For the first time since June’s NBA Finals, the Miami Heat were back on the hardwood floor. They took on the Charlotte Hornets in their first preseason action this year. As always, we should note that preseason game results don’t matter as much. It’s mostly about getting players in rhythm, evaluating the roster, working through plays, and setting rotations. Still, it was an entertaining performance from the Heat. With that being said, here are my three takeaways from Tuesday’s action.

No Reliable True Point Guard

There’s still no reliable true point guard on the roster. Kyle Lowry remains the only true point guard on the roster. Lowry started alongside Tyler Herro on Tuesday. As evident last season, Lowry’s best role may be as a reserve. To combat this, the Heat will give more ball handling duties to Herro, Josh Richardson, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo. It’s very possible that Herro and Richardson will start together when the season starts. We got our first look at the combo during the game.

In the lineups the two players shared in the backcourt, Richardson was the one mostly handling the ball. Herro, on the other hand, played more off the ball. They had Herro running through more pin downs on the perimeter. Playing those two together makes sense. On the defensive end, Richardson can also take on the opposing team’s best guards as well.

Another Undrafted Gem?

Since the Heat Big 3 era ended, Miami has done a great job of finding undrafted gems and turning them into rotational players. We also see those players getting paid in free agency after playing with Miami. Just this past summer, we saw Gabe Vincent and Max Strus get paid. Now, Miami is seeking another gem to add to their system. And it appears that gem is Cole Swider, who has reportedly had a great camp. And he certainly showed it on Tuesday.

Swider missed his first couple of shots. But that didn’t deter him. He just kept letting it fly whenever the opportunity came, and it paid off in the end. Swider led the Heat’s 4th quarter comeback with 17 points in the period. He also made five triples as well. It’s early but it appears Miami may have found their next Duncan Robinson. If this continues, they’re going to need to lock him in quick before another team poaches him.

Jaime Jaquez is Ready

If I told you Jaime Jaquez was a rookie, you probably wouldn’t believe me. The Heat rookie looked more like a seasoned veteran player than a rookie. There’s just a lot of patience in his game. Unlike most rookies, he moved at his own pace and was never sped up. The one thing that really stood out from Jaquez’s performance was his advanced footwork. We got our first look at that midway through the second period with the play below.

After catching a pass on a cut toward the basket, Jaquez stopped at the edge of the paint, threw a ball fake at Hornets veteran forward Gordon Hayward with his left hand, spun the other way, and then stepped through for a layup with his right hand over Hayward and Hornets center Mark Williams, all while keeping his right pivot foot firmly planted to avoid the travel. Jaquez would finish the game with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Next up: The San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

Josh Richardson‘s return to the Miami Heat has been in the Heat’s sights, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. This has always been the case since 2019. A young dynamic two-way player, Richardson was always valued by Miami, but he had to be a part of the deal to acquire Jimmy Butler from Philadelphia. Since then, the 30-year-old swingman has moved around the league, playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs before coming back to Miami this summer on a two-year veteran’s minimum contract.

“It’s always kind of been there,” Richardson said of his return to the Heat. “It almost happened a couple times. But all the chips didn’t fall in place. But I mean, when I left, me and (coach Erik Spoelstra) talked about it that it was going to happen eventually. It’s just one of those things.”

Spoelstra recalls that conversation as well, during which he informed Richardson that the team would probably try to sign him again in the future. This summer, on the first night of free agency, Spoelstra made contact with Richardson and persuaded him to stay.

“It was one of those special conversations because we were able to revisit some of the things that we talked about back when he left,” Spoelstra said. “One of the things was he was a big piece, obviously, to get the transformative piece (Butler) for us. You take that as an incredible compliment as a player. Sometimes it sucks in this business to be involved in a move like that. But we invested so much in him.”

Richardson’s Role

The last time Richardson was in Miami, he was cast as the Heat’s number one option. However, his role is entirely different now with Butler and Bam Adebayo being the Heat’s two all-stars. Given the current roster construction, the 30-year-old guard might end up as the Heat’s starting point guard or shooting guard, sixth man, or perimeter defensive specialist, among other roles. He’s a capable shooter and dependable defender who can fit into any lineup. We’ll find out where Richardson lands once the regular season starts on October 25.

