of the Heat, however, Harkless has been a disappointment. Since logging 22 minutes on opening night, he has not since eclipsed double digits of tick and was most recently a DNP-CD against Washington on January 9th.
While Harkless has been disappointing, he has proven that he can be effective– especially in the playoffs. In the Portland Trail Blazers’ WCF run in 2019, Harkless started all 16 games and averaged 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. If Moe can return to this production and reliability, the Heat may have a steal on their hands.
Ideally, Harkless should be able to provide an impact similar to departed free agent Crowder, but Harkless is more athletic and a better rebounder. Despite being listed as a forward, the eight-year veteran is a versatile defender who, per NBA.com, guarded Bradley Beal and James Harden the most during this past season.
Vets Embody Heat Culture
When the two new vets signed with Miami, they both spoke about the culture. Both know what Heat culture is and that it will bring out the best in them. They both mentioned that they feel that this is the right place for them. We’ve seen them be effective on the biggest stage, which bodes well for Miami’s quest to reach the NBA Finals for a second-straight year. While neither of their stats are astounding, both players impact can’t be described by numbers. They have what it takes to thrive in Miami’s system– now it boils down to how they adapt.
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