NBA · 1 year ago

5 Things We Learned About the Miami Heat in Round 1

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Where Does Miami Go From Here?
After a series in which they were blown out by 78 points in the five games (an average of 15.6 points per game), the Heat have to ask some hard questions. Miami has Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Terry Rozier, and Duncan Robinson, among other player options. Adebayo and Butler will enter their deals' final seasons and are eligible for massive extensions. If both players were signed to those extensions, the Heat would have approximately 59% of their cap taken up by those two players. That is less than ideal, but Pat Riley and the Heat have few options. Butler will be 35 years old during the next season and is already dealing with injuries. There is no clear path for the Heat to become a serious contender.
1. Miami Was Outclassed
Miami Heat star guard Jimmy Butler sprained his MCL during the NBA Play-In game against the Philadelphia 76ers and did not appear in the first-round series against the Boston Celtics. Butler’s heroics in the 2023 playoffs led the Heat to the NBA Finals, and his absence left a gigantic hole for the Heat against one of the league’s best teams. The Boston Celtics were able to key in on Tyler Herro on the perimeter, and it took a historic performance from three for the Heat to even steal a game. This was a mismatch before Butler was ruled out, and his injury made it even more one-sided.

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2. Bam Adebayo Held Up
“Bam is a warrior,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said after the season-ending loss to Boston. “He’ll battle, and he brought a competitive spirit tonight.” Adebayo led the Miami Heat in scoring during the series, averaging 22.6 points per game on nearly 50 percent from the field. In addition, Bam Adebayo had 9.4 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. Adebayo’s most significant impact may have come on the defensive end. Per 100 possessions, the Celtics scored 16 points fewer with Adebayo on the court versus off the court. The big man was the only real positive force for the Heat during the series. He gives them someone to build around moving forward.

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3. Miami's Offense Was Stifled
The Miami Heat exploded in game two with 23 made threes, a new franchise playoff record. Beyond that outlier, Boston’s defense severely hamstrung the Heat offense and displayed a lack of firepower that must be addressed. They scored less than 100 points in four of the five games and ended the season with an 84-point loss that marked the third time they went under 90 points in the series. Miami must find some offensive weapons to be a threat in the Eastern Conference again. Tyler Herro showed some promise, but without Jimmy Butler on the court, the Celtics could key in on him.
4. Injuries Continued to Cripple Heat
The postseason resembled the regular season for the Miami Heat. Game 5 featured a starting lineup of Delon Wright, Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo. That was the franchise record 37th different starting lineup Erik Spoelstra was forced to use, primarily due to injuries. Jimmy Butler missed the series, Jaime Jaquez was limited and missed Game 5, and Terry Rozier was absent. Miami never got a chance to play with a full deck and was left with no shot to challenge the Boston Celtics.

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5. Where Does Miami Go From Here?
After a series in which they were blown out by 78 points in the five games (an average of 15.6 points per game), the Heat have to ask some hard questions. Miami has Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Terry Rozier, and Duncan Robinson, among other player options. Adebayo and Butler will enter their deals' final seasons and are eligible for massive extensions. If both players were signed to those extensions, the Heat would have approximately 59% of their cap taken up by those two players. That is less than ideal, but Pat Riley and the Heat have few options. Butler will be 35 years old during the next season and is already dealing with injuries. There is no clear path for the Heat to become a serious contender.
1. Miami Was Outclassed
Miami Heat star guard Jimmy Butler sprained his MCL during the NBA Play-In game against the Philadelphia 76ers and did not appear in the first-round series against the Boston Celtics. Butler’s heroics in the 2023 playoffs led the Heat to the NBA Finals, and his absence left a gigantic hole for the Heat against one of the league’s best teams. The Boston Celtics were able to key in on Tyler Herro on the perimeter, and it took a historic performance from three for the Heat to even steal a game. This was a mismatch before Butler was ruled out, and his injury made it even more one-sided.

Dunk on the sportsbooks tonight! Grab SportsGrid’s free NBA picks, NBA props, and NBA SGPs.

5 Things We Learned About the Miami Heat in Round 1

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