Three Sad Miami Heat Statistics That are Sinking Them

Sometimes, numbers can tell a story, and they do for the 3-6 Heat

Nov 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Miami Heat guard Ryan Conwell (4) steals the ball from Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (8) in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3-6.

That's the number that has received the most attention regarding the Miami Heat this season, and rightly so. For the talk of better talent and vibes this offseason and preseason, and how the Heat would speed to the top of the standings, the engine is hardly revving out of the NBA garage. Miami has two get-right games upcoming to end its five-game road trip, against even worse Sacramento and Utah. But the way the Heat are playing, especially on defense, where they are more lenient than the average substitute teacher, no win is guaranteed.

And even if the Heat take those, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates will need to get to another level on the upcoming homestand, with the Cavaliers and Pistons visiting for a back-to-back.

So what are some of the ways?

Well, it's not as simple as shoot better themselves or remove the magnet from their own rim.

Here are three of the Heat's some NBA rankings that, if improved some, will create positive change.

1. 30th

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That's the Heat's ranking in offensive pick-and-roll frequency. Note, we didn't say efficiency. We said frequency. The efficiency has actually been somewhat close to excellent; Miami is 6th in the NBA in that category. So that suggests that Erik Spoelstra should be calling for more of these. While the Heat don't have a Chris Paul-level pick-and-roll maestro, Davion Mitchel and Pelle Larsson in particular have been generating good results from those possessions. And it's a way to keep Bam Adebayo engaged. Getting Giannis to roll with conviction may be a challenge. Still, the Heat need to try.

2. 28th

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That's where the Heat rank in points per possession when they take a spot-up jumper. Only the Bulls and Hornets have been worse. This wasn't supposed to be so, not with Klay Thompson, Bobby Portis Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr. and Andrew Wiggins around, but only Thompson has been reliable (after a slow start). Portis has tailed off. And we don't want to talk about Wiggins and Hardaway Jr. .... Since the Heat don't have elite playmaking in their backcourt, and won't be lethal shooting off the bounce, they absolutely need to start sinking standstill jumpers. Or they'll be stuck in reverse.

3. 29th

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That's the Heat's ranking in opponent three-point field goal percentage. Only the Charlotte Hornets have been worse. The Spoelstra defense, almost regardless of specific scheme, has always yielded a lot of three-point attempts. So it's not surprising that the Heat are giving up the second-most in the NBA. The idea, however, is for teams to be taking more difficult three-point shots, either because they're in the wrong spot (wings rather than corners) or because they're not entirely open or because they're being launched by a less accurate overall shooter. Um, the idea hasn't become reality this season. You can't be giving up so many, and then not guarding them properly at all. Well, you can. And you'll be 3-6.