Close Article Return to stream X
NBA

Josh McRoberts Trade Could Shore Up Weak Spot For Miami Heat

+Read full article
Cleveland Cavaliers v Miami Heat

Getty Images

The NBA blueprint for stopping effective offenses has always changed. In the 90s, it was soften a team up by putting as many hits on their bodies as possible. In 2010, the scheme was to pack the paint against teams like the Miami Heat, daring the likes of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh to beat them with jumpers. The next year they added scheme busters like Ray Allen and Shane Battier to a healthy Mike Miller, a level of quality shooting that the 2015-16 team does not have. That could not be more evident than the Heat’s 33 percent shooting from behind the three-point line, bad enough to rank them 25th out the 30 teams in the league.

So how do they improve that? Perhaps by moving Josh McRoberts for a player who could spark enough fear from out there to open up a few driving lanes for Wade and give Hassan Whiteside a little more room to operate inside.

After only being able to play 17 games last season, Miami came into the year committed to seeing what McRoberts had to offer. You can call it a trial to determine if the next two years of his contract were worth holding on to.

The jury is still out, but there is more reward than risk in moving the 6-foot-10 power forward. One is that he seems to have the Miller effect in Miami of getting injured every time he steps on the court, recently missing the Heat’s 6-3 run after appearing in 12 games following an unreported knee injury against the Los Angeles Lakers. Two is the fact that any shooter would be more aggressive than the big man with touch.

Too often we see McRoberts more focused on facilitating than ever looking at the basket. Fancy passes are great, but points on the board are always better than an empty highlight play. This is especially true when wins are needed in a bumper-to-bumper Eastern Conference that features 11 teams at .500 or better.

Three points a game on three shots a game is just not worth it when the passiveness only equates to a 1.8 assists average. A move for someone who could knock down an outside shot would not only help Miami’s scoring percentages, but shaking the $5.5 million would drop them below the luxury tax hit that they so desperately want to avoid.

Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.

Your Favorites
 
 
Close Article Return to stream X
NBA Videos

Hassan Whiteside Gives Carmelo Anthony A Death Stare After Dunk

Hassan Whiteside is never one to pull punches. After he emphatically dunked all over the New York Knicks on Sunday evening, Whiteside made sure to show up Carmelo Anthony by giving him a death stare that was as strong as the fire of 1,000 suns.

Comment 0 Comments