Pat Riley reveals that playmaking is the Heat's priority in the offseason over shooting

8 hours ago 2

After trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Miami Heat know they have some problems to address. The ceiling is higher with a legitimate superstar leading the charge. However, he will need a good supporting cast that complements his play style.

Plenty of detractors have pointed out how Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in the same frontcourt lack perimeter shooting. It is a fair point to make, and team president Pat Riley acknowledges it, but he sees a bigger problem. Riley believes that the Heat needs playmakers more than knockdown shooters.

Pat Riley speaks about perimeter shooting not being the priority for the Heat

It is normal for NBA fans to clamor for perimeter shooting because that has been the backbone of every championship-winning team for the past decade. The Heat have a superb frontcourt duo with Adebayo and Antetokounmpo, but their offense might struggle with them paired up.

They are excellent players, but they do lack floor spacing. Both of them are decent shooters, but they are not reliable with their jump shots beyond the mid-range area. That is why Heat fans want more shooters around them to capitalize on the gravity they have.

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Despite those calls for shooters, it seems that Riley is looking to address one other problem. He wants to focus on solving the playmaking issue, which has troubled the Heat for the longest time, as they don't have the best ball-handlers.

"Everybody talks about shooting; that’s not the main priority right now. It’s another playmaker. Tyler (Herro) was great, Norm Powell, they can score at the end of games," Riley said about what the Heat needs while on The Dan LeBatard Show.

While it is okay to look for playmakers first, they do need to address the shooting problem. They have a higher ceiling if they do get shooters, and head coach Erik Spoelstra would be ecstatic to have a more complete roster to compete against the best teams in the Eastern Conference.