Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is easily one of the best coaches in the league. He has fought and kept Heat relevant despite the post-big three lulls the team had. This year, he has orchestrated the team’s rise from the middle of the Eastern Conference to dark-horse title contenders.
This year’s roster has been built for post-season success. Not only do they have Jimmy Butler, but they also added strong offensively versatile rookies. This includes Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn. Bam Adebayo is possibly one of the hardest defensive matchups for the leaders on Eastern playoff teams. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam, and Jayson Tatum will have to go through Bam for success.
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Coach Spoelstra’s most shrewd addition has to be former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to add that experience to this ascending team. Spoelstra discussed the importance of Iggy on this team.
“You can’t put an analytic to his game with how many different ways he can impact your team in regards to winning, You have to have him in your locker room and see him out on the floor to truly understand. Every coach in this league recognizes he is a winner because he does so many winning things.”
Miami Heat and their secret weapon Iguodala?
Iguodala has been regressing over the last few seasons due to age. However, his championship acumen will prove invaluable for a relatively inexperienced squad. Butler has struggled to make deep playoff runs himself, so he cannot be relied on as the sole leader during a playoff run. Iguodala brings intangibles to a team’s play that very few people can brag about having.
Iguodala is having his worst statistical year this season. He is averaging 4.8 points in 20 minutes a game. Even Spoelstra said that the box scores cannot accurately represent Iguodala’s contribution to the team. He will be instrumental in helping the rookies and young players like Bam, while Butler leads them on the court. No matter how old you get, the clutch gene remains. The chances of Iguodala being called upon to make a big bucket are high, and the chances he converts that are just as high.
