The ways Erik Spoelstra can build off past in the Giannis-led present

Last year was disappointing but may lead to Miami’s Championship success. In 2025 Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra consulted with Noah LaRoche to help implement a read and react continuity style offense.

“There’s a lot of things we did last year that make a lot of sense for Giannis. We don’t want to reinvent guys; we just want to add.” said Spoelstra at heat media day.

Erik Spoelstra on the offense approach this year:

“There’s a lot of things we did last year that make a lot of sense for Giannis.

We don’t want to reinvent guys, we just want to add.”
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) September 28, 2026

Noah LaRoche Influence

Gone were the days of pick and roll heavy offense in Miami. In came a free flowing creates gaps and attack style. A league executive said, “You know Spo is running the polar opposite of that system that Pat Riley used to run, where he called every play and each play design was exact.”

A scout said, “It is so different than everybody else. You don’t need to have a point guard; you need ball handling wings. It’s nonstop and it’s refreshing to see.

Spoelstra said of LaRoche, “He’s been a good addition, a fun addition to the staff,” He’s really an innovative coaching mind.” The Miami Heat binged on threes and layups. That is shown by their improved 1.5% increase in three-point attempts from the prior season. They also increased their overall 2pt percentage by a remarkable 12.1% because of the higher quality looks.

The Giannis Fit

The Heat offense is tailor made for Giannis to attack open gaps. The defense can’t react quickly enough when he rumbles downhill. If the defense sags you must worry about the 4 40% three-point shooters on the court. One of those is arguably the second-best shooter of all time in Klay Thompson.

You will see a lot of Klay in the strong side corner of where Giannis attacks. You can’t help off Klay and you must double Giannis. That means the help defense must come from the baseline. This is where Bam Adebayo hanging around the dunkers spot will be able to feast.

Probably the most underrated talking point of Miami’s style last season was the opportunities it created to get to the foul line. Miami as a team upped their free throw attempts by 24% compared to the prior season. When adding Giannis to the mix who averaged close to 10 per game over the last eight seasons, it is reasonable to assume they go from 2nd overall in the league in scoring to first.

The Miami Heat are brewing up the recipe to championship success because of the offensive projection and sheer defensive havoc they will be able to unleash on any opponent. This all looks good on paper but we will find out for real with training camp starting soon.

TRAINING CAMP

Florida Atlantic fans sit in the Mizner Park Amphitheater seating area on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Boca Raton, Fla. Hundreds of Florida Atlantic fans gathered in Mizner Park to celebrate the FAU men's basketball team's accomplishments during the 2022-2023 season, including an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Training camp starts on September 29th at FAU in Boca Raton. We will learn real quick if this team continues it’s motion offense, reverts to a Giannis centric inverse pick and roll scheme or a hybrid of the motion with elements of the pick and roll thrown in. I think it will be the latter. Give Giannis some of what he is most comfortable with while the rest of the players holding fast to last years principles that brought them greater success offensively up and down the roster.

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