Miami Heat: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18

Weakness No. 3: Durability

Miami was an interesting team to watch last year because of how up-and-down their season was. They looked like a team that couldn’t put points on the board, despite their willingness to play together.

Justise Winslow only played 18 games in 2017. Waiters played 46 games. You get the point. The list of Heat injuries was long. In fact, no player on their roster actually played in all 82 games last season. Winslow was robbed of basically his entire sophomore year. That is unfortunate considering the third year is usually the breakout year for young players. His defense and playmaking are needed to make most of Miami’s lineups work.

Waiters is the third-leading scorer on the Heat, and his 19 points per 36 minutes were sorely missed when he went down. Ellington’s 3-point shooting and defense helped the team stay afloat during tough times. But if Miami’s guard rotation stays healthy, it will be able to wear down teams at a relatively thin position.

Next: Ranking all 30 starting NBA power forwards for 2017-18

Miami is talented enough to make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference. But they need Dragic, Waiters, and Whiteside to all play at least 60 games to snag a playoff seed. Miami is going to have some of the best chemistry in the league. With the additional shooting provided by Olynyk, I expect Miami to compete for the Southwestern division title.