By Angel Rivera 
Cade Cunningham just hit a NASTY GAME-WINNER in South Beach in a great game against
the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, it was against my team, and I was there to witness it—sigh…
However, it was an amazing game that featured the brilliance of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo,
who combined for 59 points. From start to finish, this game was very physical.
Early in the second quarter, as I’m watching in amazement like a little kid in the toy section, Bam
sets a hard screen on Holland, leading to an offensive foul. The next possession gets tricky. Just
trying to be physical, it led to Robinson getting tangled up, AND THEN he pushed Holland to the
ground. You could just see how badly both teams wanted to win.
Cade has been a clear favorite for the Most Improved Player award this year—he’s locked it in.
Obviously, there are other players in the race, such as Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley, and other
talents who have taken strides in their game. Cade is averaging 25.6 points, ranking 10th in the
league, and 9.3 assists, which is third. Just astronomical—he’s one of two players in the league
currently averaging at least 25 and 9. He also earned his first All-Star appearance this year and
is in the running for an All-NBA team. The way he plays is almost like he’s moving in slow
motion, but he’s not slow. He just knows how to use his body and pace to his advantage, never
letting the defense slow him down as he gets to his spots. His reads are also sharp in the
pick-and-roll and when he starts getting doubled. Having a floor general who can also go down
and get you a bucket when needed is what every team should have.
Unfortunately for Heat fans like myself, we are currently on a nine-game losing streak. Yeah, I
know—it’s HORRIBLE how things have been looking this month. Day by day, it just makes me
wonder why—why we didn’t just resolve things with Jimmy Butler. The Warriors have gone 16-3
since acquiring Jimmy, while we, on the other hand, have been 4-16. It’s almost like we should
be making changes to this roster. If your name doesn’t end with Adebayo, Herro, or Ware,
you’re tradeable. I was content with the Wiggins-Butler trade at first, but it’s just not the same.
And yes, I understand it’s only 20 games, but nine losses in a row is inexcusable, and the blame
falls on the whole team. Of course, you have your best players, Bam and Tyler, who are
hooping, but overall, we just lack that one piece to get back on track.
The second half has been this Miami team’s biggest downfall by far, and that’s not just an
opinion—it’s a fact. If we go back to the game against the New York Knicks, we started off with a
12-0 run. As I’m watching with my friend, I look at the score and tell her, “I bet you we’ll lose
this game,” and she just laughs. Of course, we end up losing—and in convincing fashion. The
Heat get outscored 41-15 in the third quarter and go on to lose 116-95. Time and time again, we
choke in the second half and lose our identity. Although Herro and Bam continue to put up
numbers, it’s just not enough. Realistically, you want these guys as your #2-3 options with
another superstar to be that guy. I love Herro’s improvement, but another offensive weapon
leading the charge would actually help Herro more, allowing him to run the offense while letting
Bam focus more on defense. Kelel Ware is a monster, though, and his presence is greatly
appreciated. He has relieved some of the defensive stress off Bam’s hands—literally. If Tyler
Herro can transition into being that #1 guy, then so be it, but either way, Miami needs complementary pieces. For once, the Heat need to make a big move that actually works in our
favor.
One benefit I see for this team is getting a lottery pick. Realistically speaking, I’m sorry if this
offends any casual fans who don’t believe in tanking, but CAPTURE THE FLAGG. There’s no
logical reason to fight for a play-in spot just to make the 8th seed and face Cleveland, who has
literally been the best team in the East this year. And let’s say we rally into the 7th seed—we’d
play Boston. I refuse to watch what happened last year happen again. Just painful stuff. Also, if
we don’t secure a lottery seeding, we lose our draft pick. So we’d essentially be throwing away
a chance to draft a high-upside player just to pray for a miracle run. Again, not realistic or
logical.
It may sound like I’m more of a Heat hater than a fan, but a spade is a spade. I’ve had so much
delusional hope in the past, and after the 2023 run, it put things into perspective. We’ve
struggled to make concrete moves, and it’s hurt us for the past two years. Hopefully, we retain
our pick and either trade for a huge-name star or draft another gem like we did last summer.
I’m hoping for the best possible outcome (Kevin Durant or Devin Booker?). Going into this
tough game against the Houston Rockets Friday will really test if we still have heart or if we are
slowly declining by the day, we will see as it happens.
Joel Perez