Preseason Record: 5-1
The Miami Heat put together their starting lineup this offseason, and it’s a formidable one. It also doesn’t contain a lot of question marks. How often and accurately do Jimmy Butler and PJ Tucker shoot? That’s mainly it.
It’s the bench that contains the intrigue for the Heat. Especially with Tucker and Butler getting up there in age, the Heat need to keep the minutes down for their key players. The problem is that they don’t have many proven players coming off of the bench. Tyler Herro is one of the biggest swing players in the entire league. If he can recapture his play from the NBA Bubble the Heat can raise their ceiling to championship level.
The rest of the bench is filled out by players who came up through the G League. Max Strus looks like he could be the real deal as an offensive threat in the backcourt. Gabe Vincent is the team’s latest 3-point gunner, while Omer Yurtseven was once a highly-regarded prospect and could work his way in as the backup center behind Adebayo. How that trio develops could change the Heat’s season.
Bold Prediction: They do not have home-court in the playoffs this year. The Heat are built for the postseason, with a tight group of tested players who have all been deep in the playoffs. Given the strength of the top-6 in the Eastern Conference, the Heat will fall short of having a home-court advantage in the first round.