Photo by: Heat.com

After losing two straight games at home, the Miami Heat needed to bounce back against the Toronto Raptors. Going 0-3 in their first three home games would not be right. Miami came out firing making their first five three-points, scoring 33 points in the first period. Miami even had a huge lead in the third period. However, Toronto clawed back in the game and trimmed Miami’s huge lead to three. It was a very sloppy finish for Miami. But in the end, Miami pulled it out with a win. Miami moves to 1-2 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s victory over Toronto.

Strong First Half

The Heat put up their best offensive half of the season, scoring a season-high 71 points in the first half. The offense included more ball movement and high pick and roll action. The ball was swinging from side to side and making the defense work. There were also off-ball screening and back cuts to the basket. These are the key ingredients for a good offensive possession. The Heat had four guys scoring in double figures. Miami held the Raptors to 30 percent shooting in the half. The defense was more solid, and rotations were quicker. The Heat players were taking their individual matchups more seriously.

Third Quarter battle

The first half went about as well as the Heat could have hoped. Miami’s offense was clicking on all cylinders. In the third period, they even pushed the lead to 24. But things went the opposite way in the third period. After the Caleb Martin ejection, momentum started to swing in the Raptors’ favor. The Heat went back to their old bad habits of isolation plays while holding a big lead. The Raptors also picked up their defensive intensity closing the gap in the driving lanes. They also included zone defenses which threw the Heat off. Defensively, the Heat rotations were slow, leaving the corner threes open. Miami was outscored 33-21 in the period.

Herro’s finishing

Every year, Tyler Herro has made adjustments to his game. Last year, we saw improvements in his playmaking. This year, we’re seeing it with his finishing at the basket. On one play in the first half, he went right at Precious Achuiwa for the and-one basket. He did it again midway through the fourth quarter on OG Anunoby. This is another example of his scoring near the rim improvement, which helps his overall game. Doing this against a lengthy and athletic Raptors team is very impressive. Foul trouble did limit him a bit in the fourth quarter though. Herro ended the night with 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

Strus is loose

The Heat didn’t get much from its bench last game outside of Gabe Vincent. But on Saturday, Strus had a good night. He scored 20 points off the bench. The Heat sharpshooter scored off of cuts, slashing, and three-point shooting. He was very huge on the defensive end. Strus stripped the ball on the break, got two blocks, and even took a charge. Overall, this was a complete game for Strus. He showed that he’s not one-dimensional at all. With Herro starting and Victor Oladipo out, Strus is the one guy that’s going to be depended on to bring energy off the bench.

Strus got loose and had himself a milestone night 👌 pic.twitter.com/Cd2H3XkwLQ

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 23, 2022

Next up: The Toronto Raptors on Monday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm eastern.

(Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images)

Can you believe the NBA Season is almost here? Just a few months ago, the Miami Heat finished the regular season with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they sent the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. From there, they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three seasons. Unfortunately, they fell to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite a monster postseason from Jimmy Butler, the Heat was unable to clinch an NBA Finals berth.

There were plenty of questions for Miami heading into the offseason. The most important one was whether or not they can acquire another star talent to pair alongside Butler. Despite Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell being on the market, the Heat ended up missing out on both. Durant rescinded his trade request and Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Additionally, Miami went through the offseason without making marginal changes. While its competition has made improvements, Miami remained the same. If asked the team about their changes, they remained confident about title chances. But still, there’s questions surrounding the team as training camp approaches.

Will the Heat sign Tyler Herro to an extension?

When Durant and Mitchell were available, there was no question Tyler Herro was being dangled in those talks. The Heat was willing to move anyone outside of Bam Adebayo and Butler for the two stars. Unfortunately, Miami did not have the draft capital to make a competitive offer. It’s been weeks since both stars have been removed from the market and Herro has yet to be signed to an extension. Signing Herro to an extension before the mid-October deadline would make him untradeable for a year. It would essentially keep him out of talks between now and the February trade deadline. Putting the extension talks on hold for a while could keep Miami in the game for star players that ask out. However, it could also affect the relationship between Herro and the organization. Is the Heat willing to take that gamble? We will see.

Duncan Robinson: Trade Piece or Rotation Player?

After re-signing with Miami on a bigger contract, Duncan Robinson began the season in the Heat starting lineup. He continued to be one of the better three-point shooters in the league, tied for seventh in the league in made threes (232). For the year, he shot 37.2 percent from downtown. Unfortunately, he took a step back in three-point percentage after shooting over 40 percent the previous two seasons. As the season went along, Robinson’s role with the team decreased because of his defense. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Max Strus and had to come off the bench. In the playoffs, Robinson often found himself out of the rotation, only receiving minutes due to injuries to teammates.

This offseason, his name has been in a lot of trade talks. He’s been used as a salary filler in blockbuster trade talks and as a piece to move for a rotational player. Robinson will make over $54.4 million over the next four years of his contract, with the last year being an early termination option. The Heat are in need of another frontcourt player as Tucker insurance. When he’s shooting well and playing adequate defense, he can really help this team. The gravity he provides on the offensive end helps Miami’s stars. In the end, this will be a situation to watch over the next couple of months.

Will the Old Victor Oladipo return?

The Heat’s biggest wildcard this season is Victor Oladipo. He returned to the team last season and worked his way up to the rotation. Despite being inconsistent offensively, his defense kept him on the floor for the most part. At times, there were flashes of the old Oladipo. Especially in Game 5 of the first-round series matchup with the Hawks. When healthy, Oladipo provides needed rim pressure, creating opportunities for his teammates. This offseason he’s been on a “revenge tour”, as Oladipo calls it. Miami is banking on him being a key contributor this season. A healthy Oladipo could be the jumpstart the Heat need to remain in title contention.

We’re only a few days away from Miami opening it’s training camp. A lot of familiar faces will be available for them. However, there still will be questions as well. The conference is even stronger now with teams improving all across the board. It’s going to be interesting to see how all of this plays out.