After losing in the NBA Finals, it was a quick turnaround for the Miami Heat. With the NBA Draft and Free Agency coming up, they immediately had to turn their attention to improving their roster. All-star guards Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard were immediately available for trade. Unfortunately, as we approach training camp, the Heat missed out on both guards. On Wednesday, Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, after months of trade discussions. With Lillard off the board, the Heat have questions to answer as the season approaches.

Who’s starting at Point Guard?

If you talk to anyone in the Heat front office, they will tell you they like their roster. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since they’re coming off an NBA Finals appearance. But yet, the roster still has positional areas that needs to be addressed, mainly the point guard position. Last year’s starting point guard Gabe Vincent left the Heat through free agency and Lillard is playing with Milwaukee. Currently, Kyle Lowry is the only true point guard on the roster, but he’s expected to come off the bench. With Lowry on the bench, that means the majority of the ball handling duties will come through either Tyler Herro or Jimmy Butler. So where does Miami go from here?

Miami needs to sign at least one more player to a standard contract before the start of the regular season even though the Heat’s roster has already reached the preseason roster limit of 21 players. This is because the new CBA makes it difficult for teams to consistently carry less than 14 players on guaranteed contracts. They could go after former Heat point guard Goran Dragic, who has expressed interest in returning. The Heat can only offer the veteran minimum for any potential free agent options. The other option could be exploring the trade market for point guards. The best guard on the market Jrue Holiday, was traded Sunday to the Boston Celtics. Don’t be surprised to see Miami start the season with Herro at the point.

Who’s Starting at Power Forward?

This time around last year, there were questions about the power forward spot. Last year’s team lacked depth and size at the power forward spot until the team signed Kevin Love before the buyout deadline. Love started in 17 of the Heat’s games during the regular season and 18 of its games during the playoffs, giving the team the crucial floor spacing the team lacked at the position. He also provided a different layer in fast breaks with his outlet passing. Miami saw its three-point shooting jump from 34 % in the regular season to 38% percent in the playoffs. And Love was a key reason why.

Now, Miami must decide whether to keep Love in the starting lineup or go small again with Caleb Martin. Martin started for the Heat last year and often guarded the opposing team’s best guards. After struggling from downtown in the regular season, Martin saw those percentages jump up in the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Martin erupted for 19.3 points per game while shooting a blistering 48.9 percent from three. If he can add shooting to his defensive versality, you could make the clear argument for Martin as the starting forward.

Motivated Tyler?

We have to give Tyler Herro credit. He’s now survived star trade talks for five years now with names like Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, and Lillard linked to the Heat. When you talk about efficiency, no one’s doing it better than Herro at 100%. Herro also has been poking fun at the rumors involving him this off-season. Even though he’s trolling, he’s most definitely heard all the noise about his talent. Especially after Miami made it to the NBA Finals without him. Since coming into the league, Herro has developed into a 20-5-4 guy for Miami while also improving some on the defensive end.

For now, he remains in Miami and there will be eyes on him this season. With Butler getting older, Miami is going to need him to take a leap this season. Since his rookie season, there’s been a knock on him about his playoff performances. Outside of his rookie season, Herro has been struggling with injuries and with his on-court performance. Now, he’s getting another chance to prove his doubters wrong. Will he take another leap?

Who’s the Backup Center?

Adebayo is the Heat’s defensive anchor and is always impactful whenever he’s on the floor. But as we saw in the minutes without him, it’s usually a disaster. The Heat tried to survive those minutes with Dewayne Dedmon and Cody Zeller to no avail. Orlando Robinson had his moments, but he wasn’t quite ready yet. To address that issue, Miami picked up Thomas Bryant in free agency. The 6’11 center is known for his offense whenever he was given minutes but has struggled on the defensive end. He’s likely going to get the opportunity to play behind Adebayo once camp starts. And he’s likely battle Robinson for those minutes. If Robinson can show some defensive mobility, he has a good shot to win this role. Love could also be another option for that role and he can play both positions. Regardless, Miami needs positive minutes when Adebayo is sitting.

The 2023-24 season is upon us. We’ll see what Butler and the Heat have in store for us this time around.

