Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Plan G lookin’ good
Double vision: Heat destroy the Bucks and start their ad campaign for Giannis
MIAMI — This column really should be about how the Miami Heat trumped the best team in the NBA on Monday night.
It really should say how the Milwaukee Bucks entered AmericanAirlines Arena with an unbelievable 52-8 record and left at a humbled 52-9.
But it was impossible to watch this 105-89 win and write only that in-the-moment column. That’s because you couldn’t look at team president Pat Riley sitting behind the end line, regal in repose, and wonder if he was thinking what you were:
Is this the start of the longplay marketing campaign for the Milwaukee star, Giannis Antetokounmpo?
There was the kind of defense the Heat hasn’t played enough this season, suddenly holding Antetokounmpo to a season-low 13 points. There were the Heat young guns, including Bam Adebayo with four blocks to headline that defense.
There, too, was the Heat’s 3-point shooting that both showed the talent and exposed a question. The talent: The Heat made an impressive 18 of 37 on 3-pointers against Milwaukee.
The question: How can the smaller Heat win against larger and longer teams when they can’t go inside? At one point stretching over halftime, 12 of the Heat’s 13 shot attempts were 3-pointers.
Imagine the 7-foot Antetokounmpo dropping into this lineup like mana from heaven.
Sure, The Greek Decision is
far off in the summer of 2021. But it’s not so far that the Heat isn’t thinking of it. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Riley, it’s that he can do two things at once.
That doesn’t mean chewing gum and watching a game. That means building a team this year and visualizing what his next move is a summer from now.
That means positioning for tomorrow. Budgeting for tomorrow. Lining up tomorrow, like Riley once did with LeBron James and The Big Three, calling it the “Triple Crown’’ to Heat co-workers who considered him delusional.
In the recent trade, Andre Iguodala was signed to a two-year contract that could be cut to one year, if needed. Why? Because Riley is thinking about that summer of 2021. Dreaming of a Big, Fat, Ugly Greek Signing.
The question is with Milwaukee more than Miami. Their best-in-the-league record tells of the talent. Still, can they win against either Los Angeles team — Clippers or Lakers — in the NBA Finals in June?
And, if not this June, then next June? Because if Milwaukee doesn’t win a title in the next two years, you know who will be knocking on the door with nine rings on his fingers. Riley will be set up for business. How do you say “whale” in Greek? Faliana?
“It’s the same thing we have said year after year,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Giannis. “He continues to grow and evolve as a great player. He is arguably having a better year this year than his MVP year. He must be an impactful leader behind the scenes.
“I don’t know him or what goes on in their building. But the fact they are able to come back with this kind of edge and urgency to their team for so long this season is impressive. Your leaders have to be right on and echoing the same message as the coaches.”
Adebayo went toe-to-toe with Giannis in as strong a defensive game as he’s played all year. He also has the same agent as Giannis. Maybe that means something?
Of course, Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri has the similar Nigerian roots to Giannis, too. Everyone will be playing something if he leaves Milwaukee.
As it is, the Heat won twice on Monday. They beat Milwaukee for the second time this season, meaning more than 20% of their losses this season are to the Heat.
They also again delivered a marketing campaign to Giannis. Maybe. We’ll see. Then again, maybe Riley already has plotted Plan B if Antetokounmpo falls through.
The other big free agent that summer? LeBron James.