The Miami Heat have labeled themselves as the ultimate "whale hunters" in the NBA, but have found little to no success recently. The biggest problem with their big swings and misses for star players is the fact that they keep selling a dream that never feels like it's ever going to come to reality.
And it's getting to a point where fans, and some in the media, are beginning to get fed up with it.
In fact, former NBA coach Mo Dahkil couldn't have said it better on a recent episode of The Zach Lowe show, when he called out the Heat's front office for being pretty mediocre over the last few years, and, perhaps most importantly, not coming through with their promise of acquiring stars.
"“We kill the Bulls for being on the treadmill of mediocrity, how long are we going to allow Miami to get away with this as well? — I’m tired of this thing like ‘we’re whale hunters!’ Then they never do…. Don’t come out and say we’re whale hunters because it just doesn’t happen anymore. Not even smart moves around the edges, maybe make a few moves to get assets back. Then be ready when the Giannis trade comes. They don’t even prepare for that. They just assume everybody is going to want Tyler Herro. I’m out, I’m tired of it”"
Mo Dahkil on the Heat
Dahkil is 100 percent right here.
I don't doubt that the Heat's front office genuinely wants to acquire a superstar player. I mean, who wouldn't? It's certainly a high priority for this front office. However, the lack of preparation that the Heat's front office consistently shows is indefensible.
The Heat have failed to prepare for the star chase
A team whose philosophy is to "chase stars" prepares for it. It just doesn't decide a few months before an offseason that they plan on pursuing a superstar. Even in the free agency era of the Association, there are almost always steps of preparation that are needed.
Miami did so in anticipation of the 2010 offseason, in which they landed LeBron James and Chris Bosh in free agency. There were tangible moves the team made in an attempt to take a slight step back in hopes of taking a big one forward.
We haven't seen that from the front office lately. The Heat have failed miserably on that front, and it's come to the point where it's started to cost them stars.
The Heat did not learn from their Giannis mistake
The most frustrating part about it is that it doesn't appear as if the Heat is learning from past mistakes. After falling a couple of first-round picks short in their pursuit of Giannis at the trade deadline, Miami refused to sell on their veterans before the deadline.
Even if they weren't these grand moves, adding a couple more assets (even if they're just multiple second-round picks) in anticipation of another Giannis pursuit this upcoming offseason would've seemed like a move to prepare for the move. The Heat didn't do that and decided to chase another Play-In Tournament spot instead.
Right now, the Heat are stuck in the middle. They're approaching their fourth-straight year of being a Play-In Tournament team in the Eastern Conference. That's not acceptable, and shouldn't be for this front office.
But the longer they refuse or falter to change with the times, the more this franchise is going to continue to sell a dream to fans that they can't seem to make happen.