Miami, FL

3 Reasons Heat Must Go All In On Damian Lillard Trade After Losing Out On Bradley Beal

Published

1 year ago

June 19, 2023

3 Reasons Heat Must Go All In On Damian Lillard Trade After Losing Out On Bradley Beal

The first domino of the NBA offseason has fallen, with Bradley Beal set to head to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards. With the Miami Heat touted as the other team likely to land the former Wizards star, this may look like their second loss in a week after they went down in the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets. But it doesn’t have to be.

As good as Beal is, he’s not Damian Lillard, and the Heat look set to make a major play for the Portland Trail Blazers’ point guard over the coming days and weeks. Lillard hasn’t officially requested a trade out of Portland but the rumor mills have been in overdrive, and the Heat are reportedly confident that he will during the offseason. He’s already suggested Miami would be high on his list of teams he’d like to play for – particularly once they failed to win the championship – meaning the Heat look like one of, if not the, frontrunners to land the 32-year-old.

But should they? Invariably they’ll have to give up plenty, and with Lillard 32 years old and Jimmy Butler 33, it would be very much an ‘all the eggs in one basket’ scenario for the Heat if they bring him in. But while those concerns are valid, Damian Lillard is Damian Lillard. Here are three reasons why the Miami Heat should do all they can to secure his signature this offseason.

1. Damian Lillard is, like, really good

This might seem obvious, but it’s also pretty relevant. Lillard isn’t just a pretty good player who could bring an extra couple of wins with him to Miami – he’s one of the absolute best of the best, a seven-time All-Star and, importantly, someone renowned for his ability to thrive in the most pressure-packed moments. You know who else has that reputation? Jimmy Butler. Put these two together and you’ve got an extremely clutch pairing.

Lillard’s points average has hovered in the high 20s for much of his career, and peaked last year at 32.2 points. His shot range knows no bounds, and with the Heat not a particularly good shooting team – save for an anomalous playoff series aside – that floor-spacing would be welcomed. What’s more, though he’s known more for his scoring than passing, Lillard is also a good playmaker, averaging over seven assists per game in each of his past four seasons. The Heat don’t have a bonafide point guard – Tyler Herro is the closest thing (and whether he would survive a trade for Lillard is far from certain) while in his absence Gabe Vincent was starting in the position in the playoffs.

Lillard is a brilliant player, one of the best in the world, and every team in the league would welcome him with open arms. Add to that the fact that he would complement the Heat’s existing pieces nicely, and it’s easy to understand why they’re reportedly so keen on him.

2. The Miami Heat need another piece

It’s a sometimes overrated idea in the NBA and sports more generally that you need to be a perfect team to win a championship. Every team is flawed, and it’s not always the best team that ends up victorious, even in a seven-game series. The Heat showed as much by beating the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, but against the Denver Nuggets they realistically didn’t look like getting close from pretty early on in that series.

Their undrafted fleet is a whole lot more capable than most gave them credit for, but the likes of Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and co can only do so much. That leaves a whole lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Butler and Bam Adebayo, and as good as they are they’re also overmatched by many other duos in the league.

The Heat were just a solitary series away from winning the championship, and generally in my view if you get that close you’re capable of winning it if things go your way. That may still ring true, but as far as NBA Finals teams go, this Heat side is one which could certainly use a little more juice. With Damian Lillard, Butler and Adebayo, combined with their almost unparalleled ability to be a better whole than the sum of their parts, they would be a great chance to get back to the Finals next season.

3. Butler ain’t getting any younger

Jimmy Butler wasn’t at his absolute best during the latter stages of the playoffs, but early on he showed what Playoffs Jimmy is capable of. He’s the focal point of this team and is still more than capable of putting his teammates on his back, but he’s also going to turn 34 later this year. His isn’t a game which is hugely reliant on athleticism so, hopefully, he still has a few good years left, but it would be understandable to see him begin to wane slightly over the next couple of years.

They need to capitalize while Butler is still in or close to his prime, and the addition of one of the best players in the league sounds like a pretty good way to do that. For Miami, the time is now – Dame Time, that is.

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Miami, FL

How To Watch: No. 8 Miami’s Final Regular Season Game at Syracuse

Published

5 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

How To Watch: No. 8 Miami’s Final Regular Season Game at Syracuse

It’s do-or-die now for The Miami Hurricanes. Win and they are headed to Charlotte to face the SMU Mustangs for the Chance at hold the ACC Title for the first time since joining the conference in 2004.

