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.
