The Miami Heat have made the Finals twice with Jimmy Butler as captain of the team’s ship, but many NBA fans can’t help but wonder if the Heat have already reached their ceiling.
Butler’s opening night status after a surprising surgery was revealed recently. Coach Erik Spoelstra gave his honest assessment on returnee Tyler Herro after all of the Lillard drama had finally wrapped up.
A cold war of sorts unfolded this past offseason as the Heat and Blazers did their best to facilitate superstar guard Damian Lillard’s wish for a trade to South Beach. In the end, the Milwaukee Bucks ended up with the three-point bombardier and Top 75 all-time player, teaming Lillard with Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo to form a new super team in the East.
Now that the season is set to begin it’s clear that the Miami Heat simply are not a super team in the sense that it has come to be defined since the days of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh roaming the court in Miami.
That is problematic in a 2023-2024 NBA loaded with teams like the Bucks and defending champion Denver Nuggets.
The Heat are currently listed behind the Celtics, Nuggets, Bucks, Lakers, Lakers and Warriors in terms of the 2023-2024 championship odds. They’ve also slipped behind the Clippers, Cavaliers, 76ers, Mavericks and Grizzlies, suggesting that the team’s reign near the top of the league has come to a close, according to the Vegas oddsmakers at least.
Lost in the hoopla surrounding Lillard is the real reason the Heat were dominated by the Nuggets in last season’s NBA Finals matchup: rebounding. The Nuggets outrebounded Miami by a shocking 8.8 rebounds per game throughout the series according to the official stats.
Bam Adebayo did his part battling Jokic and a bevy of other Nuggets players in the paint. He averaged 12.4 rebounds for the series, but no other Heat player averaged five or more, with the now-departed Cavaliers forward Max Strus garnering 4.8 rebounds and Jimmy Butler snatching 4.6 per game for the Heat over the five-game series.
The Heat won just one of those games as they were destroyed in the paint.
Jokic grabbed 14 rebounds per game while Jamal Murray had 6.2 per game, Michael Porter Jr. had 8.4 and Aaron Gordon had 7.4. Those four players alone combined to devastate a Miami Heat team that was left feeling dejected and exhausted after an admirable playoff run that saw Butler put the team on his back and carry them to big win after big win.
The Heat’s biggest offseason additions include Herro, who has averaged 5.4 rebounds per game over the course of his career and is still growing into his 6-foot-5 frame, and Josh Richardson, a guard/forward who has averaged 2.7 rebounds per game over the course of his career.
The presence of a motivated and focused Herro could allow Jimmy Butler more possessions and chances to win games for the Heat in the playoffs. Herro also could help nullify some of the Nuggets’ rebounding from the guard positions should the two teams meet again in the Finals.
In the meantime, the question is whether the Heat have what it takes to get back to the Finals in an Eastern Conference that has suddenly become loaded with talent.
Spoelstra has worked his magic in several unexpected ways before, and now he has the chance to go for broke with a Miami team that has nothing to lose and seems to thrive in the underdog role.
Time will tell if the Heat have what it takes, but for now, as the roster is currently constructed, it’s hard not to expect another title-less season for President Pat Riley’s club, unless a key trade or other unexpected development happens over the course of the season.