First, they have to defeat one of the best offenses in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Syracuse Orange led by Kyle McCord who is also on a mission of his own.

The Hurricanes have the No. 1 offense in the country but with a questionable defense, it could be hard to say what makes of the Canes and their championship asperation. One step at a time for the Hurricanes however as they look to get some players back for the final game of the season in the likes of Elijah Alston and Damari Brown.

The the additon of those two players on the defensive side of the ball, the Hurricanes could push pass the Orange and the offense that stands in their way. They will try to do it led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Cam Ward and his gunslinging arm and litany of weapons surrounding him.

Date: November 30

Time: 3:30 ET

TV: ESPN

Location: JMA Wireless Dome

Series: The Hurricanes lead the series 16-7 against the Orange.

Last Matchup: The Hurricanes dominated on defense in a 27-19 victory where Syracuse QB Eric Dungey threw four interceptions. Canes QB Malik Rosier threw for 344 yards and two TDs.

Miami, FL

Dolphins-Patriots 2024 Week 12 Five Biggest Storylines

Published

13 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Dolphins-Patriots 2024 Week 12 Five Biggest Storylines

The Miami Dolphins will look to move their record to 5-6 when they face the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

The Dolphins are coming consecutive victories against the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots are 3-8 and coming off a Week 11 home loss against the Rams.

The Dolphins are looking for a second consecutive season sweep of the Patriots after winning at Gillette Stadium, 15-10, in Week 5.

Here are the five biggest storylines for this year’s Week 12 matchup.

The biggest difference in this matchup from Week 5 is at quarterback where Tua Tagovailoa and Drake Maye have replaced Tyler “Snoop” Huntley and Jacoby Brissett. The Dolphins offense has been humming with Tagovailoa back in the lineup, and a big reason is the quarterback is playing the best football of his career. There’s no reason to think that run can’t continue against the Patriots.

The third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Maye was put into the starting lineup the week after the Dolphins played at Gillette Stadium, and he has shown enough to have everybody in Patriots land excited about the future. While they got only two sacks, the Dolphins harassed Brissett throughout the Week 5 game, but now Maye has the mobility to turns those pressure into positive gains. At the very least, this should be a tougher matchup for the Dolphins defense.

The Dolphins were able to pull out a victory in that Week 5 game despite getting a late scare, but also because their running game kept producing. It hasn’t been great the past two weeks, but fullback Alec Ingold will be back in the lineup after sitting out with a calf injury and that could make a difference and bring back another performance like we saw in Week 5.

In the Patriots offense, the player to watch (besides Maye, obviously) is tight end Hunter Henry, particularly in light of the problems the Dolphins had with Brock Bowers last Sunday. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has promised to do whatever it takes to keep Henry in check, and that certainly could include putting Jalen Ramsey on him if needed.

One reason the Dolphins almost lost the Week 5 matchup despite keeping the Patriots offense in check was a brutal performance by the special teams that included a blocked punt, missed field goal and botched snap on another field goal attempt. That they were able to survive those mistakes and still win was pretty remarkable, and the Dolphins shouldn’t tempt fate again.

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Miami, FL

Design Miami 2024 is alive with possibility: here are 13 things to see

Published

22 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Design Miami 2024 is alive with possibility: here are 13 things to see

As 2024 hurtles towards a close, the final major design event of the year is almost upon us. Design Miami will open the doors to its 20th edition from 4-8 December with a preview day on 3 December. What started as a modest gathering in 2005 during Art Basel Miami Beach has grown into a leading global fair with annual editions in Miami, Basel, Paris and, for the first time this year, Los Angeles.

The Miami iteration has helped to revitalise the city’s design district and continues to attract designers, collectors, and curators from around the world, all in search of high design with a side of winter sun.

What to see: Design Miami 2024 highlights

Curated by American curator and author Glenn Adamson, this year’s fair is centred around the theme Blue Sky, exploring bold and imaginative design that exceeds expectations. ‘Design is inherently a speculative venture,’ says Adamson, ‘and also a collective one – a shared framework of reference at a time of global interconnection. The theme presents an opportunity to celebrate Design Miami’s role as a platform for the 21st-century avant-garde – showcasing the very best in contemporary and historic design for two decades.’

