The Miami Heat have been a solid team thus far during the 2015-16 season.
Through 12 games, the Heat are 8-4, placing them second in the Eastern Conference standings. Many experts had pegged the Heat as the fourth-best team in the East entering the season, so it’s safe to say that the team has exceeded expectations so far in the young season.
The highlights for the team have been the strong play of Chris Bosh and the rising performance of 23-year-old Tyler Johnson. Bosh is currently second on the team in scoring with 18.1 points per game, while Johnson leads the bench with 8.5 points per contest on 52.9 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from beyond the arc.
While the team’s record is strong overall, there is plenty of room for improvement. The Heat have already lost games to top teams within the conference versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks.
There are still many questions that surround this team despite the strong start to the season. Here are five questions the Heat must answer in 2015-16:
1. What is the Exact Plan for Amar’e Stoudemire?
Through the first 12 games of the year, Amar’e Stoudemire has appeared in just two contests—his appearances were three weeks apart.
More recently, Stoudemire appeared in the 116-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings on November 19th. He scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in eight minutes of action, all occurring in the first quarter.
The 33-year-old veteran recently spoke to the media, stating the reason that he has seen so little playing time is because the Heat are saving him for the postseason:
“We’ve got a big picture in mind. We know we want to be there in the postseason. We want guys to stay healthy. Now, it’s not about wearing somebody down during the regular season. It’s about really just keeping the maintenance program and making sure we’re at 100 percent strength by the playoffs.”
A few weeks ago, Stoudemire had said to the media that he’s on a maintenance program designed to keep him fresh for “big games.”
Whatever the case is, the team needs to find a proper role for the veteran big man. Despite his creaky knees and recent injury history, he remains more than capable of scoring in short bursts. That was demonstrated in the Heat’s recent victory over the Kings and it was proven when he averaged 10.8 points in just 16.5 minutes of playing time with the Dallas Mavericks in 2014-15.
If the Heat truly plan to utilize Stoudemire in the playoffs, he’s going to need to remain in shape by receiving more consistent playing time in the regular season.
Next: How Much Does Dwyane Wade Have Left in the Tank?
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2. How Much Does Dwyane Wade Have Left in the Tank?
Dwyane Wade is currently averaging 18.6 points per game.
The 33-year-old shooting guard had a scorching start to the year, as he scored at least 20 points during the first five games of the season. However, his four games after that saw him average just 10.8 points on 32.7 percent shooting from the field.
Though Wade bounced back to lead the team in scoring in their victory over the Kings on Thursday night, it is a bit troubling to see that type of inconsistency from the Heat’s go-to option.
Even Wade himself acknowledged that he’s still trying to find comfort with his teammates early on in the season:
“I’m still figuring it out. Obviously, when it clicks, it clicks, it flows good. But there are certain moments, you can still tell, we’re a new team together, we’re still trying to get to our game. But from night to night, that doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to get this shot or that shot. It just varies.”
Hassan Whiteside may be stealing all the headlines, but Wade remains the Heat’s best offensive option.
It is pivotal that Wade finds consistency in his game for the Heat to advance deep into the postseason.
Next: Will the Heat Trade Chris Andersen?
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3. Will the Heat Trade Chris Andersen?
On November 10th, the Heat shook up their roster by trading both Mario Chalmers and James Ennis to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Chalmers had been on the trade block since the summer, when it was reported that the Heat were trying to shed salary in an effort to get below the luxury tax line.
Another veteran that has been on the trade block over the past few months is none other than Chris Andersen. Andersen is due to make $5 million in the last year of his contract and has seen sporadic playing time through the first 11 games of the year.
Entering the weekend, “Birdman” has appeared in just two games and is averaging just 6.5 minutes per contest. The last game he appeared in was on November 5th versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There has been no indication that Andersen is injured. Quite simply put, he is so low on the depth chart right now that he won’t see much action unless the Heat are involved in a blowout game.
What does this mean for Andersen’s trade value?
Well, it was already low during the summer and you can be assured that it’s even lower a month into the NBA season. If Miami does want to hold on to the 37-year-old veteran for depth purposes, it’s no problem that they’re keeping him stashed on the bench. However, if the team truly does want to continue shedding salary, they’re not doing themselves any favors by not giving Andersen playing time.
Next: Does Goran Dragic Fit in with This Offense?
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4. Does Goran Dragic Fit in with This Offense?
So far this season, the general public has heard very little about Goran Dragic.
Despite being the Heat’s No. 1 priority in free agency along with Wade, Dragic has been a complete afterthought. Through the first 12 games, the Slovenian point guard is averaging just 10.5 points and 4.6 assists on 41.7 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from beyond the arc.
This is in stark contrast to his numbers from just a season ago with the Heat when he averaged 16.6 points on 50.2 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three-point range.
Dragic is having issues as far confidence in his shooting along with adjusting to a slower-paced first unit than he is normally accustomed to. Wade is handling the ball a lot, and with starters such as Luol Deng, Bosh and Whiteside who prefer a slower tempo attack, the 6’3″ point guard has been unable to get into space and play to his strengths.
There is little doubt that if the Heat are to establish themselves as contenders, they’re going to need Dragic to play like an $85 million player. If he continues to struggle with his starting lineup teammates, Erik Spoelstra might have to consider changing up his rotation a bit and having Dragic play with speedier, more athletic players such as Johnson and Gerald Green.
Next: Are the Heat Really Contenders?
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5. Are the Heat Really Contenders?
As stated before, the Heat entered the week with a record of 8-4, good enough for second in the East.
While Miami has run through lower-tier West teams such as the Wolves, Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, they have come up short against their main competition—the elite teams of the East.
In the playoffs, the Heat won’t have to run through the lower rung of the Western Conference, they’ll have to get by teams such as the Cavaliers, Hawks and Pacers.
The Heat are not an elite team at the current moment, but it is only a month into the season. This team has a lot of strides to make if they want to make some noise in the playoffs. Luckily for Heat Nation, Miami has five long months to perfect their craft.
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