How did the Indiana Pacers lap the Miami Heat? | Five on the Floor

How did the Indiana Pacers lap the Miami Heat? | Five on the Floor

Welcome to the latest episode of five on the floor of the Five Reason Sports Network. Thanks for joining us on your favorite podcast app on Apple, Apple Podcast, on Android, Spotify, or the Five Reasons YouTube channel. I’m going to say it even though they made fun of me for doing this. Make sure you subscribe to Off the Floor. Link is right here in the description. Two bucks at 99 cents per month. You can bypass the Apple Upcharge Place for the most heat, the most heat information, conversation, celebration, and lately consternation. We appreciate the adelation. Check it out. Link right here in the description. Bypass the Apple Upcharge. Get access to 10 different channels plus the stage shows. Everything else we do there. We recommend the draft channel, the NBA channel, the transactions channel. You can see you can. Everything is segmented. And if you go to the wrong place, Eternal boot you for the rest of your life. Also, check out prize picks. Use the code five fiv. Put down five bucks, you get $50 to play right away. Prize picks the official fantasy sponsor of the five reason sports network. Play across the sports spectrum. up to six players together. Again, you can play MLS with NHL, with NBA, all of it is there. Go to Price Picks, use the code FIV ve, get your free 50 bucks. And now today’s [Music] episode heat nation. Yeah. Mercy down the [ __ ] on the floor. Ride for my dogs. Here’s a thing. You can check the score. Hustle hard. Couple stars. Bubble frog. Kept a plan. Got it all. Y’all seen the block with one hand and we trust the guts. We’re here to bring the heat. Y’all can hang it up. Welcome to Five on the Floor, a daily insider show on the Miami Heat and the NBA featuring Ethan Skolnick, Greg Sander, Alex Toledo, Brady Hawk, and others from the Five Reason Sports Network. Also, make sure to subscribe to Off the Floor for the most heat [Music] anywhere. All right, welcome back to Five on the Floor. Here’s today’s floor plan. We’re doing a bunch of episodes leading up to Pat Riley’s press conference, whenever that is, but it’s going to be soon. So, make sure that you check all of them out. We did the Jimmy Butler in the second round episode. Alex and I did that one. I apologize for cutting Alex off. I had to get my sushi. Uber Eats, you know, you can’t control that. Uh, also, um, did two episodes with Brian Fanaeka, but those are going to hold until after this one. His idea is the Heat should just punt. Just punt. You’re not going to compete in the East right now. Give up the year and reset. Something they will not do. But I heard Brian out on it and he has a very interesting perspective. So you can should listen to that. Also did an episode with Brady. Uh we’re doing offseason episodes inside the team and also outside the team. And in that episode, Brady and I got into DaVon Mitchell and where he can go from here and the chances of his retention. Also, we’re doing transaction related episode just looking at players. Are they available? Are they available to the Heat? Kevin Durant episode is up. Also, uh this is my favorite episode lately, uh episode that we did with a couple of the Memphis guys, including our old friend Mike Wallace, uh on John Morant, but really it became a larger discussion about Tyler Herro. What’s a true max? Because they’re in a situation now with Desmond Bane and then do they give Jiren Jackson Jr. the full Max? And even though they Memphis and Miami are very different markets, they’re kind of in the same place. They were eight seeds. Um and they’ve got decisions to make going forward. So, it was interesting conversation and we’ll definitely bring on Wallace again. And then I’m planning on having George Sedano on for the three millionth time because he has some things he wants to get off his chest. But today I got Greg Savander. You can follow me at Greg Sander. Again, I’m Ethan Skull. You can follow me Jay Skull on Five Reason Sports. And we are going to really focus here on one game. Okay, one game. And I’m going to go to this game. This was April 7th, 2024. And I remember we were pointing to this game because the Miami Heat were they they they’d blown a lot of games last season. I’m not talking about the season that just passed. I’m talking about the season prior. But they were in striking distance to get out of the playin. Okay. And they had to go to it’s now called Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It used to be called Conco. Uh but a place that they’ve had a lot of history in Indiana. Okay. Some good, some not so good, right? place where Dwayne and LeBron went off and carried them in a series without Bosch. Uh it’s also a place where they’ve lost a lot of heartbreakers. Okay. And in this particular game against the Pacers, we thought, okay, they’re going to be geared up for this thing and they got out of the first quarter down 38 to 24. And I’m just