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If Damian Lillard is dealt to the Heat, a new big three in South Beach will be formed by Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo. While the three could give opponents fits, one Celtics icon is skeptical that it will be enough to advance to the NBA Finals.
On Showtime, Paul Pierce, Rachel Nichols, and Tracy McGrady discussed the possibility of Lillard joining the Heat, and Pierce believes Miami will not advance far in the playoffs if they do sign him.
“You put them together and they won’t make it out of the first round,” Pierce said.
The 2008 NBA champPierce emphasized that both Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, who scorched the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, are no longer with the Heat after being dealt to the Cavaliers and signing with the Lakers, respectively. Despite the addition of Josh Richardson, the Eastern Conference champs remain short on depth.ion went on to explain that the Heat depended on their depth to reach the Finals, where they were defeated by the Denver Nuggets.
“A lot of this had to do with their depth and guys playing way above their
However, McGrady contended that the Heat will have depth, saying that “one thing Miami is always going to have is depth,” which is what got them out of the play-in round and to the NBA Finals.
Regardless of who comes off the bench for the Heat, a core that includes Butler, Adebayo, and Lillard will be difficult to beat and might be one of the NBA’s best
pay grade,” Pierce explained. “… Those guys were averaging 20 points on Boston, and we ain’t never seen them do that.”Of course, all of this is speculative. Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade and apparently only wants to play for the Heat. Portland has been unimpressed by Miami’s bids, and it appears increasingly probable that the Heat will want the assistance of a third team to complete the transaction. Tyler Herro’s name has been bandied about a lot in rumors, and Duncan Robinson could be one of the people involved in bringing Lillard to South Beach.