The NBA season is finally here and with that, Miami Heat basketball is back. The Heat have started the 2023-2024 season with a blistering 2-4 record… yikes. Thankfully, it is still early in the year, so there is plenty of time to turn things around. It's not time to panic just yet. Here are some thoughts.
1. Bam Adebayo has been the Heat's best player to start this season.
Adebayo is averaging 21/7/2 on 52% shooting. Adebayo’s offensive game has grown every year in the league. There is a noticeable change in his comfort level this season, especially in the midrange. He is now comfortable taking any midrange shot, even if there is a defender nearby. There is no more hesitating, looking around and hoping someone comes to take the ball from him. Now, upon catching the ball, he immediately looks to score. The midrange is Adebayo’s best weapon and should give him more space to drive past defenders for easy points.
One thing Adebayo could still improve on is his assist numbers. He is one of the best passing bigs in the NBA and it seems to be an underutilized tool. That does not mean he should stop taking the shots the defense gives him, but there could be more opportunities for him to act as a primary playmaker for Miami. We’ve seen flashes of this when he brings the ball up the court and gets the offense going.
Adebayo is still among the best defenders in the NBA. The things he is capable of doing on the defensive end are mind-blowing. Adebayo is the ultimate switchable defender and unlocks everything for Miami on the defensive end. One of the funnier things to see is when opposing guards get a switch before realizing it's Adebayo, and then IMMEDIATELY passing out of the matchup. If Adebayo does not win a Defensive Player of the Year award by the time he retires, it would be a crime.
2. Tyler Herro, Baby Goat, Boy Wonder, or simply just Bucket.
It doesn’t matter what you want to call him, the dude can flat-out score. Herro is cooking, and there’s a small subset of Heat fans so dug into their opinions that they refuse to enjoy his play. They want so badly for him to fail so they can brag about being right, while he’s just out there hoopin'. He even outplayed Damian Lillard in the game against the Bucks (ignore the final score, please and thank you).
Herro is averaging 26/5/5 on 45% shooting to start the year. In 4 of the first 6 games, Herro has shot at least 50% from the field. And in 5 of the 6 games, he has shot at least 40% from the three-point line. He seems to have stepped up his game this offseason and looks to be a legit scoring option. The Heat have struggled on offense to start the year, but it cannot be attributed to Herro.
One of the biggest things that stands out about Herro is that he invites contact on many of his drives. In previous years, it seemed he would shy away from contact, thus altering his shot and not getting him foul calls. There have been many instances this year where Herro has gone into the chest of a defender to get to the basket. It so far has not translated into many free throw attempts, but if he continues this mindset, those numbers will surely follow.
Another noticeable aspect of Herro’s play so far is his activity on the defensive end. He has been finding ways to make an impact at points of the game with his defense. He has added muscle, which not only helps with contact, but allows him to be more physical on the defensive end while challenging offensive players. Herro is still far from what would be considered a defensive stopper, but it would not be surprising if he makes some key plays to win a game or two on the defensive end this season.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is showing off what the Heat saw in him.
Even in bad games, Jaquez Jr. looks for ways to contribute. He is constantly active on the floor and works hard to impact the little things. His defense has stood out as his calling card. He seems to have good hands and does not make stupid mistakes on the defensive end of the floor. His defense will very likely be an asset to the Heat as the year goes on.
On top of his defense, he has flashed some offensive potential. He has had solid games offensively; nothing special, just solid. He still has plenty of room to improve on his shot but he is confident enough to keep shooting even when his shot isn’t falling. If you watch a lot of rookies, you will notice how they stop shooting or get disengaged when they aren’t scoring. Jaquez Jr. will never have that problem. He never seems to lose confidence in what he knows he can do. A perfect example is the Brooklyn game: he started off the game taking 4 threes in less than 4 minutes of game time. That didn’t prevent him from continuing to be aggressive and he proceeded to shoot 2 more threes and 5 more shots overall. To be a rookie and have that much confidence in yourself is crazy. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.
4. Nikola Jovic minutes?
The Heat have been decimated by injuries at the power forward position to start the year. Kevin Love, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith have all missed games due to injuries. Given that, the team could've given Jovic more of a consistent chance to show what he can do. He rebounds the ball well, which is something the Heat need help with. He also has guard-like skills and can space the floor to give more room for Jimmy Butler and Bam to operate in. It would even be interesting to see how Jovic would look in more of a point guard role. He has the tools to potentially make it work and Eric Spoelstra could mold him into a great playmaker. It's difficult to question Spoelstra on personnel decisions given his track record, but it was surprising that Jovic has not received more of an opportunity thus far. Jovic will likely get more opportunities as they are presented, and it is going to be on Jovic to take advantage of those opportunities and earn himself minutes.
Comments