The Miami Heat are poised for a comeback year. Last year wasn’t a failure but it wasn’t what Heat fans would come to call a success after an NBA Finals appearance. The would-be championship Milwaukee Bucks ousted the team in the first round. Miami was clearly exhausted from a rushed season and no offseason.
Now entering the 2021-22 season, the Heat are looking forward, as they always do. They are doing remarkably well at both developing talent while also maintaining competitiveness. Organizationally, the team has been successful in the three forms of player acquisition: trades, free agency, and drafting. Most teams are good at one if they are lucky.
This all brings into focus the main things to pay attention to if you are a Heat fan this year.
Back-Court
The Miami back-court is one of the toughest in the league. Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry are both veteran presences that know how to defend and make plays. With Lowry being a newcomer to Miami, he could prove to be a more important acquisition than initially realized. Last season, Butler finished at the top of the league in assist percentage and usage. He performed exceptionally well, but that isn’t a sustainable expectation for him, especially given his defensive productivity either. He is going to wear out.
Adding an efficient veteran such as Lowry gives this team multiple facilitators and point of attack defenders, taking some of that workload off of Butler. Lowry doesn’t have as much size as Butler but has proven to be remarkably switchable in a variety of situations. Lowry just gives more breathing room on both sides of the ball. All of that combined with Eric Spoelstra’s proven prowess coaching stars gives Miami a very big upside going into this year.
Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro made news recently claiming he believes to be in the same conversation as Luka Doncic and Trae Young. This received criticism. As a fan, I may not believe him to be in that tier but I certainly believe that he believes that. Furthermore, if I’m a Heat fan, I want him to believe that. In basketball, and specifically at the NBA level, you need to have confidence in yourself that you can take on an opponent any given night. It’s a difficult balance finding the sweet spot between irrational confidence and real swagger. Herro, entering his third year, is in the perfect place to still find that for himself. If he can find his proper role among this line-up, he will have a great season and great NBA career. Herro has great mentors around him, and a great coach, he just needs to listen.
Bam Adebayo
Bam Adebayo is by far the most important Heat player as far as the team’s ceiling is concerned. Wings have taken over the league recently and Bam is a wing player center. He led Miami in rebounds last year, was the pivot point for the defense, and they now run the offense through him. Adebayo was among the bottom of the league in fouls given and maintained a high assist percentage. This all points to a few things. Firstly, Adebayo is a star, without any questions asked. Bam, without a doubt, will be a lock for All-NBA honors. Secondly, Bam understands how correct basketball is played. Both he and Butler have shown the uncanny ability to both score and pass. It can be difficult to know what the team needs play by play but the two work together to find cutters, or be finishers. They can get others involved or take it themselves. They know which is the right play for the right time.
Coaching
All of this, of course, is a result of good coaching. Eric Spoelstra is one of the few coaches in the NBA who will never get fired. It’s a short list. Popovich, Kerr, and Spo, that’s about it. Spoelstra’s maintained a successful tenor and proven he can be creative offensively and adamant about defense. Spoelstra’s competence is par for the course.
While we all know of Erik Spoelstra’s talents, there is another coach that is just as integral to this team’s success: Udonis Haslem.
Haslem is, of course, a player. He plays little to no minutes but that also serves a purpose. But the basics of it are that there is something about when direction comes from a player, a member of the brotherhood, instead of the coach. It’s an intangible quality that generates a different form of respect. If you’re watching Ted Lasso, Udonis is the “Roy Kent” of this team. Spoelstra and Haslem work collaboratively to find the best course of action for each situation. Some say it’s a bit too expensive to pay him $2.6 million but ownership is well aware he is worth every penny.