Why Heat need philosophical change after another quiet deadline - Hot Hot Hoops

One Miami Heat beat writer disclosed the organization’s 10 commandments, and those philosophies suggest that change is needed. (Mandatory Credit: Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo)

Does anyone have a pair of stone tablets to write on?!

One day after another trade deadline flameout, where the Miami Heat were the only team in the East to not make a trade, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson affirmed the core philosophies the organization lives and breathes by, dubbing them the “10 commandments.”

Here’s what they are:

Never trade good players for future draft picks

Never give up on a season

Do not accept taking a step back with the hope that it could lead to better days ahead

Go all in for an all-time great player but be very selective about pursuing other good players

Do not make a trade simply for the sake of making a trade

Don’t give up on a roster prematurely

Don’t try to sell high on players

Bam Adebayo is essentially untouchable

Maintain roster/payroll flexibility if possible

Don’t worry about losing a free agent for nothing

Why the Miami Heat needs a philosophical change:

While I’ve long respected the Heat’s front office continuity and organizational stability, there’s irony in their philosophy also staying the same.

What’s ever-evolving in today’s NBA is the game’s style of play, the league’s talent, how rosters are constructed, the cap mechanisms behind those roster decisions, etc.

Why can’t the Heat amend its philosophy?

You adapt, or you die.

And it appears that Miami remains stuck in the past, refusing to believe that taking a couple of steps backward, when mired in mediocrity, won’t spur a few more steps forward, among other things.

Making a trade just to make a trade is bad process. But never selling high on players — capitalizing on their value, especially when you’re stuck in the middle — investing all of your eggs in one basket (Giannis Antetokounmpo) when you don’t ever have the means to acquire said player and risk losing assets for nothing is very poor process, too.

It would be one thing if the Heat were winning. They are currently 27-26 in the East and are 154-145 over their last four seasons. The only thing they are winning is the play-in, and that’s embarrassing for an organization rich in tradition.

Previously, #HEATCulture™ was a moniker used out of respect; now, it’s a laughingstock.

You can’t skip steps in the NBA. Most of the East spent the last 72-96 hours either 1.) pushing to compete 2.) accumulating assets or 3.) making other forward-thinking decisions to set themselves up for short- and long-term success.

Miami did none of those things. It’s never bad to adhere to organizational philosophies. Every organization must set a standard of excellence that it must adhere.

But the Heat’s philosophies — and standard of excellence, which is currently being average — must shift if they want to get back to winning.

Why Heat need philosophical change after another quiet deadline – Hot Hot Hoops

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