going to give you the starting lineup in that game. It was Bam, Yoic, Jimmy Butler, Terry Rosier, and Duncan Robinson with Tyler Herro coming off the bench. Okay. Uh, and Caleb Martin also. Okay. Did they come off the bench? I’m sorry. The way that this is listed here, it makes it appear they came off the bench, but it’s hard to really tell. But anyway, the players who who played there, uh, Butler played 38 minutes, Ban played 37, Caleb played 36, Tyler 31, Yoic 24, Rosier 22, Duncan and Hawkins played 12, and Kevin Love played seven. Okay, so of those players, who’s still on the roster? Bam, Yovic, Rosir, and Duncan for now, not Caleb, Hero, Highmith, Hakez, Love. Okay. So, a lot of guys, a lot of guys other other than Jimmy um other than Jimmy and I guess it would be Caleb and that’s it, right? Yeah, that that’s it. And that’s it. Other than Jimmy and Kale, the other eight guys were on the team. Okay. And again, the Heat went down 14 after that first quarter, actually. And the deficit grew wire and then they rallied. They scored 32 in the third and 37 in the fourth. And it basically came down to a non call on a hero shot I believe if you remember that. And uh that was in the final minute and the Heat lost by two. At that stage Greg the Heat were 43 and 35 and the Pacers were 45 and 34. Okay. I’m going to give you the Pacers lineup there because they had acquired Seakkum. Uh it was basically the lineup they’re using now. Yep. Ma Miles Turner, uh, Seakum, Nesmith, Nemhardt, Hallebertton, and they were bringing Tophen McConnell, Ben Shepard off the bench. Uh, now it’s Matan uh, that’s really getting those minutes that he was a rookie, but he had gotten hurt, so he was out at the end of last season. So, essentially, seven of their top eight the same. Okay. And yet since then, the Pacers have made a conference finals and they are within two games of going to another one. And the Heat just got swept in the first round as basically a 10 seed and lost the final two games by 92 points. These franchises, at least for the time being, have gone like this. Why? This is uh it’s an interesting topic because to your point about them going in opposite directions, Indiana, I guess when they made the conference finals last year, uh you could say like that that was uh beating expectations. I think they came back this year and thought that they maybe had a shot at it. the fact that they’re up two games on a Cleveland team that completely dominated Miami. Uh you start to ask like how far away are the Heat if the Pacers are up 200 against a Cleveland team that basically wiped the floor with you. But truthfully, because of the way parody exists in today’s game, uh I think that this is a it’s a demonstration that there are teams that are going to break through. and uh breakthrough can mean a lot of different things, but I think that when you look the way that they’re structured, and we’ll get into a little bit about like where the players land on the salary sheet and just how their roster is made up and how they built that group, I it has a lot to do with the fact that their guys have came together and stayed healthy for the most part. They’ve hit on some undrafted guys. It’s some of the formula that Miami’s used in the past. The difference is is that Indiana is not a free agent destination. So everything they’re doing is via trade and it’s via um drafts and development. And the Heat are going to have to lean in that direction more than ever. But I just think it’s a but and we’ll get into Indiana specifically how they got to where they are, but I think the the big thing that’s that has changed is one Jimmy Butler’s gone. So like the Heater in a transition moment and the Pacers have capitalized on an Eastern Conference that as much as we have got teams at the top that had clear best records, there’s no denying as you watch these playoffs that anyone can win any of these series. And that’s not always been the case in the modern NBA. And I think that that’s just going to be more and more a reason why teams think that they’re maybe not as far as the fans think that they are away, but also they may not be as close as they look at times either. It’s a weird balance that they have to think about because teams are just going to be so much uh closer stacked together. Uh and we’re seeing it more than ever in the standings. Yeah, you’re right. And if you go to the beginning of the season, nobody was talking about the Pacers. Pacers made the conference finals last year and everybody’s like, “Well, it was fluky because all these other teams got hurt.” Okay. Everybody’s talking Boston, which I mean they may still rally here. We’re playing the Knicks tonight as we speak. By the way, as we’re speaking here, it’s official. Pat Rally is going to speak Friday at 1:00. So, whenever you listen to this episode, probably Riley’s coming in right after that. So, we’ll get a week out of that. Okay? So, that’s why we’re doing all these episodes now. And we’ll break down pretty much everything