Barry Jackson: Stan Van Gundy laments state of Heat: 'I really don't understand what's going on there'

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald on Oct 15, 2024

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MIAMI — The Heat aren't close to being a championship contender and would be fooling themselves if they consider themselves to be.

That’s the stark, unfiltered view of former Heat coach and TV analyst Stan Van Gundy, who lamented Miami’s roster during a TNT conference call Tuesday.

When I asked Van Gundy about whether he would have stuck with this Jimmy Butler/Bam Adebayo/Tyler Herro core for a sixth consecutive year, he was clear in his view that this roster isn’t nearly good enough.

“I really don’t understand what’s going on there,” Van Gundy said. “They’re really a win- now team, which I respect, and they haven’t given, put a roster around there that has a chance. I think they got lulled into a false sense of security by the run to the Finals two years ago.

“And it was a great run, but they didn’t have a great team, and they didn’t have a great year. That’s not a very good roster. To me, that’s a play-in roster again.

“Obviously, if Jimmy will be able to play 70 games, maybe it’s a little different. If you compare them to the top three teams, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, they’re not even in the ballpark roster wise. I don’t think their roster is as good as Indiana, Orlando or Cleveland. No, their roster just doesn’t stack up. They seem like a team to me that has been reliant on Erik Spoelstra working miracles. You can only do that so much. They can make a deal in season of course, but at this point, it would be foolish to say they’re a contender.”

After TNT analyst Reggie Miller said he’s not sure the Heat are a top six team in the East, Van Gundy said Miami isn’t and added: “If we go back two years to that Heat-Denver Nuggets final, both of those teams have done nothing but lose talent over the last two offseasons. Neither one of them has done anything to make their teams better. Their talent level dropped last year from what they had on their Finals team and it dropped again this offseason.”

Though the Heat lost Caleb Martin in free agency this past summer and Gabe Vincent and Max Strus in free agency 15 months ago, Miami would counter that the additions of Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr. qualify as improvements.

NBA media notes

According to a source, Richard Jefferson is a top internal candidate to replace new Lakers coach JJ Redick on ABC’s lead announcing team, alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke.

But ESPN doesn’t want to rush the decision and also plans to consider Tim Legler and lead college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who will both work a package of NBA games. Legler has primarily worked in the studio during his time at ESPN but has expressed an interest in doing more games.

According to The Athletic, ESPN considered TNT’s Grant Hill for its lead team. A source said that’s a possibility for future years, but not this season.

Besides Burke, Jefferson, Legler and Bilas, ESPN’s NBA game analyst lineup also includes former Warriors GM Bob Myers, 91-year-old Hall of Famer Hubie Brown and ESPN college basketball analyst Corey Alexander.

Besides Breen, ESPN’s NBA play-by-play group includes Ryan Ruocco, Dave Pasch, Mark Jones and newcomer Michael Grady.

Cranky Kendrick Perkins is assuming a more prominent role and will take Michael Wilbon’s chair alongside Malika Andrews, Myers and Stephen A. Smith on the ABC game day studio shows. Wilbon and new ESPN insider Shams Charania will make regular contributions to the ABC pregame show.

Charania replaces Adrian Wojnarowski, who retired from journalism to take a job as the general manager of the basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure.

— TNT, in what will likely be its final season of NBA coverage, made one significant on-air change, replacing Jamal Crawford with Vince Carter in its Tuesday night studio. Also, Chris Haynes won’t return in his insider/reporter role.

— Announcer assignments this weekend: Joe Tessitore and Jordan Rodgers on UM-Louisville at noon Saturday on ABC and Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston on Dolphins-Colts at 1 p.m. Sunday on Fox.