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The Miami Heat left the Orlando Bubble in October beaten and bruised, but hungrier than ever. Many people saw the Heat as unlikely finalists and were expecting a walkover for the Lakers, but as they so often do, the group from South Beach proved otherwise. Even without All-Star Bam Adebayo and play-off hero Goran Dragic for most of the Finals, the Heat put up a good fight, but more importantly, showed the league what the Culture is really all about.
Take it back to the summer of 2019, and Jimmy Butler agrees to a sign-and-trade deal to join the Miami Heat. Social media was awash with comments saying Butler had given up hope or that he had gone to Miami to retire. But as is a common trend now, the Heat’s front office worked tirelessly to find the right guys to fill the right spots. The scouting and development of Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn is testament to that, but the work ethic goes deeper. Tyler Herro was dropped in at the deep end at his first practice being made to guard Butler, and he swam, gaining the respect of the five time All-Star and three time All-NBA Team man. The grit and tunnel-vision-like desire to win from Butler has trickled its way through the Heat’s core and having Udonis Haslem in your corner isn’t bad either. The Heat’s blend of youth, hunger, and experience, coupled with the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude that comes with a team full of players being constantly written off, gave them the perfect recipe.
If the Heat do decide to run it back this season (who knows what will happen with Harden…), then they are surely contenders for another deep playoff run at least. Maybe the Finals again. Maybe a ring? The loss of Jae Crowder is definitely going to hurt. He was your stereotypical Miami guy; tireless defender, knockdown shooter, tough, and the Heat will miss him. But the addition of Moe Harkless, drafting Precious Achiuwa, and potential of KZ Okpala should give the Heat enough depth at the four-spot. Keeping Dragic fresh for a playoff run will be mightily important too, something the Heat did so well last year until his heartbreaking injury in Game 1 of the Finals.
One negative of the Heat’s impressive season, is that their once ‘unknowns’ are now quite the opposite. Duncan Robinson is no secret now. He came into last season as a relative unknown among league scouts, but is now quite rightly seen as one of the most deadly shooters the game has. Expect opposition defences to be a lot more proactive in closing out on Duncan behind the arc and off screens this season. Robinson, along with Tyler Herro, has been grinding to add dimensions to his game to keep opposition defenders on their toes and add even more versatility to this Miami roster. The same can be said for Nunn. Despite his shaky form after recovering from Covid, he did seem to recapture his best towards the end of the playoffs and has certainly looked good in training camp and preseason, and after being named runner-up for Rookie of the Year you can expect teams to be well prepared to face him.
Herro, Robinson, Harkless, Nunn, and others, are all great support pieces, but the team isn’t where it is without Bam or Jimmy. Bam has shown leadership way beyond his 23 years and was deservedly handed the most valuable contract in Miami Heat history. As Butler so often says, he is the heart and soul of the team. Since signing his extension, Bam has shown even more desire to get better, and to win. Not many players who have just signed a max deal go diving after a loose ball in the first game of preseason. The grit and culture is ingrained in Bam’s DNA. And with a guy like Butler alongside him, the Heat have a real shot at redemption this time around. In Bam and Jimmy, you have two guys who can go out and score 30+ and get a triple-double whenever they feel the need. In Duncan you have someone who can knock down ten threes no problem, and in Tyler Herro you have a 20 year old with the confidence and cold-bloodedness of a ten year vet, with all the scoring ability to back it up.
It’s fair to say then that the Heat are well placed for another shot at the Larry O’Brien trophy, and with the added experience and maturity of a Finals series under their belts, there’s no telling what this young team can accomplish over the next few years.
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