After a grueling 10-game losing streak, the Miami Heat have rattled off two victories. Their latest win came at the expense of Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors. That was like a Super Bowl for the Heat as the players who felt slighted by Butler's "get-me-out-of-here" antics were able to show him they don't need him.
Butler was the driving force behind two NBA Finals appearances in Miami. They don't need him per se, but they need a younger player who possesses the traits he did. The sudden wins shouldn't distract the Heat front office from the fact that they still need more.
A defense with Bam Adebayo at the helm will always be serviceable, and Erik Spoelstra remains a premier defensive coach. The Heat's problem pre- and post-Butler is their lackluster offense. The Heat currently have the 22nd-ranked offense, a trend heading towards three years in a row of having a 20-something offense.
Their 10-game losing streak was anti-Heat Culture. They'd never purposely tank while Pat Riley and company have their pulse on the organization. Whether they meant to or not, that losing streak put the Heat in an optimal spot that could potentially allow them to get some lottery luck. In a draft class filled with archetypes Miami needs, a shift in focus is best for the future.
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The 2025 NBA draft is the Heat's bridge to contention post-Jimmy Butler
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro aren't new to NBA stardom. Herro was named an All-Star for the first time this year, and Adebayo is a perennial All-Defender. Herro was having one of the best shooting seasons in the league until he hit a wall post-All-Star break.
Though Herro is a marksman, he's been asked to play point guard for the Heat because they lack ball handlers. Terry Rozier was the starting point guard when the season kicked off, but that experience lasted too long. The Heat's first or second-best shooter (No Duncan Robinson erasure) playing on the ball like a traditional poing guard isn't ideal.
Herro should be the go-to scorer thriving from the wing, and Adebayo isn't a 25-point player. Games like Tuesday night give the impression that Adebayo can be that player nightly, but that's never been his game. Expecting Adebayo to carry the defense while scoring like that says more about the team's build than his game. Miami needs to get a player who can help maximize both their pillars. Someone who can take responsibility from Herro and allow him to play off the ball is ideal. If said player can spoonfeed Adebayo, throwing him lobs and putting him in his sweet spots, then the Heat's window of contention opens a bit.
Tankathon has the Heat at No. 8 in the draft order, with a six percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick and a 26 percent chance of snagging a top-four pick. Landing Cooper Flagg at one would change the trajectory of every NBA team. The Heat aren't an expectation. With only a six percent chance, that's unlikely, but the Heat can still find a difference-maker if they stay stagnant at eight.
FanSided's own, Christopher Kline, ranks Oklahoma guard Jerimiah Fears No. 8 in the latest mock draft. Fears is a microwave scorer. Herro and Fears would share ball-handling duties, but that'd still help Herro get off the ball more. The Heat haven't had a true 3-level bucket-getter in a long while. Fears would fill up shat sheets in Miami and eventually be called on to be the guy scoring-wise.
Kline's Tankathon spin landed the Heat with the No. 2 overall pick. Again, it's unlikely, but that's what these losses piling up could turn into. Dylan Harper went to Miami in Kline's mock draft. He's exactly the player the Heat have dreamed up. As a prospect, Harper is elite, creating for himself and others.
Off-ball Herro would be activated, and Adebayo's 15-point games wouldn't be as glaring. Harper is a left-handed assassin with a draft profile similar to James Harden's. Harden became an all-time playmaker, something the Heat need. Miami shouldn't lose sight of what their losing spell could provide them long-term.
