The Miami Heat made some huge moves at the trade deadline. But it appears like Pat Riley and company are not done. In a conference call via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the long-time Heat executive was asked whether they will look for some added rim protection via the buyout market.
Riley admitted that while they are pleased with their frontcourt right now, they will certainly monitor the buyout market to address that concern:
Is rim protection a concern, especially when Bam Adebayo is on the bench? “That’s a concern of ours. But there aren’t many out there who are 30-minute guys or 20-minute guys who can come in and do that.
“If you can’t find the right one, you go with what you have. We like the chemistry of Meyers Leonard at 7 feet, can shoot the three, big body inside. He can defend inside. Having Bam and Kelly Olynyk, Bam can go in there and protect the rim. We don’t have it, but there are not a lot of teams that have that. We will keep our eyes out. We are happy part of this transaction gives us the possibility of a buyout player later on.”
Miami fortified their perimeter defense with the acquisitions of Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill from the Memphis Grizzlies. They certainly won't have issues regarding their front line of defense.
However, their interior defense should still be an issue considering they don't have a legitimate rim protector. First time All-Star Bam Adebayo, at 6-foot-9, is a bit undersized at the five. Meyers Leonard and Kelly Olynyk are both 7-footers, but neither are deterrents at the rim.
With his moves at the deadline, Riley has shown that he has every intention to go all the way this season. Should a solid interior presence pop up in the waivers, expect Riley to come knocking aggressively at their door the moment the opportunity comes.
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