Miami Heat’s improvement in key factor is non-negotiable

Bryan Townes | Oct 14, 2025

Oct 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Halfway through this decade, the Miami Heat have consistently excelled with an impressive top-10 defensive rating every season, except for 2020, when they finished No. 11. However, their offensive struggles have become more apparent following the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Through five preseason games, their offense didn’t look much better than last year. Granted, the Heat were purposely remaining cautious enough to avoid playing any of their main core players, especially if they were dealing with injuries. Bleacher Report listed the Heat’s offense as the primary focus to improve upon heading into the season.

“The Heat have fielded a bottom-third offense in three consecutive seasons, fighting everything from availability issues and inconsistent shooting to half-court issues centered around the absence of a go-to scorer,” the article wrote. “One consistent hurdle, though, has been the lack of a high-end playmaker. And the worry is this season could be even less connected than most.” 

While most of their sentiments were accurate, their go-to scorer for much of the season, even with Jimmy Butler on the roster, was Tyler Herro. His breakout season with a career-best in several statistical categories was a significant factor leading to his first All-Star appearance. The Heat’s offensive woes mostly revolved around a lack of production outside of him.

In the offseason, the Heat acquired another elite three-level scoring guard, Norman Powell, who was also coming off his best season without having to lose much in return. While this was a significant addition to a team in desperate need of another shot creator, they won’t be able to see the new backcourt duo for several more weeks. 

With multiple changes to the rotation, the Heat will likely require plenty of time to get used to everything before resembling a finished product. Regardless of where they end up finishing this season, fixing their offense should be their top priority.

“There are a good amount of moving parts on this roster, and plenty of players trying to prove their worth: whether that's extension-eligible players like Norman Powell and Tyler Herro or up-and-comers like Nikola Jović and Kel'el Ware,” the article continued. “A pass-first point guard could bring this roster together, but Miami probably doesn't have that, especially if Kasparas Jakučionis looks as overwhelmed as he did this summer and Davion Mitchell fails to sustain his post-deadline surge.”

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