, or someone else entirely, the Heat need to find reliable offensive contributors beyond Butler and Adebayo. Miami’s a team that’s established a winning culture, but to compete with the East’s elite, they’ll need to establish a winning offense, too.
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The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We’re breaking down the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 teams. Enjoy!
Since Jimmy Butler’s arrival, the Heat have made five straight playoff appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals. The combination of Butler’s two-way brilliance, Bam Adebayo’s evolution into one of the NBA’s most complete players and coach Erik Spoelstra’s gift for transforming any roster into a top-10 defense establishes a high floor. And when Butler’s play takes a turn toward the transcendent …
… the ceiling ain’t half-bad, either.
Reaching it isn’t easy, though. Last season, the Heat finished bottom-10 in offensive rating, effective field-goal percentage, how frequently they attempted shots at the rim, team shooting percentage on at-rim tries, points in the paint, offensive efficiency in “clutch” situations and scoring efficiency in transition, among other categories.
“We need to improve,” Spoelstra told reporters. “We need to innovate.”
And while Spo and the gang certainly won’t shrink from that challenge …
Erik Spoelstra asked about teams in the East getting better such as Philly and New York
His response:
“You sound scared.”
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) September 30, 2024
… a league-average-at-best attack likely won’t be enough to outpace the East’s best teams.
“Spo is always talking about being a top-five defense and a top-five offense,” Butler told reporters. ”That’s the formula for success.”
The recipe starts with better health, most notably for Butler — who, Playoff Paul Bunyan act aside, has yet to play 65 games in a season in Miami, has missed an average of 20 games per year and just turned 35. (In a related story, he entered camp without a contract extension; in another related story, he didn’t bring his bits to media day.)
Injuries limited Butler, Adebayo and Tyler Herro to just 527 minutes together last season and to just 118 minutes with trade-deadline acquisition Terry Rozier (who quietly averaged 18-4-4 and shot 42% from deep after the All-Star break). In theory, more lineups featuring multiple shot-creators and on-ball/spot-up threats should have more pathways to generating good looks — particularly if Herro’s really working more off the ball and if Spoelstra really shifts the offense a bit from iso-heavy play toward more fluid, faster-moving sets.
“I am definitely intentional about seeing what Terry, Tyler, Jimmy [and] Bam looks like,” Spoelstra told reporters.
He’ll also need to be intentional about how he fills the frontcourt vacancy left by Martin. Will he look to Haywood Highsmith, re-signed on a two-year, $11 million deal? The 6-foot-5 27-year-old with the 7-foot wingspan could prove a bargain, if last year’s shooting — 42% on corner 3s (albeit on just 84 attempts) — can carry over in a larger role.
There’s also third-year forward Nikola Jović, who might offer the most utility as a shooter, complementary playmaker and offensive connector:
nikola jovic shot 39.9% from three last year on 6.8 3pa/75, really impressive volume and efficiency for a 6’10 21 year old
always flashed awesome touch as a prospect even if the efficiency wasn’t consistent pic.twitter.com/iOYvU0jfy7
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 7, 2024
After cracking the rotation in late December, the 20-year-old Serbian averaged eight points, four rebounds and just under two assists in 20.2 minutes per game, shooting 39.7% from 3-point range on nearly four attempts a night. Miami outscored opponents by 9.1 points-per-100 when Jović shared the floor with Butler and Adebayo; that margin came in just 407 minutes, but it merits more exploration.
Whether it’s Highsmith, Jović, Jaime Jaquez Jr., or someone else entirely, the Heat need to find reliable offensive contributors beyond Butler and Adebayo. Miami’s a team that’s established a winning culture, but to compete with the East’s elite, they’ll need to establish a winning offense, too.
In the quest for offensive improvement, the Miami Heat are looking to Bam Adebayo to continue his evolution as a versatile big man. Adebayo, who has started to expand his shooting range by attempting more three-pointers, is aiming to launch at least 100 triples this season after showcasing his long-range ability during Team USA’s gold medal run in Paris.
If Adebayo can continue to stretch the floor and improve his outside shooting, it could greatly benefit Miami’s offense by creating better spacing and opening up driving lanes for his teammates. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is hopeful that the team’s offense will click in the second half of the season, leading to a more potent and efficient scoring output.
In the best-case scenario, Adebayo fulfills his promise to become a threat from beyond the arc, while Jimmy Butler delivers a healthy and productive season, earning an All-NBA First Team selection. With the right blend of shooting, playmaking, and defense, the Heat could surprise everyone by securing a top-four seed and making a deep playoff run.
However, if injuries continue to plague key players like Butler, Tyler Herro, and Terry Rozier, the Heat could find themselves struggling to compete. Adebayo may be left shouldering a heavy load on both ends of the court, while the team’s lack of financial flexibility and draft assets could hinder their ability to make significant improvements.
In fantasy basketball, Adebayo remains a reliable option for points, rebounds, and steals, especially if he continues to expand his shooting range. Butler’s draft stock is rising despite concerns about his contract situation and injury history, while Herro and Rozier are looking to bounce back from underwhelming seasons. Keep an eye on sleeper pick Kel’el Ware, who has shown promise in the preseason and could provide value late in drafts.
As the Heat look to make strides on offense and stay healthy throughout the season, their success in the 2024-25 campaign will ultimately depend on how well they can overcome challenges and maximize their potential. sentence: The dog ran quickly through the yard.
Rewritten sentence: Through the yard, the dog ran with speed.