After one of the more disappointing seasons in recent history, the Miami Heat have come out of the gates strong, sitting with a 9-5 record after 14 games. The Heat are the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and have taken down some of the best teams in the NBA thus far. Their stars are playing like stars and everyone else is playing at a high level.
Contrary to the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the Heat’s stars are playing like superstars. Jimmy Butler is playing at an MVP-level after his abysmal playoff performance. The Heat’s superstar is averaging 23.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game on 52.7% from the field. Bam Adebayo continues to get better and better year after year from a statistical standpoint. The 24-year-old center is average 19.7 points and 11.2 rebounds so far this season. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate has contained his matchups against marquee centers thus far in 2021.
After a sophomore slump, third-year guard Tyler Herro is averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game through 14 games in 2021. Herro’s growth has been well-documented, as he is the 19th leading scorer in the NBA. From an efficiency standpoint, Herro shot 43.9% from the field on 12.9 shots per game in 2020. Thus far in 2021, Herro is shooting 46.1% from the field on 18.1 shots per game. The 22-year-old is a candidate for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award and will have to keep up his play for the Heat to be successful.
The Heat’s free-agent signings in point guard Kyle Lowry and forward PJ Tucker have come on strong. Lowry has taken on a true playmaker role for the Heat, as it’s been a role that the team has been lacking in recent years. With Lowry at the helm, Butler has been able to revert back to an off-ball role, as he was the Heat’s de facto point guard last season. In just 13 games, Lowry has three games of ten or more assists, including a triple double. So far, he’s averaged 12.7 points, 7.3 assists and 5 rebounds per game while commanding the Heat’s offense.
Tucker is the Heat’s Swiss Army Knife. He does all the dirty work, but he has been capable of putting the ball in the basket recently. In the last four games, Tucker is playing 32.4 minutes per game, with an average of 8.8 points, 10 rebounds and a steal per game. To put that into perspective, in 2020, Tucker averaged 3.7 points per game as a member of the Rockets and Bucks. That type of production from Tucker while considering his world-class defense and effort is scary for anyone going up against the Heat.
The Heat are also getting legitimate production from their role players. Despite a slow start, forward Duncan Robinson has heated up as of late. In his last two games, Robinson is averaging 21.5 points per game on 55.2% from the field and 47.8% from behind the arc. Forward Markieff Morris is averaging 7.7 points per game on 45.7% from the field. Morris gives the Heat a power forward that can stretch the floor next to Bam Adebayo and can contribute to the scoring column.
The Miami Heat always have championship aspirations, but the performance of this team truly calls for championship expectations. The rare blend of veteran leadership and youth production combined with shooting and defending make the Heat one of the most interesting teams in the NBA. Only time will tell if the Miami Heat can accomplish their true goal, but with their great start, anything is possible for this team.