he says. I’m gonna have actually I have my daughter. She’s got a half day, so she’ll be asking all the questions. So, all the questions that Heat fans want to be asked that I’m afraid to ask, I’ll have my daughter do it. Okay. Um, nobody expected the Pacers to be back here. I mean, before the season it was, okay, Dame Giannis are going to figure it out, right? That was a lot of the perception. Philadelphia added Paul George. We’ll see what Cleveland is. Of course, they outpaced what everybody thought. Boston is still the king of the East. Orlando’s primed for a move. A lot of that got shortcircuited by their lack of offense, but also by the injuries that they had to France and Paulo and also Suggs. Um, nobody saw Detroit coming this year. That was a huge surprise. That was a big surprise. Everybody knew Chicago and Atlanta would be in the playin because they always are. Um, and the heat we were saying could be anywhere between like sort of four and eight. Um, I don’t think I saw 10 coming, but somewhere between four and eight depending on how things panned out with Jimmy. Uh, and all the Pacers have done is just keep winning. And they’re winning with a with a coach who uh Rick Carla who he fans know very well from his time in Dallas. Actually, at one time we talked about Pop retiring. We did an episode on that. People should listen to that one too on on Spo and being the longest tenure coach. For a time, Spo and Carile were basically tied as the longest tenur coaches with their respective teams. Uh second longest tenure behind Pop when when he was in Dallas and now he’s put a style together in Indiana that’s totally different than what he coached in Dallas. And with Hallebertton being the engine for that, but also Hallebertton was perceived to be overrated. He was one of the most overrated player, a star in the league uh this season. And yet the man has made 10 of 11 shots in the last two minutes of games this season. Include 10 of 11. Okay. Including that was a poll by the players by the way that players and I have I have a theory I’ll sneak in here. I think that the largecale majority of NBA players, the reason why they were hating on Tyrese Hallebertton in that moment is they didn’t like that he was on the Olympic team and got to go for that ride. Uh, and maybe other guys thought that they deserved it instead. There there’s my theory as to why Hallebertton would be overrated because otherwise the Pacers overachieved here. It’s just that’s a weird weird play to to position him as overrated right now. I I think that you’re right about that. and then he didn’t end up playing, right? And I I I think he’s I I really think Caliburn’s refreshing actually. He’s very open with the media. Um you know, but some people think he’s a little corny and I think that sort of rubs uh some the wrong way, but I mean he doesn’t look conventional the way he plays that shot. No, I mean when he came out of school like we were like that that he’s going to shoot with that. Um, and he doesn’t he doesn’t move at like he sort of goes in bursts and but then he he’s plays he knows how to slow his pace down to kind of slide step to his spots. Um, I I enjoy watching him. I mean, but the the point the point is the Pacers were not perceived to be a team that would be a top four team this year. And yet, not only were they, but they had a pretty easy time of it in the first round. Now, I know Milwaukeekey’s injuries contributed to that, but still. And then now you’re looking and they’re up 2 on Cleveland. And I think this is the point that you want to get to. We’ll also get to this in the build that you don’t really want as Miami, you really don’t want to be in a position where like you’re looking up to these mid-market teams. And I I know Miami perceives it. Miami will say we’re a mid-market team. And by population and all that kind of stuff, they are, but they’re also an attractive destination. It’s like when I when I had the conversation with the guys in Memphis and they were very straight. Deich was very straight about it. He’s like, “Look, that’s my these two teams are in similar positions, Memphis and Miami, but Miami is a destination. Memphis is not. Indiana has never been a destination.” And they’ve always had to get stars other than Paul George who they drafted, Reggie, who they drafted way back when Pacer fans didn’t want him to draft him. uh they wanted Steve Alford, but they’ve always had to get stars by trading stars. They traded Paul George, they got Sabonis and Olad Depot, right? They traded Sabonis and they got uh Hallebertton. Hallebertton. So, they’ve had to give to get Okay. Always. And that’s that’s where I want to go to you on this because if you look at it that way and we’ll look at the rest of this build, but the heat have been reluctant to give to get like and it starts with Bam, which is the conversation that you and I keep dancing around, but I’ve said I think everybody needs to be on the table even if I would prefer not to move him. But also the same