Let’s Talk About the Miami Heat
“Motherf----rs act like I'm not a good basketball player. Like I can't come in and make a huge difference.”
-Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat, proving all of us haters wrong and showing they mean business. We all had a good laugh at them in the off-season. The first-round-exit jokes were plastered all over twitter, and the haters came out of the woodworks…but now…we must take them seriously. How did this happen?
Jimmy Butler
How many NBA fans were laughing as hard I was when we found out Jimmy Butler was Miami bound? Every person I know, along with every analysist, treated it as a big joke with good reason. The Heat’s roster looked dismal from a distance. They seemed to lack the pieces required that could land them a playoff berth, let alone a push. But as the season continues on, the Miami Heat are among the best teams in the league. I had to take a step back and try to understand how this may have happened. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that all they needed was a star in their prime. The Miami Heat aren’t talentless, but the talent they have is either too old and past their prime, or too young, not knowing what they are capable of yet. They just needed a hard-nosed leader. Someone who can win. Someone who can lead. We all laughed at Jimmy, but It looks like he will have the last. He told us he felt Miami was the best fit for him. We should’ve taken him seriously.
Seriously…how is this happening?
So, let’s try to make sense of this. Let’s try to answer the question on every fans mind. How the hell are the Miami Heat this good? I believe there are three main reasons why the Miami Heat are scary. Jimmy Butler, the rookies they drafted/acquired, the talent they already had. This franchise is in full force from every aspect. From the players and coaches, all the way up to the front office. They’ve made the right decisions on all aspects. Was it on purpose? Did they just get lucky? Perhaps both. Tyler Herro was an interesting pick, but so far, he seems to be a perfect fit in Miami. Producing what was expected out of him and more. Great job front office. On the other hand, how could you possibly know an undrafted rookie would be leading your team in scoring while breaking records? Sure, they might have thought he would be a good bench player to come in once and a while, but they couldn’t have possibly predicted the monster they unraveled.
Kendrick Nunn
Last year this guy was a G-league 6th man who failed to land a 10-day contract with the warriors. This year, the 6-foot-2 rookie had 112-points in his first five games. The first since Kevin Durant scored 113 in 2007. Through seven games, he is leading the Heat in scoring with 18.3 points per game on 45.9% shooting from the floor and 40.9% from deep. That’s an undrafted rookie. It appears so far that they found a diamond in the rough, and having someone on your team that can put up numbers like that besides your star player is crucial if you want to be a competitive team.
Tyler Herro
The 13th pick in the 2019 NBA draft is looking pretty solid so far. Averaging 13.7 PPG and shooting 42% from the floor, Tyler Herro isn’t a break out performer like his teammate Nunn, but he is productive to say the least. One thing I’ve noticed about his game (I partially credit this to jimmy Butler) is that he is unafraid of any moment he’s in. Herro shoots and defends like he’s been on this stage before. He looks like he belongs. That is a huge advantage for a rookie. Already being this poised in his first year is a stepping stone he doesn’t have to take further down the line.
The Talent Before Tip-Off
If we’re being honest with ourselves, we only saw the Heat last year as Dwayne Wade’s farewell tour destination. Did we even consider them a decent team? They just barely missed the playoffs going 39-43, tying the 9th seeded Hornets. People forgot that the Heat were carried last year by an ancient D-Wade, but they still won 39 games. Basketball is a team sport. So, who were the others? Well, there’s 22-year-old center Bam Adebayo, an excellent shot-blocker, rebounder, and interior defender. (SF) Justice Winslow, a slasher and playmaker with an improving jump shot. Then you have your solid vets in (PG) Goran Dragic, (PF) Kelly Olynyk, (PF) James Johnson, and (SG) Dion Waiters. Not a bad team at all.
The Verdict
Are the Miami Heat going to continue to be among the best in the East and power rankings throughout the season? They might…they just might. This was not the team any of us expected to come storming out of the tunnels of American Airlines Arena. No matter what happens, this the Miami Heat will be a very interesting team to watch.