Q: Ira, this is why the Heat should have taken the lottery pick and called it a day. This was going nowhere. We beat a pair of losing teams in the play-in. And what did that get us? Humiliated on national TV (or at least NBA TV). We had two chances to lose to Chicago or Atlanta and we blew it. – Marcus.

A: I’m glad this came in amid Monday night’s blowout. Of all that went wrong for the Heat this season (and there was plenty), missing the lottery and forwarding the No. 15 first-round pick to the Thunder was not one of them. To refresh: Had the Heat dropped into the lottery this year, it would have meant unprotected first-round picks to the Thunder in 2026 and Hornets in 2028, with no escape clauses. You simply cannot have unprotected first-rounders out there, when a seasons-ending injury to a leading man (Adebayo? Herro?) could mean a spot at the top of the draft. Based on the lottery odds, the Heat most likely bypassed No. 11 in June for franchise draft security going forward.

Q: Have they no pride? – Anderson.

A: Or have they not enough talent? Talent wins in the NBA and the talent disparity in this series was as stark as the 27-game difference between the teams in the standings. There is a reason that leagues do not have 10th-place teams in the playoffs. I’m not sure it would have looked much different if it was Chicago or Atlanta coming out of the play-in to face the Cavaliers, or even the Magic, for that matter. Cavaliers? Very good. Heat? Very not.

Q: What happened to Andrew Wiggins? – Sandy.

A: Shellshock? Yes, there were injuries. Yes. there were the immediate expectations of stepping in for Jimmy Butler. Yes, he has always been somewhat passive by nature. But one would have thought that the 42-point game against the Hornets might have been a takeoff point. It wasn’t. Followed by an ankle injury that still seemed in play in the playoffs. From the start, he seemed like a contract to be moved. It has continued to feel that way. Now the question is whether an outside team looks past these playoffs and remembers the better days of Andrew Wiggins.

Originally Published: April 29, 2025 at 5:12 AM EDT