After finishing with the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season, the Miami Heat are failing to match their performance last season.
A team that was arguably a Jimmy Butler three-pointer away from going back to the NBA Finals last season, the Heat currently find themselves in the play-in with only an advantage of two games over the nine seed in their conference.
“I’m tired of losing.”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 26, 2023
- Jimmy Butler pic.twitter.com/JM60uj4Cmf
The Heat’s upcoming schedule could decide the team’s future.
After a heart-wrenching 108-103 loss to the 14-seeded Charlotte Hornets, Butler has voiced that he is sick of losing and that the team needs to figure things out very quickly.
This upcoming stretch for the Heat is not going to show many signs of mercy either. According to Tankathon’s remaining schedule strength, Miami has the eighth toughest road from now until the end of the regular season. Aside from the Toronto Raptors, every team below the Heat in the Eastern Conference standings has an easier schedule moving forward.
The season struggles have been lingering all season long for the Heat. It took 31 games before the team could move above the 0.500 mark for the first time. Butler was also asked about his concerns earlier in the season after Miami had lost five times in a seven-game stretch.
"“We’re still going to win the championship, and I don’t care what nobody says,” Butler said while shaking his head. “I don’t give a damn that we started 2-5… We’ve got time, man. We’ve just got to play with a little bit more urgency and realize how fragile this thing is, trust in one another and play basketball the right way on both sides of the ball. We can do it. We’ve just got to do it consistently.”"
It’s not that Miami is lacking a group of guys that have experience and know what it takes to play at the highest level for the highest stakes. Along with Butler, players such as Bam Adebayo, Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, and the newest addition, Kevin Love, have all averaged above 20 points per game at some point in their careers. Yet, the team ranks 27 out of 30 in offensive rating.
The feeling has been that all season long, the Heat have been involved in new rumors. Players such as Fred VanVleet and Zach LaVine were rumored trade acquisitions near the deadline. Other players like John Wall and Russell Westbrook were speculated to be on Miami’s radar in the buyout market.
Their consistent target in most of the rumors has been guard play. Between Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Duncan Robinson, they have contributed more than 50 points per game this season on average. At the same time, all of those players have shot below 40 percent from the field this season and 34 percent from the three-point line as well. That’s a big reason why the Heat find themselves ranked 28 out of 30 in three-point percentage and dead last among teams that are in the playoffs or play-ins.
- 28. Miami Heat = 33.1%
- 29. Charlotte Hornets = 32.6%
- 30. Houston Rockets = 32.6%
Ultimately, the Miami Heat’s window seems to be nearing a close unless something dramatic happens. If their future vision is to keep this pushing this Jimmy Butler era, then applying some perimeter threats that can stay healthy and provide consistent playmaking is a necessary addition to make in the summer. If they choose a different direction, the market for Butler will still be very high. Players such as Adebayo and Herro are still young enough that a rebuild could be restructured with them at the forefront.
One thing about a team led by Erik Spoelstra is that while some may question their talent, it’s difficult to question their desire to win. And from that alone, not many teams would embrace a post-season matchup with this blue-collared team.