The Miami Heat were two wins away from winning their 4th NBA Championship in franchise history. Clearly, Jimmy Butler was the perfect guy for their winning culture and it’s just a matter of time before Pat Riley gets his hands on another star.
The Heat are believed to make a run at – at least – one top-tier player this offseason. However, we know it has to be a player who fits the Miami Heat grit-and-grind culture. It must be a hustler, a guy who doesn’t hesitate to get into other people’s faces, and that just doesn’t care whether people like him or not.
With that in mind, we think that no other two players fit that mold in the current NBA than Russell Westbrook and Joel Embiid. That’s why today, we’re going to let you know just how the Miami Heat could pair them with Jimmy Butler to create the ultimate super-villain team.
Russell Westbrook
Houston Rockets Receive: Andre Iguodala, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Kelly Olynyk
Miami Heat Receive: Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is the kind of person who doesn’t care about what people say. He’s a born competitor determined to prove that he can outplay everybody else on earth, and won’t hesitate to get into it with rivals or even fans if they try and get to him.
Having Westbrook would be a major upgrade from Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn at point guard for the Miami Heat, even though they would have to part ways with their prized youngster Tyler Herro to get the ultimate super-villain.
Joel Embiid
Houston Rockets Receive: Bam Adebayo (sign-and-trade), and Goran Dragic (sign-and-trade)
Miami Heat Receive: Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is the ultimate prankster. He makes fun of people right to their faces and is also an elite trash-talker. Moreover, his lifestyle perfectly fits Miami culture and Erik Spoelstra would be delighted to have one of the best two-way big men in the league on his ranks.
Embiid and Butler developed a strong rapport from Jimmy’s days at Philadelphia, and even if the Heat have to lose Bam Adebayo to land Embiid, they’ll have to do it if they want to have a player like Embiid on their team. He’s the right guy to pair with Butler, that’s for sure.
Miami ‘Super-Villains’ Heat
The Miami Heat relied on their depth for most of last season. Spoelstra and Riley put together a well-balanced team that could match up with almost anybody, especially in the defensive end of the floor. This time, however, they’d look quite differently.
The Heat would once again rely on a Big 3 and play their starters heavy minutes rather than use a long rotation. Duncan Robinson would get a lot of wide-open looks with Embiid, Westbrook, and Butler collapsing the paint and defenses double-teaming them down low.
Pat Riley would still need to go after a power forward to round up this dominating starting five. They’d be in a prime position to make it back to the NBA Finals as no other team in the Eastern Conference could match up against them. Then again, they would also be quite volatile, but the risk is worth taking.
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