applies to Tyler who we’ve had conversations about that you typically in in an Indiana type market. You have to give to get in OKC. You’ve got to give to get. Okay? Right? That’s why Preyy’s accumulating all of these picks and then maybe they’ll all go to Giannis if OKC for Giannis if OKC uh you know eliminate it gets eliminated by Denver. But there are like 10 10 to 15 markets in the league that you have you’re not going to be able to just get a guy. you have to maneuver and figure out a way. Miami has always had the opposite where they LA, okay, some of these destinations where they’re just Miami. As long as you open the cap space, you bring guys in the cap space or you got a Jimmy who says he wants to go there and then you have an advantage to try to make a trade and you can maneuver a couple different ways and it falls apart with Dallas, but you find another way to do it. Okay? Or it fall fell apart the I mean Dallas is another team to that trade or it fell apart with Minnesota the previous year, but when it gets to Philadelphia, you find a way to do it. Miami has not been in the position before where they have had to give to get like Indiana has. And I’m just asking you, is it time in the modern CBA system, and I think Brian was getting at this with me, where you have to give to get. You definitely have to give to get. And and uh and I’ll expand upon that in a moment, but this road that you’re leading me down slowly about this trading bam out of bio stuff, we’re I I refuse to do that episode. We’re we’re going to do an hour. No, we’re we’re going to do an hour of this and I’m not I’m not advocating trading Bam to just trade Bam, but I I said before game four of that series, okay? I know he’s the carrier of the culture. I get all that. I have enormous respect for Bam and much more respect than I think a lot of fans do. But with that said, I mean, you can’t be paying $100 million to Bam and Tyler when they’re not going to lead you past the plan. Yeah. Okay. I you you can’t. And so I I just think everything at this stage has to be on the table. It doesn’t mean you’re looking to move somebody, but I don’t think you hang up the phone on anyone at this stage. I mean, you’re Look, at the end of the year, you’re a bad team. I mean, you’re 37 and 45 and you got swept and lost the last two games by 92. I mean, you’re not a playoff team. I don’t care. You and you’ve said that. All right. So, on the other side, I’ll let you think about this for a second. Okay. But are they on the give to get stage? And I want to look at how Indiana built its team to see if there’s any because typically we should not be having a conversation even though the Pacers have been a well-run organization for years. Pritchard others up there. Okay. But like we should not be having a conversation about how you know it’s like catching up with the Joneses like the the you keeping up with the Joneses like the Pacers should not be the Joneses in this case. Okay. And if you look at how the Pacers built team the team that challenged the big three teams or kind of challenged them, right? Paul George was drafted, Granger was drafted, Hibbert was drafted, right? I think even was drafted, right? Valance Stevenson, right? Like they’ve done a very good job putting teams and George Hill was like a low end trade, I believe. I forgot. Well, they traded Kawhi Leonard for Jul Oh, yeah. No, that was not a low end trade. I’m sorry. My bad. Correction. No, that was not. That’s right. Leonard was drafted 15th overall and traded for George Hill. See, I know it’s in there somewhere, but you’re right. That didn’t work out so well. Okay. Anyway, but they had Paul George, so I was like, “All right, well, what was Kawhai gonna do?” And then, of course, Paul George and Kawhi reunited and that didn’t work out so well. And then and the Clippers have paid for that by uh, you know, by trading Shay and 75 picks. All right. Anyway, want to tell you about water cleanup. Um, and I want you to think about the whole give to get thing. We’re talking about how to build this water cleanup of Florida. Michael Robert, their entire team, one-stop water cleanup shop. More than 200 five-star reviews on Google basone service the entire area. uh though all the way down to the Keys and actually all the way to Fort Myers all the way to Orlando. Get the preventative maintenance. You don’t want to have a leak and then have to deal with it. But if you have one, I I’m going to give you an example about leak detection. Okay, here. And I I’ve never used it. I literally blew three grand at my old apartment because I didn’t realize that I had I was I automatic paid my water bill. Okay, and just didn’t check for six months. So, my water bill went from 30 bucks a month to an average of 300 a month and didn’t even realize it for six months. Okay. Now, if you have if you have a house and you got a leak, all right, and you’re an idiot like me and you’re not checking your bills regularly, it’s going to be very expensive. Okay? So, reach