Trevor Ariza could prove to be key in the postseason for the Miami Heat.
Not much was thought of when the Miami Heat acquired Trevor Ariza, who had yet to play in a game this season, from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a pre-trade deadline deal.
However, nearly 10 games into his tenure with the Heat it’s becoming clear that this move could end up being one of the most underrated trades from deadline season. This may be a deal that pays big dividends in the postseason, much like their acquisition of Jae Crowder did just a season ago.
Even though Ariza got off to a rough start – which was expected as he worked his way into playing shape and until he shook off his rust – he’s consistently played a vital role of the team defensively and has begun to show flashes of his old self on the offensive end recently.
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During Ariza’s first seven games with the Heat, he only averaged six points per game on 28 percent shooting from the field and 19 percent shooting from 3-point range. However, it seems as if Ariza is beginning to find a rhythm with the Heat’s offense over the last two games.
In those two games, Ariza has looked like a more comfortable player with the Heat. He’s averaging 12.5 points and three rebounds on 53 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
It’s an extremely small sample size and it would be unfair to expect Ariza to keep playing at such an efficient pace, but if he can even be 75 percent of the player that he’s been over the last couple of games, he’s going to prove to be extremely valuable for the Heat.
Miami was understandably intrigued by Ariza due to his defensive prowess – he is an ideal 3-and-D weapon that can guard nearly every position on the floor. If he can give anything offensively, he could be Jae Crowder 2.0 – a player that the Heat has desperately missed through the first two-thirds of this season.
The Miami Heat’s splash addition at the NBA Trade Deadline revolved around Victor Oladipo, but it might end up being Trevor Ariza that has the biggest impact on the team heading toward the playoffs.