Miami Heat: Offensive transformation comes at the perfect time

Having struggled offensively most of the season, the Miami Heat’s recent transformation has come in timely fashion in the race for the postseason.

The Miami Heat‘s 119-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 23 capped an atrocious 10-game stretch for the franchise. While they had struggled to score freely for the majority of the season, the Pistons matchup capped a stretch of games that clearly pointed to a need for change.

Over this 10-game stretch, the Heat ranked 29th in offensive rating at 102.6, resulting in a 2-8 record during this span. Not only were they struggling to score by averaging just 100.8 points per game, ranking 27th in 3-point shooting and dead last in free throw shooting, the Heat also struggled to control the ball, ranking 29th with 16.5 turnovers per game.

Considering these numbers, the rapid transformation in the Heat’s offensive output since the awful Pistons performance has been simply remarkable:

• Offensive rating: 119.4 (2nd)
• Points per game: 119.2 (4th)
• Field goal percentage: 51.2 (1st)
• 3-point percentage: 41.9 (2nd)

One of the keys to this much-needed transformation has been the play of Kelly Olynyk. Having experienced a somewhat underwhelming season, Olynyk has made the most of a significant bump in playing time. Over this recent five-game stretch, he averaged 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.3 minutes per game. Most notably, his .613/.591/1.000 shooting splits have been emblematic of the Heat’s recent play.

A key to Olynyk’s sublime play has been the contributions of center Bam Adebayo. Starting for the past few games due to the absence of regular starter Hassan Whiteside, Adebayo’s high-energy playing style has proven to be a terrific complement to the slower-footed Olynyk. As a two-man pairing over the past five games, the Olynyk-Adebayo duo has posted an elite 122.6 offensive rating in 85 minutes together for an excellent +9.4 net rating.

Following the Heat’s 117-88 trouncing of the Brooklyn Nets on March 2, head coach Erik Spoelstra made some assertive observations as it pertains to the dynamic between Olynyk and Adebayo:

"“It’s not just K.O [Olynyk], it’s Bam also and how they play off of each other that really helps our offense. Both really good screeners, you can throw the ball to them and run off-ball actions, defensively they’ve learned how to make it work and be effective….But K.O’s confidence has grown seemingly each game, and he’s doing it against good teams. So as much as our offense has improved, a big part of that has been his confidence and his growth in our offense.”"

Over this five-game stretch of offensive firepower, the Heat have had seven players averaging in double figures, with Josh Richardson‘s respectable 45.2 percent shooting clip the lowest return among this group.

Coupled with the scoring has been the impressive spread of playmaking on the starting unit. Fourth-year players Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow have averaged 5.6 and 5.5 assists per game, respectively, while shooting guard Dion Waiters has chimed in with 4.0 dimes per game. As a result, the Heat have ranked fifth in the league in assists during this time.

With just 19 games remaining, this recent stretch of play has come at an ideal time, with the Heat currently ranked ninth in the Eastern Conference standings and their next contest coming against the eighth-placed Charlotte Hornets. Given their current trajectory, and a roster getting closer to full health, the Heat have given themselves the best possible chance to finish the regular season in a positive manner.