out to Water Clean of Florida. Mention five reasons. Uh you get a great deal from them anyway, but they’ll take special care of you and uh they’ll do the damage assessment as well, work with you with the insurance company. So reach out to water cleanflower wcuffl.com if you’ve got the schmutz they got the guts. All right so on the give to get framework. Okay very short conversation here because I know we need to build but does it does it make you think about it at all because it has always seemed like with the heat we’re always like okay what’s the least they can possibly give up? Yeah, that mindset. I think I think not just fans, but the NBA at large, those NBA observers at large are tired of maybe Miami being the team that’s always looking for a bargain, looking for a deal. Um, and uh to that point, at some point you have to take a risk. And so far when the Dame Lillard talks, and I know that they, you know, we can talk about what kind of quote unquote talks they really had, uh, because it wasn’t much, but I I do think that there was a perception that maybe if you really really wanted Dame, you maybe would have approached that, um, may maybe differently or Donovan Mitchell or if it’s Kevin Durant when he was in Brooklyn and there was, you know, I I’ve heard, you know, that there’s there were moments where they thought that that could head in that direction and it didn’t because ultimately paying the price was too high. This past deadline even when they pivoted and asked about Durant and Phoenix the cost was too high. At some point you do have to take the risk and I think there for every Terry Roier first round pick that gets squandered there’s probably a story of a team who used a first round draft pick to get a player and it worked out really well. Seakkum is a much higher level player. So that’s not really the parallel I’m trying to make, but it’s about taking the calculated risks, finding those moments, and it has to come together. And as we pivot to talking about the way that they built this team from a salary structure, you’ll see what when we talk about Indiana, the way that this is working right now for them. But to the larger point here, the he they have to we always talk about picking a direction, right? Well, part of picking a direction is, are you going to be as aggressive and allin as necessary to actually try to put something out there that we can all say in good conscience is a contender or could be a contender? Like, at least show me a path. If you this team this year, I don’t feel like any of us were were touting a path forward to a contending season, right? But if all of a sudden they had Durant next to Hero and Bam, you could sell me on a path. They have to either figure out if they’re going to be able to field the roster where they can sell a path to being in contention or they’re going to have to pay to become contenders. And when we say pay, it doesn’t always mean financially because Indiana, their payroll is never the highest in the league. So this isn’t about spending money. It’s how you spend it and when you spend it. Well, it is. That’s totally right. And I I think when you look at their payroll, okay, and you look at how this team was built, um, and and again, nobody again, two years ago, nobody was saying like the Pacers are on a path. Uh, I’m I’m going to go through their contract, but I know, for instance, like Nmith just signed a three-year, $33 million contract. I mean, that’s basically what we’re looking for the Heat to give Damen Mitchell, right? So, I mean, you’re not talking about huge numbers here. I mean, I’m looking at their cap this year, okay? Uh, Hallebertton makes 42. I mean, so they’re paying. Okay, Hallebertton makes 42. Seakkum makes 42. Again, inquired as a free agent. They’re paying. But just to be clear, they’ll never pay the luxury tax. Just put in perspective how the Heat are always over the tax. And we call the organization cheap. Indiana will never pay the tax because they want that dispersement back. No, I I know. But we don’t call them cheap. That’s No, no, no, no. Fans. Sorry. Fans. Well, and again, that’s the Twitter sphere, but I there is they are they’re in the top 10 in salary that you are. I mean, that’s just, you know, that is what it is. But I’m taking a look at like Hallebertton 42 million. Seakum 42 million. Turner 19.9. He’s going to be a free agent, right? So, that’s a decision they got to make. Toppin was a low-end trade with the Knicks. Okay. He’s become a key bench guy for them. 12.9. N Smith, we talked about this before the show, they acquired him, gave up a f late first and him and some other stuff. Uh, excuse me. And and u and Brock and No, they acquired him and a first for Brogden, right? Is that what they sold high on Malcolm Brogden essentially? Yes. Very high on Malcolm Brogden. Okay. Um, TJ McConnell’s on a on a veteran deal, 9.3 million. He’s tormented the Heat for years. Mathan’s on a rookie scale contract. Uh Drece Drece Walker uh who who played pretty well when