The Miami Heat have been one of the biggest surprise packages of the season thus far. Following a trademark Pat Riley summer highlighted by the pleasantly surprising acquisition of new team cornerstone superstar Jimmy Butler, the Heat have exceeded expectations at this point in the campaign. Currently, at 32-15, they are absolutely looking like a legitimate threat in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Despite firmly establishing themselves as one of the contenders in the conference, however, there still seems to be a nagging feeling that the Heat are currently not on the same level as the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks or the Philadelphia 76ers; that come playoffs time, this young and inexperienced Miami side will falter against their more accomplished foes.
Knowing how Riley operates, it would be foolish to think that the Heat team president is not — at the very least — considering adding one of two more pieces to his squad to fortify their challenge this season. One man that has been rumored as a potential target for Miami is San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge, and at this point, it does appear that the 34-year-old could be a perfect fit for the Heat.
For starters, Aldridge's wealth of experience is exactly what a very young Heat side needs at the moment. The arrival of a battle-tested veteran should be a tremendous help for the squad, especially for the younger players on the team. Aldridge has had his fair share of playoff wars in his 14 years in the league, and he will certainly be bringing a lot to the table for the Heat in this respect.
Right now, the Heat could also use an upgrade in the big man department. 22-year-old forward/center Bam Adebayo, who recently got the nod for his first All-Star appearance — has been tremendous for Miami all season long, but outside him, the team are pretty thin on the frontcourt.
Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, and even team stalwart Udonis Haslem have been doing a bang up job as part of the the team's frontcourt rotation, but the addition of Adlridge would definitely take this team to another level. Currently, Aldridge is averaging 19.1 points (on 51.0 percent shooting), 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks, while also knocking down 1.2 3-pointers per game on a 42.-9 percent clip. Just imagine an Adebayo-Aldridge frontcourt tandem — a pairing that is worthy of challenging any other frontcourt in the conference.
As for the Spurs, who are currently struggling to stay afloat in a ruthless Western Conference, there have been rumors that the team are now looking to blow their roster up. Riley and Miami's front office could absolutely take advantage of this opportunity, and they might just be able to pry Aldridge from the Spurs at the right price.
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