The Miami Heat are currently heading into the second half of the season with a 30-25 record. They sit seventh in the East with a tie breaker over the Orlando Magic who sit in eighth with the same record. Miami is 1.5 games back of the sixth seeded Indiana Pacers, and with 27 games left in the season they are only three games back from the New York Knicks who hold the fourth seed. Before the second half of the season begins, here are our midseason awards for the team.
1. Most Valuable Player:
Bam Adebayo - 45 GP, 34.6 MPG, 20.2 PPG, 10.7 REB, 4.2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2.4 TO, 51% FG, 78.4% FT
The captain of the Miami has decreased his points per game each month, but his overall production on both ends of the floor has led to good success for the team. They are at a 113.5 defensive rating when Bam is on the court compared to 119.4 when he’s off the floor. Bam has adjusted well to the team’s rotation and new teammates regardless of who’s on the floor with him. There’s no telling where this team would be without him.
Highlight Performance: 11/06/2023 Triple-Double vs Lakers
22 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks. Complete dominance on both ends of the floor.
2. Most Improved Player:
Duncan Robinson - 50 GP, 27.4 MPG, 13.3 PPG, 2.4 REB, 2.8 AST, 1.3 TO, 45.9% FG, 41.2% 3PT, 89% FT, 62.3 TS%
Not only does Duncan have career-highs in each statistical category, he also has a team-high in 3PT% on more than three attempts per game. On top of that, his added playmaking abilities this season make Miami’s offense much more dynamic as opposed to when he was mainly a spot up three-point shooter. Duncan also raises Bam Adebayo’s ceiling, in doing so making the team exponentially better.
Highlight Performance: 12/22/2023 vs Hawks
27 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal on 73/57/100 shooting splits. Pure marksmanship.
3. Underperforming Player:
Caleb Martin - 38 GP, 26.6 MPG, 10 PPG, 4.5 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.1 TO, 45.1% FG, 35% 3PT, 76.3% FT
It has been a difficult year for Caleb Martin. He has battled through injuries, had rough stretches offensively, and has not been as versatile as he was a year ago on the defensive end. Over his past four starts, he has added a new dynamic for the Heat in the fastbreak, and has also stepped up off-ball defensively than he was throughout most of the year. Overall, he needs to get back to where he was in last year’s playoffs for this team’s success, whether it is starting or off the bench. One thing to say, those being his stats in an underperforming season brings optimism for what can potentially come.
Highlight Performance: 12/06/2023 at Toronto
24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 56% FG, 57% 3PT, +17. A glimpse of the man that carried the Heat through the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston in 2023.
4. Coaching:
Grade: B-
Erik Spoelstra is widely regarded as the best coach in the NBA today. His countless years of talent development, working with undrafted players, and wills the Heat to be the most prepared team in the league in the playoffs goes to show for it. However, this year has been very challenging for the Heat as they are third in the league in different starting lineups (29). His rotations have been tinkered and the players are still developing chemistry but if they can get back to being healthy, which they only were for three straight games, Spoelstra will be able to find more consistency in his rotations. There are still 27 games remaining, but Spoelstra has been much better with acclimating the starting lineup over the past eight games. We’ll be keeping an eye on all of this after the All-Star break is over. Spoelstra is known for being a “March” coach and tightens up his entire coaching tactics in this time of the season.
Thomas Bryant for underperforming