The Miami Heat have had a rough start to the NBA season. They were 0-4 before finally picking up a victory over the Hawks. Still, they have already dug themselves into an early-season hole in what is a very competitive Eastern Conference.
Miami brought in Giannis Antetokounmpo to be a superstar who can take them to new heights. He has played well individually, but the fit around him hasn’t been smooth. Now, one pundit is predicting the Heat to finish with their worst record since 2008.
Writer Predicts Heat to Finish With Worst Record Since 2008
Zach Kram of ESPN believes that Miami is on its way to finishing with its worst record since it won just 15 games. He believes the offense is a major concern, and it hasn’t shown many signs of improvement over the first handful of games.
“On the other hand, the Heat’s offense has been stuck in the mud even accounting for that poor shooting luck, and guard Davion Mitchell is the only role player who looks comfortable playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo. There’s time for that to change — but as of Wednesday, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index predicts the Heat will finish the season with just 38 wins. That’s already down from 46 projected wins in the preseason, and just one ahead of this historical franchise benchmark,” Kram writes.
Thus far, the offense has struggled to get moving. The Heat have the 10th-worst offensive rating in the NBA. Other than Antetokounmpo, they haven’t had anyone consistently make shots. Bam Adebayo is averaging only 14.2 points per game so far.
Figuring out a way to move the ball and get easier shots will be the key to Miami picking things up. Relative to the rest of the league, they are pretty healthy. That health likely won’t last all season. While they have that health, developing chemistry should be a high priority.
Miami Doesn’t Have the Assets to Make Moves at the Trade Deadline
While the Heat struggle to get the offense going, they likely won’t be able to make any moves at the deadline. Miami used up all of its assets to acquire Antetokounmpo. That means that they will have to make do with what they have on the current roster.
Changes to the starting lineup could be made. Klay Thompson has not played well offensively, averaging under eight points per game. Putting someone else who can stretch the floor better might be something Erik Spoelstra considers. Tim Hardaway Jr. could be that person.
Adebayo clearly needs to be more involved on the offensive end of the floor, as well. He has to figure out his fit next to Antetokounmpo as the team moves later into the year. He is shooting just 42.6 percent from the field, which is not a good number for a center. Adebayo must be more efficient moving forward.
Heat Predicted to Finish With Worst Record Since 2008