The Miami Heat looked dominant in the second half of its season-opening win against the Orlando Magic. After fighting out of a halftime deficit, it used a strong third quarter to pull away from the Magic by a score of 108-96. The team showed the strong chemistry it had built up over the course of training camp as six different players scored in double figures on the night. Here are the five biggest takeaways from last night's season opener: 1. Productive Bench [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] One of the most surprising takeaways from the Heat's first win of the season was the amount of production it got from its bench players. The Heat's bench outscored Orlando's 42-17 due to strong performances from players like Tyler Johnson, James Johnson, and Willie Reed. Fresh off his $50 million contract, Tyler Johnson poured in 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and added six rebounds and three assists. In addition, James Johnson and Reed combined for 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on the night. Strong bench play will be key during the long, exhausting regular season schedule. Next: Paint Dominance [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 2. Paint Dominance [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] The Heat dominated the painted area against the Magic on Wednesday, outscoring them 74-36. This was a result of the attacking mentality the Erik Spoelstra has been preaching for weeks. The team was led by superstar Hassan Whiteside who had 18 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks. His presence garnered a lot of attention and created cutting lanes for guards Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, and Tyler Johnson to finish. Outside of four 3-pointers, the Heat managed to put up 108 points, which means that 96 of their points were from inside the arc. Next: Two Pleasant Surprises [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 3. Two Pleasant Surprises [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] The performances of Reed and Rodney McGruder were two of the most pleasant surprises of the night. Reed looked like a savvy veteran on pick-and-rolls and there wasn't a noticeable drop-off in production from the center position when Reed came in to give Whiteside a breather. He finished the night with 10 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes. McGruder was the last player to make the Heat's final roster and Spoelstra used him right away. The young guard only contributed six points and three rebounds on the night, but his attacking mentality fit well with the high-paced Heat offense. He tied Justise Winslow for the best plus/minus differential with a +15 for night. Next: Dion Waiters Can Do More Than Score [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 4. Dion Waiters Can Do More Than Score [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] Waiters did not have a great shooting performance (4-of-13) against the Magic but did prove to many doubters that he can be productive without scoring the basketball. He only scored nine points but was actively looking to set up teammates as he finished the night with four assists. In the preseason, Heat fans saw Waiters drive and dish effectively and it was encouraging to see the former Syracuse University product show his wide range of skills against the Magic. Next: Justise Winslow's Leadership [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 5. Justise Winslow's Leadership [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] Winslow has often been called the most mature 20-year-old ever because of his demeanor. His calm persona helped the Heat settle into the offense on Wednesday night when the Magic tried to desperately muster a comeback. It was refreshing to see that, other than Dragic, Winslow was in charge of setting up the offense and setting plays into motion. This speaks volumes to how much confidence Spoelstra is entrusting into his second-year forward. Winslow missed both of his shots from beyond the 3-point line, but that did not stop him from contributing 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on the evening. Although his shooting stroke is still a work in progress, his on-court presence and across-the-board stats from the opener should be a sign of great things to come. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-ImagenText"]
