Ira Winderman: Thinking big led to losses, but Heat likely will do it all again

After an uneven season and rocky play-in ride, beyond debate has been that the Miami Heat have pushed through with a roster that has been lacking, needing a Friday high-wire act against the Chicago Bulls to advance.

To some, that is a condemnation of Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg, Adam Simon, Nick Arison and the front office.

And yet, no less than Riley, Elisburg, Simon and Arison essentially came to that conclusion well before any outsiders.

So to consider the Heat’s eventual end game at the conclusion of this postseason, first go back to the start, to last July, when the Heat had pieces to put into play, alternate means to distribute their payroll, the ability to delay on what became a four-year, $130 million extension to Tyler Herro.

Because as distressing as it might seem, history could well repeat itself.

Yes. Whales. Harpoons. Big Fish. Dream outlooks. Nightmare possibilities, this hardly a team that plays for a No. 8 seed.

The primary reason the Heat avoided becoming hard capped last season, a considerable factor in the decision to ultimately move on from P.J. Tucker, was to avoid working with a salary ceiling. While some tied that to avoiding the luxury tax (which also was a factor), it meant having the flexibility to think big, biggest.

As in Kevin Durant. As in the tease who initially made Miami a publicly expressed preferred destination, who then backtracked and agreed to remain with the Brooklyn Nets, and then who forced his way to the Phoenix Suns.

Win some (LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler), lose some. It happens.

Yes, ancillary moves before and after could have shored up what wound up as a roster no better than the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Yes, there were missteps that proved constraining (Dewayne Dedmon, Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry).

And yet, knowing what we know about Riley, Elisburg, et al., they would do it again, at least the part of thinking big at the cost of the complementary, ancillary, supporting.

Which brings us to this moment, as the Heat move past the angst of the play-in, soon enough to reset future thought.

Already, Damian Lillard has offered hints heretofore offered, that if the Portland Trail Blazers don’t come up with something better, more proven, in support, it just might be time to reconsider alternate vistas.

For his part, there again are breadcrumbs from Bradley Beal, who exited the Washington Wizards’ latest disappointment, noting, “I don’t think we’re good enough right now.”

And while there has to be a longer view in light of a contract that does not expire until the 2026 offseason, Luka Doncic has an opt out to become a free agent in 2025, which means the screws already are tightening with the Dallas Mavericks.

To some, fantasy and foolishness, this intoxication with the seemingly unattainable.

And, yes, we now are 13 years removed from the seduction of LeBron and Bosh and all their friends who signed on to tag along (Mike Miller, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, the Birdman).

But the chips also are there. There again is the ability to deal up to three first-round picks. Herro’s new contract is about to kick in, which means freedom from the poison-pill salary-cap shackles that were in place this season. Reluctance to trade Bam Adebayo (an apparent sticking point amid the initial Durant conjecture) might not be so reluctant, even with his defensive bravado Friday. And matching salaries are abundant in the form of the contracts of Lowry and Duncan Robinson (and potentially even Oladipo, if he opts in).

For weeks, amid the uneven, unpalatable and, frankly, harrowing Heat ride to this moment, a return to the lottery had tempted outsiders, a step back to reset.

The difference is that at the top, resets have never been about the subtle, mundane, perfunctory, desultory for Riley & Co.

Instead, there is the quest for the highest of highs, even if it can result in the lowest of lows.

Last summer, that meant running in place, even as it cost traction in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference.

This summer . . . expect more of the same.

It’s the Heat way. The Riley way. The way that gets the Arisons to push all the cash to the middle of the table.

No, perhaps not Lillard, Beal, Doncic.

But at 601 Biscayne, such dreaming, such planning, such all-in remains the approach.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

And, so, back to sea for Ahab — likely after this brief playoff pause.

IN THE LANE

SPEAKING OF: So why another round of Damian Lillard speculation, including speculation regarding the Heat, in the wake of late-season comments insisting his goal is to make his NBA career a single-city, Portland commitment? Because appearing on ESPN, Lillard said the desire is to see “significant” win-now moves from the Trail Blazers. “It’s not a threat,” Lillard said. “I’m not gonna say I’m putting them on a clock. I’m just saying, if those things can’t be done, if we can’t do something significant like that, then we won’t have a chance to compete on that level. And then not only will I have a decision to make, but I think the organization will, too. Because at that point it’s like, ‘Are you going to go young or are we going to get something done?’ " Lillard, 32, has two more seasons, the second a player option, on a contract that pays $45.6 million next season. He cannot be traded until July 9.

. . . AND OF: Then there’s Bradley Beal, who also has been nothing but adamant about a preference to go out as he came in, as a member of the Washington Wizards. But there also was a decided regression this season by the Wizards. So what next? “I can’t foresee the future, but yeah. God willing,” Beal told the Washington Post of being back with the Wizards. Unlike most in the NBA, Beal has the added leverage of a no-trade clause. “Well, one, we’ve all got to be better. We have to be better. I have to be better. Everybody has to develop, get better. I don’t think we’re good enough right now.” Beal, 29, has four more seasons, the last a player option, on a contract that pays $46.7 million next season.

TALK IS CHEAP: The Atlanta Hawks not only stole into the Miami night with Tuesday’s play-in victory at Kaseya Center, but also with considerable chip on shoulder after the Heat entered as a decided betting favorite and predicted as winner by 17 of 17 ESPN analysts. “We are the actors here. We are making it happen. Anybody who’s not on the court can say anything, but you would not be right 100 percent. You can only guess,” Hawks center Clint Capela said to The Athletic of the doubters as fuel. “So, when I see people out there saying stuff, I’m just laughing, because they’re just guessing. It doesn’t matter how articulate you’re saying it, it doesn’t matter what stats you’ve got, because every game is different.”

MONEY TALKS: For as much as the play-in tournament tormented the Heat, Heat guard Kyle Lowry said the extra postseason round checks the NBA’s most important box. “Revenue,” he said. “Revenue is always good for our league. It’s a business. But I think it keeps it competitive in all senses of it. You’ve got 10 teams, you got 20 teams total that got the opportunity to make the playoffs no matter what.”

GETTING CLOSER: As the Heat continue to operate with their G League affiliate 1,800 miles away in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Orlando Magic apparently believe close is not always close enough. The Magic’s G League affiliate will relocate next season from Lakeland, which is 55 miles from Orlando, to Kissimmee, which is 22 miles away. Thus, the Lakeland Magic next will be the Osceola Magic. The Lakeland Magic won the 2021 G League championship.

NUMBER

1. Times in the franchise’s 35 seasons the Heat have had three players average at least 20 points in the same season, which happened this season with Jimmy Butler (22.9), Bam Adebayo (20.4) and Tyler Herro (20.1). The closest the Heat came during their Big Three era was in 2010-11, when LeBron James averaged 26.7 points, Dwyane Wade 25.5 and Chris Bosh 18.7.