Things have not gone according to plan thus far in the 2020-21 season for the Miami Heat. Following their Eastern Conference triumph before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals in the Orlando Bubble, many people had high hopes for them this season with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo at the helm. However, those hopes are beginning to dissipate.
Miami is currently 11-16, sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the eighth-seeded Toronto Raptors. They have struggled to find consistency this season on both ends of the court. Thus far, they have not been able to compete with the upper echelon teams in the league.
Miami is currently 1-9 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers, all teams with title aspirations. If you can’t hold your own against the better teams in the league, you will struggle mightily. One NBA scout went as far as to discredit what they accomplished in Orlando.
“Last year was a fluke,” a West scout said. “I know everyone hates that word, but it’s true. The whole bubble was a perfect situation.”
Calling that performance a fluke may be strong, but there is some evidence saying it was. Losing Jae Crowder was a big blow. Their replacement for him, Maurice Harkless, has not been able to stay on the court. Another free-agent addition, Avery Bradley, is also hurt. Goran Dragic has also missed time and Jimmy Butler did earlier in the season as well.
Injuries are partly to blame for Miami Heat’s lack of success this season. However, there are some fundamental issues with the roster that will be difficult to overcome. Jimmy Butler dealt with COVID protocols and that certainly didn’t help.
For almost all 48 minutes of the game, the Heat have at least one player on the court that is a sieve defensively. In the starting five, that player is Duncan Robinson. Off the bench, Tyler Herro has the same issues.
Miami also shoots a lot of 3-pointers to space the floor around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, which will lead to some inconsistencies on offense. We have seen plenty of teams (look at you Houston Rockets) just fall apart when they are not making perimeter jump shots. The Heat are 10th in 3-point attempts per game, but 13th in makes and 24th in percentage.
Once they can get healthier and set a rotation, this is still a team that is a playoff contender. However, it is fair to question if they are a true title contender, making the NBA scout’s assessment of their performance in the bubble being a fluke look rather accurate.