Among the names in this year’s line-up are Design Miami stalwarts like bi-coastal US gallery The Future Perfect, alongside debutants such as London’s Lamb Gallery. Exhibited works run the gamut in terms of scale and origin, from bold sculptures that resemble oversized Ndebele jewellery to intricate Werregue side tables from Colombia. Here are the exhibitors on our hit list.

1. The Future Perfect

‘Song of the Forest’ sconce, by Vikram Goyal for The Future Perfect

(Image credit: Courtesy The Future Perfect)

In its largest booth to date, The Future Perfect will present nearly 100 new works from more than 20 emerging and established artists, including Chris Wolston, Lindsey Adelman (both among 50 top American creatives photographed by Inez & Vinoodh for Wallpaper* earlier in 2024), and Cody Hoyt. The exhibition also features six new artists making their Design Miami debut, including Anina Major, Laurids Gallée, and Olivia Cognet. Additionally, Indian designer Vikram Goyal will showcase his intricate metalwork for the first time in the US, bringing India’s rich artisanal history to South Beach.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

2. The 2024 Annual Design Commission: Nicole Nomsa Moyo

Nicole Moyo in red, beside giant colourful sculpture in white space — Nicole Moyo with work for *Pearl Jam*

The Miami Design District, in collaboration with the Design Miami Curatorial Lab, has announced Nicole Nomsa Moyo as the recipient of the 2024 Design Commission. Moyo’s vibrant installation, Pearl Jam, is inspired by the intricate patterns of South Africa’s Ndebele tribe and will include interactive sculptures throughout the neighbourhood, including oversized pearls, deconstructable necklaces, and radiant earrings. The installation also honours the craftsmanship of Ndebele women who will handcraft over 1,000 ‘earrings’ using locally sourced materials.

Dates: 1-9 December 2024
Location: Miami Design District

3. Lasvit: ‘Herbarium’

Suspended cluster of blue glass chandelier pieces, with glass etched like plant fronds — Detail of Lasvit’s ‘Herbarium’

Made from hundreds of suspended glass droplets, each featuring the form of a delicate plant, Herbarium is an immersive lighting installation by Czech glass company Lasvit, which will provide a little theatre at the fair. It is made from a new type of glass that incorporates repurposed waste, and users can adjust the colour of the light to create an ever-changing experience. Additionally, Lasvit will pay homage to postmodernist designer Borek Sipek, featuring pieces inspired by his legacy, alongside a mirror inspired by Miami’s sand.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

4. Ralph Pucci: ‘Primal Mysteries’

Ralph Pucci lamp with black sculptural base and brown shade — From Ralph Pucci’s ‘Primal Mysteries’ collection
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Last year saw Ralph Pucci open a 10,000 sq ft gallery in Miami’s Wynwood. This year, he follows up with ‘Primal Mysteries’, his eponymous gallery’s first in-house collection in over a decade. The collection, which includes new lighting and tables, is inspired by figures from sculpture and painting, including Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brâncuși, and is handcrafted from clay and plaster at Ralph Pucci’s Manhattan studio. The gallery will also showcase Marjorie Salvaterra’s surreal photographic work Sheila in Technicolor and new pieces by longtime collaborator, French designer Patrick Naggar.

Dates: 3-9 December 2024
Location: Ralph Pucci (Miami), 550 NW 28th St Miami, FL 33127

5. Southern Guild

Red sculpture resembling a cockerel — Andile Dyalvane, ‘iThwasa’, 2024

Southern Guild will showcase the work of 12 leading African ceramic artists, presenting an exploration of the medium’s historical roots and its modern resurgence. The works on display include sculptures, vessels, and furniture by artists such as Andile Dyalvane, Michal Korycki, and Jabulile Nala, among others. These pieces highlight the intersection of tradition, technique, and symbolism within African culture and provide a compelling narrative on the evolving nature of ceramics in contemporary art.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Convention Centre Drive and 19th Street, Miami Beach, Booth G28

6. Lexus and Crafting Plastics: ‘Liminal Cycles’

Colourful material samples — Material experiments and samples from Crafting Plastics’ project with Lexus

Located in the sculpture garden at Miami’s Institute of Contemporary Art, Liminal Cycles is an interactive installation by Lexus in collaboration with design and research studio Crafting Plastics. At its heart, are four environmentally responsive bioplastic sculptures that engage with viewers through sight, sound, smell, and touch, including a central sculpture inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC concept car that changes colour in response to UV levels. To accompany the installation, Lexus will debut a capsule collection of 26 limited-edition collectible design objects developed in collaboration with clean fragrance brand dilo.

