Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg. (Soobum Im, USA Today Sports)
Q: This summer’s free agency is like the current South Florida housing market, grossly overpriced. I love Donovan Mitchell’s offensive game. If I had a choice between Donovan (minus Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and three first-round picks) and a fully healthy Victor Oladipo plus Herro, Robinson and my draft picks, I couldn’t say no fast enough. People forget that three of our last four picks resulted in Bam Adebayo, Herro and Precious Achiuwa. I would take pre-injury Oladipo over Mitchell straight up because of Victor’s defensive superiority. There will be a foreclosure sale at some point in the season, and maybe we only need a fixer upper. – Robert, Fort Lauderdale.
A: And that’s significant, that the NBA trade season doesn’t end in July or August or September or the preseason. Plus the way the Heat have structured their contracts, Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon become trade eligible at midseason, as does Caleb Martin (as players signed in the offseason). When you are desperate, you move. How exactly are the Heat desperate? For all the external pontification, can anyone definitively say that a top-four seed is beyond their means at the moment? A failure is the sky falling. It still looks pretty blue out there at the moment (except for the thunderstorms).
Q: As much as something can still happen before February, I hope nothing happens. I believe we sit tight and trust Pat Riley. – Brent, Wellington.
A: There are two types of offseasons: the ones when you exit a season feeling good and see a team with the potential to further grow, and the ones when you feel as if you have to do something, anything. It is during those latter offseasons that enduring mistakes can be made, when you load up contractually with Dion Waiters and James Johnson. Repeat: “The.” “Sky.” “Is.” “Not.” “Falling.”
Q: When has the Godfather led us astray? – Adam.
A: When he drafted Michael Beasley ahead of Russell Wesbrook and Kevin Love? When he gave those extra draft picks to the Cavaliers and Raptors to give LeBron James and Chris Bosh extra seasons that they then bypassed? When he went along with casting aside Mike Miller for salary-cap reasons and allowing Dwyane Wade to depart in free agency? But that’s besides the point, because those are the exceptions. And this is not just Pat Riley, it is the expertise of Andy Elisburg and Adam Simon, as well. That trinity does not lead astray. Exhale.
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Originally published at Tribune News Service