Miami Heat, Before LeBron, Seen as Flawed in One Assessment

We have reached the point of the offseason where we project forward, win totals, power rankings, title favorites, everything you can think of about the result of next years NBA season.

And while many teams, including the Miami Heat have yet to finish rounding out their rosters, the core is set and stone --unless they land LeBron James-- and fair projections can be set.

And the first of many regarding next years season was released by CBS Sports Brad Botkin.

The Miami Heat were ranked 11th with this writeup:

"When the Heat are getting stops and running in transition, they'll be a major problem. But as constructed, I can't put them among the elite teams because of the half-court offensive issues.

Erik Spoelstra will find ways to make it work, but with a non-shooting (frontcourt) in Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo and a non-shooting point guard in Davion Mitchell, the spacing is going to be very cramped and there are no traditional creators in there.

Yes, I know Bam has stretched his shooting to 3 but defenses will still be happy to let him fire away. Same with Mitchell even though his percentages look fine at low volume. The loss of Norman Powell is huge.

Still, the Heat will be tough on defense and running alone. They'll shoot as many 3s around Bam and Giannis as they can. LeBron would add another major talent, obviously, and help the spacing some, but like Giannis he would find driving lanes pretty packed as well."
Brad Botkin

Strong Starting Placement for the Heat, But Fair

Apr 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) greets his teammates during pregame introductions before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I'll start by saying this is a fair placement of the Heat, especially with the questions many have surrounding the roster. He has them behind Eastern Conference opponents Boston, Philly, Toronto, Indiana, and New York.

Miami being the 6th best team in the Eastern Conference would put them around 46 wins --based off of last year-- and that falls just short of where I project them, 50 wins.

But here's the problem I have with his arguement, and many regarding the Miami Heat. The gravity of Giannis Antetokounmpo opens up space for all shooters, and they will likely be a top-5 defense in the entire NBA, which instantly puts them towards the top of the Eastern Conference, and certianly ahead of the Boston Celtics, who lack depth, and traded away their second best player.

Prob the Heat player going most under the radar for his impact this upcoming season

Shot over 40% on wide open threes last year and can break down defenders 1-on-1 (needed on a Giannis roster)

I haven’t even mentioned the defense yet

He’s gonna be crucial https://t.co/fthpE2pJ0j
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) July 19, 2026

Beyond Mitchell alone, the Miami Heat have Andrew Wiggins who shot 41% on nearly 5 attempts per game, added Bobby Portis who shot 45% on 4.4 attempts, and Tim Hardaway Jr, who shot 40.7% on 6.9 attempts. They have the spacing, and the creation, well that's where Giannis comes in.

My reasoning for calling it a fair placement is because the roster is top heavy, and the current rendition of the bench lacks scoring and creation, and they will need someone to step up, somebody to take that next step, or obviously, add to the roster.

With a top-heavy roster, health becomes a huge concern as well and Miami will need their top players on the floor, each and every night.

I believe Miami will be a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and am excited to see what Erik Spoelstra creates with a roster filled with strong defensive talent and unique offensive profiles.

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