The 2017-18 Miami Heat have been a hard team to fully figure out so far this season.
They have put on impressive displays early in games only to squander them in crunch time. At times, they have looked like the team that started last season 11-30 and at other times they have played very much like the team that finished last season 30-11. Luckily, both the team and its fans have a lot of time to figure out their true identity, but there are several things we know about the Heat already.
1. Hassan Whiteside still has room to grow
The 28-year-old big man has all the potential in the world. Not only has he displayed tremendous ability on the defensive side of the ball (proven by being the NBA blocks leader in 2016 and the NBA rebounding leader in 2017), but he has also begun to flourish offensively. So far this season, Hassan Whiteside is averaging an impressive 15.9 points and 13.0 rebounds per game, but those numbers could become even more impressive if Whiteside continues to work to put it all together.
More recently, the 7-footer struggled against the defending champion Golden State Warriors with just three points and six rebounds, and was ultimately benched by head coach Erik Spoelstra. It was a worrying sign that perhaps Spoelstra didn’t have as much faith in Whiteside as did the front office, which offered him a four-year, $98 million contract last season.
With the help of his team captains after the game, however, Whiteside got back on track and put on a dazzling display in the the following game against the Phoenix Suns when he had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks in just 28 minutes of play. Both games were a reflection of what Whiteside is capable of. He can get shut down completely in one game, and be nearly unstoppable in the next. If he can develop a bit more consistency, the Heat will be a very hard team to beat.
Next: Goran Dragic’s FIBA EuroBasket 2017 was just the beginning
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2. Goran Dragic’s FIBA EuroBasket 2017 was just the beginning
While most NBA stars enjoyed a lot of rest and relaxation this offseason, starting point guard Goran Dragic was putting it all on the line for his country in the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 tournament. Dragic was named the captain of the Slovenian national team and he lived up to every expectation and more. On his way to a EuroBasket championship and tournament MVP, Dragic averaged 22.6 points, 4.4 rebounds. and 5.1 assists per game. Each game seemed more impressive than the next as Dragic played confidently and masterfully throughout the tourney.
Dragic’s active summer could have resulted in a slow start for the nine-year pro, but instead the Heat captain has just kept on trucking. So far this season, Dragic is averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. Not only that, but he is proving to be one of the emotional leaders on the team, helping Whiteside rebound from his poor performance against the Warriors, and always praising his teammates following victories. With a team filled with talented youngsters who are still finding the best versions of their games, Dragic will likely serve as one of the primary keys to overall success this season.
Next: Dion Waiter was worth the money
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3. Dion Waiters was worth the money
The Heat took what some considered a risk over the offseason when they offered shooting guard Dion Waiters a four-year, $52 million contract after the five-year pro played just 46 games in his first year with the organization. Waiters played well in the games that he did play, but some worried it was too small a sample size to be confident that the Heat could depend on Waiters for an entire season.
So far, the gamble has seemed to have paid off. While Waiters missed two recent games after the birth of his daughter, the guard has played in all of the Heat’s other contests and has continued his impressive play with 16.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game, all well above his career averages. The Heat have enjoyed scoring from a plethora of different players so far this season, but few have Waiters’ ability to hit the big shots when it counts the most.
In Miami’s recent game against the Utah Jazz, Waiters proved his mettle by scoring 12 of the team’s 22 points in the final quarter, leading the Heat to a much-needed road victory. Waiters has always had the mentality of a big-time player, famously naming himself as one of the top-five shooting guards in the league over the offseason, but this season, Waiters is being given the opportunity to prove it. So far, it’s working out quite well.
Next: Bam Adebayo is a star in the making
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4. Bam Adebayo is a star in the making
When the Heat selected the University of Kentucky standout 14th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, they knew they were getting a big man who had the size and athleticism to produce both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Bam Adebayo received praise during the Heat’s offseason, and when he’s gotten his opportunities on the court it’s clear why.
“I don’t want to put boundaries on him,” Spoelstra said back in September. “He has a lot of Miami Heat qualities that we like. The one thing I’ve learned over the years is when [Heat Vice President of Player Personnel] Chet Kammerer says, ‘This is my guy,’ I don’t even have to throw the monitor on and edit him. And that was Chet’s guy six weeks before the draft, three weeks before the draft, one day before the draft, 10 minutes into the draft and we had the pick available and he was there, we just said, ‘OK, Chet, this is your call.’”
Though the Heat have a loaded frontcourt, Adebayo has been able to carve out a position for himself in the Heat’s lineup, averaging 14.0 minutes per game in the eight games he’s played in so far this season. He’s only averaging 3.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, but when the Heat faced off against the talented Minnesota Timberwolves, Adebayo put on a show, scoring 13 points and securing 13 rebounds en route to the talented 20-year-old’s first NBA double-double. He’ll have to continue to work to get his chances as the season progresses, but so far he has proven that he has everything it takes to be a force in the NBA.
Next: The Heat need to target a star in the 2018 offseason
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5. The Heat need to target a star in the 2018 offseason
The Heat’s roster is talented and young with promising players at nearly every position, but in today’s NBA that will only get you so far. The last three NBA seasons have been dominated by teams with not just one, but often two, or three perennial All-Stars. The Heat have not had an All-Star on their team since Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were named to the Eastern Conference squad in 2016.
For the Heat to truly get to the next level, and attempt to reclaim their spot atop the Eastern Conference and the NBA, they will have to aggressively pursue the many talented free agents that will be available this offseason.
There are a number of players the Heat could pursue, but there is perhaps only one star that the Heat should go all out for. No, not LeBron James. As fascinating as his return to Miami would be, it seems highly unlikely that James would leave Cleveland for any team other than the Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul George, however, is not out of the question. While he has also been heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, that won’t stop the Heat from making a run at the seven-year pro. George is one of the few players in the NBA who’s elite on both the offensive and defensive end of the court and if he were to come to Miami, it would undeniably push them into the conversation of one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Right now, the Heat are a talented and experienced team looking for someone on their roster to push them over the hump. If a player like George were to sign with Miami, that search would be over, and the Heat would officially be back on the path to playoff success and beyond.
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