Max Strus‘ career in Miami is officially over. The Miami Heat free agent has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Strus could have been re-signed by Miami by utilizing his Bird rights, but the hard financial realities of the new CBA forced Miami to make a difficult decision. The Heat are trying to avoid the punitive second tax apron as much as possible. Miami is $3 million away from the second apron, which is set at 182.9 million. And they currently are at $179 million with five roster spots. Miami is also limited to offer minimum salaries to free agents.

Deal Details

The sign-and-trade deal involved the San Antonio Spurs. The deal includes Lamar Stevens and Cedi Osman going to the Spurs. And Miami receives a trade exception and future second rounder back in the deal. Strus will receive 4-year $63 million deal from Cleveland as a result of the trade. With Gabe Vincent and Strus gone, Miami will now focus on the trade market and potential vet minimum options to replace. Of course, Miami remains hopeful of a Damian Lillard trade. As of Friday night, there’s been no trade request from the Portland star. So, Miami will continue to monitor that.

Strus was a key contributor for the Heat throughout their run to the 2023 NBA Finals, especially with starting guard Tyler Herro missing virtually the entire postseason due to a fractured right hand sustained in Game 1 of the Heat’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The sharpshooter shot well in the beginning of the playoffs, before struggling significantly in the NBA Finals. After shooting 35 percent from downtown in the regular season, those averages dropped to 31 percent in the playoffs.

The 27-year-old posted career-highs in points (11.0), rebounds (3.2) and assists (2.1) in the regular season.

For 16 consecutive times, all home teams have won Game 2 after losing Game one. And we knew the Miami Heat were going to get the Boston Celtics best punch at home. After a back and forth first quarter, the Celtics jumped to a double-digit lead over Miami in the second quarter. But then, Miami responded with a run of their own and lead by four at halftime. The Celtics once again jumped to a double-digit lead in the second half, but Miami stormed back and took Game 2. With the win, Miami moves to 2-0 for the series. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s Game 2 victory over Boston.

Never Poke the Bear!

The first three quarters were fairly quiet for Jimmy Butler. He missed a couple of shots in the paint that he usually makes, and he was passive a few times. With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had momentum with a nine-point lead in the period. And then, Grant Williams made what was the biggest mistake of the game: Firing Butler up. The next possession, Jimmy went inside the paint for the and-one basket over Williams. This became the beginning of the end. Butler kept attacking the Williams matchup, scoring bucket after bucket. Now, the Heat take the lead and never look back. Simply put, another Butler masterclass in the fourth quarter. Butler finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.

Martin Keeps the Heat Afloat

While Butler may get the headlines, Caleb Martin was also huge for Miami. Whenever the Heat’s offense was stagnant, it was Martin providing the scoring for Miami. With both Miami stars getting doubled, Martin did a great job of attacking the closeouts at the three-point line. He kept attacking the paint for lay ups and also hit on his jumpers. Boston has often dared him to shoot, and Martin hasn’t been shy about taking those shots. He kept going throughout the whole game. Overall, it was another solid production from Martin off the bench. He’s really been Miami’s most consistent role player throughout the season. Martin’s contract is certainly looking like a steal for Miami. Martin ended the night with 25 points.

Bam Flirts with a Triple Double

It was another good performance from Bam Adebayo. Adebayo certainly wasn’t shy about taking the shots in the Game 2. He was assertive on both ends of the court and made his presence felt. This wasn’t an efficient night for Adebayo. However, it was good to see him still be aggressive. Adebayo also did well in finding his teammates cutting to the basket and open for three-point shots. That’s what Miami wants and needs from him on a nightly basis. On the other side of the floor, Adebayo continued to be everywhere on the floor defensively. He switched out on the perimeter and protected the paint as well. Most importantly, he crashed the boards. He was only one assist shy of getting his second triple double of the postseason. Adebayo finished with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assist.

Protecting Homecourt

The best-case scenario in Boston has now happened. Miami has won both games in Beantown. Although both games weren’t easy, Miami still found ways to get the job done. There’s a lot to appreciate about the resilience of this Miami team. They simply have not been down even when trailing by double digits. Now, they head to Miami to play Games 3 and 4. Win both games and the Heat will be back in the NBA Finals since 2020. However, the job’s still not finished yet. Boston has played well on the road in the postseason with a 4-2 record. Miami is in control of their NBA Finals destiny now. Now it’s time to get the job done.

Next up: Game 3 on Sunday. Game tips off at 8:30pm eastern time.