Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra firmly believes that his current lineup is a formidable one. So much so, that the 49-year-old shot-caller compared his current squad with the 2003-04 Heat lineup, led by a then-22-year-old rookie Dwyane Wade.
“We do see a lot of comparisons from that team to this team,” Spoelstra said, via Barry Jacksin of the Miami Herald.
“Dwyane’s rookie year, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom. You had some young talented players that weren’t necessarily the No. 1 pick, to be targeted to be the next star and some quote, unquote castoffs who were maybe castoffs in other places and a bunch of unknowns, undrafted guys, with big chips on their shoulders.”
There is a lot of youth in the current Heat squad, with the team containing seven players who have been in the league for no more than three seasons, including four rookies. Two out of these four rooks — Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro — have had a tremendous season for Miami, and it's safe to say that both guys have gone beyond their preseason expectations.
Spoelstra went on to say, however, that aside from a youthful vigor, what makes his current team so similar to the 2003-04 squad is how well the team plays with each other.
“The common denominator with both of those teams is chemistry is a hard thing to put an analytic to,” he added. “There are some teams that really enjoy each other’s success and try to help facilitate somebody else playing well and that’s what both those teams have. The guys really enjoy each other. It’s not only going on the road, having dinner. It’s deeper than that. It’s really enjoying seeing somebody else play well. Whether they are part of it or not, they want to see each person have their moment.”
Miami has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, with the squad currently holding a 41-24 record. The Heat were ranked fourth in the East prior to the hiatus.
Follow Us
Subscribe