Did Miami Heat send message to Portland Trail Blazers?
Q: Hope Joe Cronin enjoyed that. – Anthony.
A: From the moment the Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard it was never about this season, and, to a degree, with an acceptance of nights such as Friday against the Heat. For as bad as Portland looked Friday night at Kaseya Center, it was while without Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams. Portland basically was fielding a team that had little intention, or ability, to win. The ultimate verdict on whether Joe Cronin, the Blazers’ general manager, could have done better by engaging the Heat in the Lillard talks won’t be known for years, until the draft picks acquired are either utilized or packaged in a future deal. Friday was about the Heat doing what they needed to do in the playoff race, and, to a degree, the Blazers doing what they needed to do in the lottery race.
Q: Ira, with Kevin Love about to come back does this mean Nikola Jovic again will play short minutes as a starter? That’s a mistake when it comes to the kid’s future. – Greg.
A: On one hand, it was interesting that Nikola Jovic also received minutes at center when Kevin Love was out, which, in part, had to do with the uneven play of Thomas Bryant and Orlando Robinson. But if/when Kevin gets back to his previous minutes, it well again could be start each half for Jovic and sit thereafter. But even that might not be a given when/if Tyler Herro returns, with Jovic moved into that opening mix for his ballhandling and shooting as a means to offset some of what was lost with Tyler out. Don’t necessarily count out Caleb Martin as a potential Heat playoff starter. For now, the concern is the knee bruise that took Nikola out of Friday night’s game.
Q: Hasn’t Highsmith proven he deserves rotation minutes? – Bob, Davie.
A: Sure. But at whose expense, considering these minutes are coming with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson out? As I wrote after Friday night’s game, minutes in a playoff rotation for Haywood Highsmith could come at the expense of Jaime Jaquez Jr., and that would be with Caleb Martin taking the minutes of Nikola Jovic.
