Miami Heat: 3 budding NBA stars who could benefit from The Culture

While NBA fans are focused on if James Harden would be a good fit for the Miami Heat or not, there are other stars who would benefit from The Culture.

Houston Rockets star James Harden supposedly wants a trade. The Miami Heat are rumored to be one of his top landing spots. Will the 31-year-old end up in South Florida? That’s still to be determined. Would he be a good fit? That’s an even more debatable question.

While some members of Heat Nation are urging the front office to do whatever it takes to land the guard, others are happy to pass on him entirely.

On the one hand, Harden is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league currently and has only gotten better with age, having averaged a whopping 34.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 36.5 minutes of play, in 2019-20. He’s been named an All-Star eight times, won Sixth Man of the Year in 2012 and took home the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2018.

Seems like a no-brainer, right?

But on the other, besides what the Heat would have to give up for Los Angeles-native, many are questioning if his persona would really be the right fit for Miami’s Culture – a worry only made worse, by Harden’s recent apparent weight gain.

Regardless of what’s right, with all the recent speculation, it’s hard not to think about other NBA talent who could use a little Culture in their lives.

Kyle Kuzma

A Los Angeles Lakers fan or not, chances are you have an opinion on Kyle Kuzma.

Having been drafted in 2017 by the Brooklyn Nets, the 25-year-old was traded to the Lakers that night, in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.

And while he may have made the 2018 NBA All-Rookie First Team, as well as has a 2020 Championship under his belt, his career thus far has been paved with inconsistency and therefore met with skepticism.

The college standout has the raw talent to be a threat on both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-8, Kuzma has the size to shoot over defenders, as well as stop play on the other side of the court. All he still needs is to believe in himself, regardless of whether he’s coming off the bench or starting.

"“I just think in my career, my role has changed kind of every year,” Kuzma explained. “So for me, I’ve had to adapt my game and figure out ways to affect the game in different ways, much more than other guys on that trajectory.”"

So what would a skilled young fella, whose confidence has simply been shaken by uncertainty about his role, benefit from? A good ol’ dose of Pat Riley guidance, of course.

Lauri Markkanen

Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls haven’t provided much for fans to rejoice over, for the past few years. Between the failure of The Three Alphas, injuries aplenty and suspect coaching, it’s safe to say trading for rookie Lauri Markkanen in 2017, was one of few bright moments.

However, the big man hasn’t quite lived up to all the hype just yet.

Despite the Finland-native arriving with great promise to be a sharp-shooter, he has struggled recently, especially from 3-point land. And although some of this can be attributed to the team’s former questionable offense, Markkanen certainly needs to find his stroke again if the Bulls want to be able to count on him as a marksman.

"“He’s taking the right shots,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “That’s probably an area he needs to continually improve upon… Hopefully as his career unfolds and the older he gets, the more consistent he can get from behind the line.”"

It seems as though perhaps he could use some training alongside the likes of Miami Heat 3-ball assassins, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robison.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons has a lot going right for him.

At just 24, he has already made quite a name for himself, helping to shape the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuild, along with Joel Embiid. He earned Rookie of the Year in 2018, is a two-time All-Star and led the league in steals last season (2.1 per game), while also averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists in 35.4 minutes.

However, his at-times arrogant and defiant demeanor, initially had some people questioning his continued climb to the top. In fact, his work ethic and so-labeled elitist attitude, almost ruined his chances at being drafted No. 1 overall, in 2016.

And now, it seems he still has a chip on his shoulder, from a grueling knee injury that derailed his 2019-20 run.

"“Yeah, I’m a player, man,” he said, heading into preseason. “There’s no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with me, I’m a player. I don’t really think you can put me in a position because of my talents, what I’m able to do.”"

Well, it just so happens that misunderstood ballers are sort of the Heat’s specialty.

It’s no secret that Miami Heat Culture isn’t for everyone, but some guys around the league may still want to adopt bits and pieces of that mindset.