he got some opportunity this year. He’s on a rookie scale contract. Uh we mentioned Shepard. Um and Nemhard’s on a rookie deal. You’re hitting key contenders on rookie deals. That’s you. I mean, well, because Nemhard was a second round pick and he’s actually the best kind of second round pick because they got him early in the second. So, they got a premium. I love those like top like top 10 of the second round cuz you get a chance that a good player slips through particularly if some of the foreign guys go in the first round that are being stashed and then you get that that second round one of those guys at the top of the second round still pretty good player most likely and yet you don’t really have to pay them yet. So I mean that’s that’s pretty good. But I mean you look at this sheet and Seakum what did they give up three first round picks for Seakum? Is that right? Yeah that sounds correct. I’ll I’ll check it. But I mean, look, I I think when we look at the parallels with the Heat, um, you know, the some of this is that the the Heat need a couple of guys to pan out here. Um, like I look at Hakez, okay? Like with what he showed his first year, you’ve got to get production out of him going forward if you’re not trading him. I mean, you have to get production. Yovic has to develop sooner rather than later and stay on the court especially you got a extension decision to make but like on those kind of things where you have some cost certainty at least at the time being like those players need to exceed their contracts. I mean we that’s that’s the thing about the modern NBA uh especially if you don’t have a true max max and I’m again I love Bam but he’s not a take over the game type guy on offense. Okay. So, and then we’re going to talk about Tyler sort of not being a two-way player. And so, if if that’s where you’re going to be, and I I thought there’s a great point that Mike Wallace made on the Memphis pot that we did, but he thinks the NBA needs to change some of these rules like the Super Max and I I made this point too that like New Orleans kind of drew the line with Brandon Ingram. Now, David Griffin has since lost his job, but like they they drew the line. know we’re just because you’re good and you can get this money doesn’t mean we’re going to give you this money and that is what the Heat have to do with Tyler and Ingram ended up getting 40 I believe from Toronto but he didn’t get 50 and this is there they’re not every max is a max like that’s that’s the thing there are like 10 guys in the league right and if you start giving maxes to guys who are not maxes that’s where you get in trouble now Seaka making 42 in the modern NBA Hallebertton’s contract seemed excessive when he signed it, but now you’re like, “Okay, 42 million. Desmond Bane’s making 50, right?” or something like that in Memphis. So, you’ll take it. Um, but that that’s the thing like you have to have guys overperform because again, you can’t really pay any more than two players more than 40 million each. You just can’t. And that that’s the timing of this too that I think is interesting when we talk about like finding the moment to strike when the iron’s hot. It’s like not only is the team healthy and they’ve got like some good veterans. Miles Turner is the only guy who’s stuck around there for a really long time. Um, but like they made the trade for Seakum. That’s worked out next to Hallebertton. But at the same moment, they have two rookies who are in the starting line or two young players, excuse me, on rookie contracts that are in the starting lineup ready to contribute at that same moment. when you’re separated in a conference by two games or four games or even six games between the top three seed and the seven seed for instance so many things come into play with matchups with who has home court and it’s just a few games that separate you so a lot of things do have to align and I don’t want to talk about the Pacers as if they’re a championship level team because we can’t gush over them too much because they have no titles compared to Miami’s titles at least when we talk NBA specific specifically. Um, and I’ll take Miamiy’s future over Indiana’s because I trust these guys to figure it out. But at this exact moment, they’ve made gamles and they they spent three picks on Seakum. I looked that up. Three picks of Bruce Brown is basically what they spent. So, you know what? They had a bloated expiring contract and they took a shot on an all-star that needed a new needed new scenery. And I bet there were a lot of people that said, “Well, Seakum Hallebertton, it’s a good team, but they have a ceiling.” and maybe they do have a ceiling, but part of this is you have to not think like that and you have to make a calculated risk and go for it. And I think that’s what the Heat are looking like that’s what fans are looking for the Heat to do for better or worse is kind of just an indication of which way we’re heading. And there’s been so many players that have moved, Ethan, like not