Can the Miami Heat work around their biggest weakness?

The defensive structure of the Miami Heat is rarely in question. A baseline of Erik Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo usually puts you in top 10-15 range alone, but adding in Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, Dru Smith, and others simply projects them above average on that end of the floor.

But now the goal is to crack the top 20 on the other side of the floor. Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley questions the overall creation of the Miami Heat's offense.

"Should we add Miami fielding a bottom-third offense to the list of life's certainties next to death and taxes?," Buckley wrote. "OK, that's overstating things, but here's where the Heat have finished the past three seasons in offensive efficiency: 25th, 21st, and 21st. And, remember, this three-year stretch featured three playoff berths and three series wins, because Erik Spoelstra is a mastermind, and Playoff Jimmy was him."

"Even without Jimmy Butler now, Miami could conceivably capitalize on a wide-open East by fielding even an average offense," Buckley continued. "But how is that supposed to happen? Shot-creation was already a question mark before Tyler Herro had surgery on his left foot in September."

There's a lot on the plate of Norman Powell in the world of shot creating when simplifying things down to the half-court. Bam Adebayo can definitely make things happen in the mid-post, and Andrew Wiggins has his moments, but there's a definite difference between scoring and shot creation.

“Hopefully in the next week or so I can get back on the floor and get back into playing and sh*t”

— Tyler Herro on YT 👀 pic.twitter.com/fNCHXrYDyK
— Heat Culture (@HeatCulture13) October 19, 2025

The guy that can get you a good look as the primary action on or off the ball is indeed Tyler Herro. He seems to be trending in a direction that could have him returning sooner than many expected, and man is that needed to keep the Heat's offensive hopes alive.

More than just sending Herro or Powell out there to run a pick and roll into some type of pull-up jumper, the two of them out there together creates a ton of mis-directions defensively alone. There's no more leaving the weak-side alone when one has the ball in their hands. Because you simply can't dip off the outstanding spot-up shooting of Herro or Powell.

"Bam Adebayo is in a two-year scoring decline. Norman Powell faces plenty of sustainability questions following an age-31 breakout, and he's a play-finisher, not a creator," Buckley finished with. "Nikola Jović has had trouble staying on the floor (and, at times, in the rotation). Rookie Kasparas Jakučionis may not be ready. So, it might be another round of nightly searches for scoring chances."

Maybe this is a little harsh when trying to evaluate the season in a larger scope, but one thing is clear: the Heat can't afford to have another season of constant injuries. Maybe that's the case for all teams, but it just seems that this Heat team is built to stay above water when having their core together for an extended period of time.

They're a guard injury away from losing scoring. A big man injury away from double digit minutes from their two-way Vlad Goldin. And a wing injury away from playing three guard lineups for good.

Health is the solution to most professional teams problems. But when it comes to the biggest question mark for the Heat's current squad: I'd say it's shooting over creation. If it isn't Herro and Powell, what role player (or players) will step up to ultimately raise the ceiling of where this offense can land this season?