It’s no secret that the Miami Heat’s 2024-25 season has been nothing short of a disaster.
From the front office to the coaches to the players on the floor, there has been room for fans to criticize virtually every level of the franchise.
While the Heat do somehow hold a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference right now, they’re on track to finish with their worst record since the 2007-08 season, when they won just 15 games under then-head coach Pat Riley.
In a season full of disappointment, which three storylines take the cake? Let’s dive in.
3. A step in the wrong direction for Bam Adebayo
It’s been a long season for big man Bam Adebayo, whose scoring hasn’t been the weapon the Heat need it to be.
Let’s look at Adebayo’s season in parts:
- Over his first 43 games: 15.6 points per game, 45.4 percent shooting from the field, 27.4 percent shooting from deep
- Over his next 19 games: 23.0 points per game, 55.6 percent shooting from the field, 37.7 percent shooting from deep
- Over his last four games: 11.3 points per game, 41.5 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent shooting from deep
- Overall: 17.4 points per game, 48.6 percent shooting from the field, 31.0 percent shooting from deep
There is no particular rationale for the stretches we’re highlighting here aside from the fact that they show how inconsistent Adebayo’s scoring game has been this season. He’s had his moments, but all things considered, he has taken a step back offensively.
Adebayo had been named to two straight All-Star games before this season, a streak that just came to an end. Here’s a look at how his 2024-25 season stacks up to his previous two seasons in three specific categories:
- 2022-23 All-Star season: 20.4 points per game, 14.9 shots per game, 59.2 true shooting percentage
- 2023-24 All-Star season: 19.3 points per game, 14.3 shots per game, 57.6 true shooting percentage
- 2024-25 season: 17.4 points per game, 13.8 shots per game, 55.7 true shooting percentage
As you can see, Adebayo has regressed this season in each of the three categories highlighted above. He has scored less, been less aggressive and seen a dip in efficiency. Once this season comes to an end, he needs to make sure that something similar doesn’t happen in the 2025-26 campaign.
2. A season to forget for Terry Rozier
Veteran guard Terry Rozier would probably like to pretend that this season never happened.
He’s had one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, been the target of trolls and critics and even became linked to a gambling investigation.
When the Heat acquired Rozier last season, he had a chance to become a nice piece for a squad that had legitimate aspirations at making a playoff run.
While he had his moments with Miami in the 2023-24 campaign, a neck injury kept him out of the playoffs, and he hasn’t done anything this season to show that he was a worthwhile acquisition. He’s said to be healthy now, but his recovery from the neck issue might have disrupted his routine.
In 59 games this season, the 31-year-old has averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest while shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from deep.
Across varying amounts of playing time in his last 13 games, his numbers have been particularly rough. He has averaged just 6.8 points per game during that stretch on 33.0 percent shooting from the field and 26.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Heat reportedly recognize that they made a mistake by trading for Rozier. He is under contract for one more season after this one at nearly $27 million. Whether or not he’ll spend that season with Miami remains to be seen.
A change of scenery may be what both parties need. Earlier in his career, Rozier showed an ability to be a very useful player, and he may be able to reach those heights again if he’s in the right situation elsewhere.
1. A bitter ending to an iconic Jimmy Butler tenure
For better or worse, the way that Miami and veteran forward Jimmy Butler broke up will forever be a chapter in the book of Heat culture.
Butler’s exit from the Heat continued a trend of top players leaving Miami on rocky (or worse) terms, something that has led to discussions about whether the organization will be able to land star players in the future.
In this case, Butler indicated that he wanted a trade, but didn’t get one quickly. He was suspended multiple times by the franchise before a deal came together, with the star ultimately landing with the Golden State Warriors in a deadline trade.
There’s plenty of disappointment to go around with the way the Butler era ended. Heat fans can justifiably be upset with both Butler (who evidently did enough to lose the support of many teammates) and the Heat (who had a hand in turning the saga into a PR disaster). Of course, there’s more to it than that. The bottom line is that everyone deserves some blame.
The end result is a soured relationship between the Heat and one of their best players in franchise history, even if Butler wants to take the high road now and claim that he doesn’t have “anything bad to say” about the Miami organization.
To add insult to injury, the Heat, as they navigate a lost season, have to watch Butler flourish with the Warriors, a team that is suddenly a wild card in the title conversation.