What’s Next For The Miami Heat?
It was certainly a memorable year for the Miami Heat in their journey as the second No. 8 seed to make the NBA Finals.
With that said, they need more if they want to hang a fourth banner in South Florida. Scoring and rebounding were the biggest detriments to them during the regular season. These problems were ignored throughout the postseason but came back to bite them against the Denver Nuggets. The height disadvantage and inconsistent scoring left Miami unmatched.
With these factors in mind, Miami can go a few different ways to improve. The biggest ask from fans is to take up on Damian Lillard saying Miami being his preferred trade destination. He is arguably the greatest shooter in the league today outside of Steph Curry. They could also get Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star they’ve been linked to since last offseason.
Jimmy Butler's lackluster Finals performance had some questioning if he’s truly a No. 1 player on a championship team. Another addition could give the Heat a 1-2 tandem fans have been wishing for. It also takes pressure off Butler if he underperforms.
Another direction Miami could go is adding size. Bam Adebayo is their tallest player in the starting rotation at 6 foot 9, which doesn’t match with some of the bigger centers in the league. If they want to keep him at the 5, they could add a power forward to avoid Caleb Martin starting in that role again. Otherwise, they could get a center and have Adebayo at the four.
There’s still work that needs to be done. This season was merely one where Miami overachieved. They need more to truly compete.
Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
