The Miami Heat are heading for the Play-In Tournament, but it appears to have a positive direction to move forward despite the inadequate season.
After swapping Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat jumped in. They were the last team to slid to the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference and created a play-in tournament. They struggled with the longest 10-game winning streak of Eric Sperstra’s illustrious coaching career and poised early in their season.
But not all the fate and darkness of South Beach. Tyler Hero breaks out as the first All-Star, with Rookie Keruel Wear showing a high level of flash, appearing to share the court with center Bam Adebayo, and the heat enters the 2025 NBA draft, which was mounted on two first round picks.
In addition, heat is linked to Kevin Durant in trade speculation. Despite the heated down season, they are optimistic about the future, and think that Dwyane Wade already has a franchise centerpiece on the roster.
If Jimmy Butler’s days taught fans anything, they would never count the fever. They ran the gauntlet in 2023 after losing the final to the Denver Nuggets and became the first and only team to play in the NBA Finals from play-in.
The individual excellence of Butler can be credited for the unlikely run, but the supporting cast, namely Bam Adebayo, rose to the occasion.
Adebayo had one of the worst seasons of his career this season, but he still solidified himself as the face of the heat.
“My conversation when he was owing a 10-match winning streak was that all we could say was ‘don’t let go of the ropes’,” Wade reflected in his self-titled podcast. “That’s SPO. ‘I won’t let go of the rope. I have to run through this tape. It looks bad now, Jimmy has just left, everything is falling apart. Don’t let it go.”
Hero was the team’s only All-Star, but Adebayo is the most important player on the team.
“And I think Bam has appeared as a leader,” Wade continued. “I think Bam is now the leader of the Miami Heat.”
On paper, Andrew Wiggins, Hero, Adebayo, Ware and the two promising rookies are not a bad group to build up. Pat Reilly has been constantly refusing to rebuild, and this summer, the Heat will aim for high-end trade candidates: Durant and Giannis Antetocomo.
Even if the heat is unable to add an All-NBA level player this summer, “Heat Culture” is focusing on internal development, with both the development products Herro and Adebayo being able to set the tone.
“Tyler Hero will probably be the best player, but Bam took on the leadership role when he came out and said, ‘I won’t let the guys stop this season,'” Wade finished. “That’s as Bam and my Luke and one of his vets, don’t allow them to quit this season. And you’re now, what are they going to do with this now?”
The east is getting better, disappointed by the heat. It’s hard to imagine the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers taking a step back. The Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic have all been improved, allowing the Philadelphia 76ers to return for next season.
There may not be room for heat on the table, but that has never stopped them before.