Dates: 3-8 December, 2024
Location: ICA Miami Sculpture Garden, 61 NE 41st Street, Miami, Florida 33137

7. æquõ

Valeriane Lazard Daybed Design Miami — Daybed by Valeriane Lazard for æquo

Following its 2023 debut, India’s collectible design gallery æquõ returns to Design Miami with a curated collection that merges traditional Indian craftsmanship with contemporary design. Featuring designers like Mumbai-based Chamar Studio and Belgian Linde Freya Tangelder, æquo’s pieces embody the concept of balance, where designer and artisan are given equal status. This year’s show places particular focus on practices from Maharashtra, where materials are as much a part of the story as the design itself.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

8. Sarah Myerscough Gallery: ‘Rest and Reflection’

Twisted terracotta vase — ‘Twisted Pair, Natural (Large)’, 2023, by Gareth Neal for Sarah Myerscough Gallery
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The intimate relationship between humans and their bedrooms will be explored in Sarah Myerscough Gallery’s presentation at Design Miami. Featuring new works by Marc Fish, Tadeas Podracky, and others, the collection demonstrates how the design of personal spaces can foster emotional wellbeing and invites visitors to reconsider the role of the bedroom as a sanctuary for rest and solitude.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

9. Theoreme Editions

White, curved sofas and green stone side tables — ‘Achille Sistema’, by Pool for Theoreme Editions

Making its Design Miami debut, French gallery Theoreme Editions will showcase a collection that meditates on the emotive power of colour and material. Featuring works crafted from alluring and tactile materials, such as onyx, mohair, and translucent blue resin, the pieces examine how colour and texture can elicit emotional responses that transcend visual aesthetics.

Dates: December 3-8, 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

10. Lamb Gallery: ‘Magnetic Midnight Maison’

Colourful chess and backgammon tables from above — Chess and backgammon tables, 2023, part of ‘Magnetic Midnight Maison’ by Lucía Echavarría for Lamb Gallery

Part of Curios – a platform dedicated to immersive exhibitions – London’s Lamb Gallery makes its Design Miami debut with ‘Magnetic Midnight Maison’, a collection of work by French Colombian designer Lucía Echavarría that blends Colombian artistry with Miami’s art deco palette.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

11. Meritalia: Le Edizioni del Pesce

Half ball vases by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia at Design Miami 2024 — ‘Half Ball’ vases by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia

Meritalia returns to Design Miami with ‘Le Edizioni del Pesce’, a tribute to the late and great Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, who died earlier in 2024 at the age of 84. Displayed as part of the fair’s Curio platform, Meritalia’s selection will include everything from umbrella racks and coat hangers, to mirrors and lamps that showcase Pesce’s unmistakable sculptural style and inventive approach to materials.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: Design Miami, Miami Beach

12. Mindy Soloman Gallery: Jaime Hayon, ‘Bestial’

Turquoise sculpture of mouse-like creature on roller skates — Jaime Hayon, ‘Lost’, 2024

Spanish designer Jaime Hayon will reveal a previously unseen aspect of his oeuvre at Mindy Soloman Gallery – a series of fantastical large-scale paintings and sculptures. Featuring surreal creatures and strange flora realised in fibreglass, acrylic on canvas and Murano glass, the works explore the complex relationship between humankind and nature. ‘Bestial is an exploration of the wild side in all of us,’ says Hayon. ‘Each creature I’ve crafted is a piece of that raw, untamed spirit within us.’

Dates: 30 November 2024 – 18 January 2025
Location: Mindy Solomon Gallery, 848 NW 22nd Street, Miami, Florida

13. Alcova Miami

marble tables from above — ‘XC Objects’ by Parasite 2.0 x Bianco67
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Alcova Miami returns for its second edition taking over the city’s pastel-hued River Inn hotel. Among the venue’s palms and vegetation, visitors will discover work by a host of international designers and collectives. Highlights include ‘Something Last’, an immersive show of monochromatic pieces, including handcrafted wood furniture, porcelain lighting, architectural ceramics and metal fixtures, curated by Los Angeles designer Jialun Xiong. LcD Textile will present ‘Metallic Ocean’, a textile installation crafted from semi-precious metal mesh handmade in Belgium, while Ukrainian brand Furn Object will showcase nature-inspired furniture and objects.

Dates: 3-8 December 2024
Location: River Inn, 118 SW South River Drive, Miami, Florida 33130

designmiami.com

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