just the Dames and the Durant of the world, but even like all of the smaller trades that could have happened where you supplemented the Jimmy build or tried to reinvigorate it the way that you did around Shaq and Dwayne, like there’s just that creativity appears to have been lost. And I just feel like that’s probably the thing where there’s if there’s opportunity to learn from Indiana, it’s that uh you know, you got to take the risks and and you have to pay up in this NBA there. There’s no team that is going to even the Lakers and the Celtics are having to give up significant draft capital to make a lot of the trades that they’ve made. the Celtics got lucky with Porzingis, but I think it’s just a different landscape where people waltzing into your cap space is no longer going to take place like it happened with the big three and the Heat acquiring Jimmy with no cap space like they did in 2019. I don’t I can’t remember another organization pulling that off since. So, we probably shouldn’t bank on it as a precedent that was set. No, you’re right. And then it’s also a question of how much time a core needs. And you know, the Heat gave their core basically six years. Um, and as as Spo said, it was a great five years. I mean, that that’s pretty much pretty much where they’re at. And okay, now now, like I said, everything should be on the table. Doesn’t mean that you’re rushing to dump Bam and Tyler. It just means everything should be on the table. And then you got a new core that you got to try to assemble and and put together. And the Pacers may go the other direction. Other some of these other teams, but to to Brian’s overall point and that pod, I’ve already ced one of them. We’re going to do another one. But to his overall point, and we’ll, you know, when we post that, you people get a sense of it is that Detroit’s coming. They have a superstar now. Okay. And now they can kind of figure out what they’re going to put around Kade because I think Kade is the kind of guy you can build the team around. Um, Orlando is not going to get worse. I don’t think they they seems like they’re all in. They kind of know what their deficiencies are. Um so you look at some of these other teams in the east. It’s not and that’s why he was like and we’re not even talking about the west and all OKC’s picks. Fact that Joic is still in Denver. Um who knows what’s going to go on with the Lakers and and Luca. Uh but there’s a lot of there’s a lot of traffic in the way right now. And basically what Brian is saying is, you know what, it’s just like any of those nights you’re coming back from from the arena, and I can speak to this because it takes me an hour and 45 minutes sometimes to get home from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. I I I’m not a Dade County fan. Uh and you’re and at a certain point sometimes I just decide, you know what? I’m going to get off on US1 and go to Steve’s Pizza. Just [ __ ] it. Like I’m not I’m not going to fight this. Like what is a one year thing? Is that what you’re saying though? And I know that I want to lean into that’s what that’s basic that’s basically what he’s saying. And I he’ll get into the detail there, but it’s like you’re driving home. They’ve shut this down right now. The NBA is shut down to one lane. Okay. And I I can tell you what are they doing with that construction down there, by the way. What what I know you don’t live here anymore, but you’re from that area under construction forever. Especially North Miami. What the hell are they? There’s nobody even working. Okay. They just shut it down to f with me and and everybody else. Brady took like three and a half hours to get home the other day. Okay. He’s not even old enough to drive. And so we’re we’re you know, you’re driving up and it’s like you got to get off. And that’s kind of what the NBA looks like to me right now for the Heat. It’s like all right, we could try to fight all this traffic or you know, we get off on the exit. We wait it out for an hour, but all the one seeds are down in their current series. So, there’s also an argument to be made that if you assemble it right, maybe you can pick off a top team. So, right, more to be discussed. May anyway, I’m hungry. All right, have a I know you are too because you love that place. All right. Uh, thanks to Greg. Uh, thanks to our sponsors to clean Florida Price Pics. Use the code five fiv. Get on there today. That keeps us in business. Have a good one, everybody. Thank you for listening to the five on the floor on the five reason sports network. After all, someone needs to listen to my dad.

On April 7, 2024, the Miami Heat were positioned to pass the mid-market Indiana Pacers for a playoff spot. They fell behind early, and lost a close game late. Since then, the two franchises have gone different directions, with the Pacers close to a second straight conference finals. What happened? What can be learned? What happens now? Ethan and Greg discuss.

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