Magic coach says Heat's new playstyle is more unpredictable to defend than most teams

What is the best way to create advantages for a basketball team?

Should you run the offense through the post-up advantage, or get the ball to the elbow? How should teams look to bend the defense – with pick-and-rolls and handoffs, or endless ISOs and drive-and-kicks? Are offenses at their most threatening with the best shooters moving off ball as much as creating on ball?

Is their one clear answer, or does the answer to these questions depend on the talent, lineup, and matchup?

The Miami Heat are pushing this test to the limit, dedicating the majority of their offense to drive-and-kick, ISO-centric, fast-paced up-and-down basketball.

After a hot start playing this way, the Heat have cooled off some to rating 13th in offense on the year. Miami still rates #1 in pace and dead-last in volume of pick-and-rolls and handoffs by a mile, yet the offense is working.

I asked Jamahl Mosley if Miami’s new offensive playstyle — creating advantages running the fewest P&R and DHO of any team — makes their offense more unpredictable to guard or tougher to gameplan for as a defense.

Coach Mosley said, ‘Yes…. Drive-kick, one-on-one, less pick-and-rolls, harder to guard.”

I asked Jamahl Mosley if Miami’s new offensive playstyle — creating advantages running the fewest P&R and DHO of any team — makes their offense more unpredictable or tougher to gameplan for

Coach Mosley said, ‘Yes…. Drive-kick, one-on-one, less pick-and-rolls, harder to guard.” pic.twitter.com/Kxt5tR7HPm
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) December 9, 2025

The Memphis Grizzlies found some success last season playing with a similar style of never-ending drive-and-kick 'wheel relocation', using as few screens as possible to maximize 5-out and 4.5-out spacing for the offense at every moment throughout the possession.

One commonality between these two teams is the work of assistant coach, Noah LaRoche, who helped spearhead these concepts first with the G League Memphis Hustle squad before working the ideas into the big leagues, and now has joined the Miami Heat staff to consult and further explore these ideas in Miami.

“It’s all about Advantage Creation”

I asked @memgrizz Coach Taylor Jenkins how Memphis has a Top-6 Offense despite running the fewest P&R of any team and about Noah LaRoche’s importance establishing the Grizzlies’ 5-out relocation principles

Sound ON 🎧 @SwishTheory https://t.co/d9HeFksDKK pic.twitter.com/N3YG3NVdsS
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) February 22, 2025

I asked Miami Heat Head Coach Eric Spoelstra what he credits for the Heat’s offensive success around Miami’s new fast-paced nearly-screenless playstyle and the influence of Noah LaRoche’s coaching concepts

“I just love coaching, working on this craft. I love when a staff like we have wrestle through different things.

Noah (LaRoche’s) been a really good addition: he’s a part of our staff, along with the rest of the guys. (Chris) Quinn has been instrumental.”

“I just love coaching, working on this craft. I love when a staff like we have wrestle through different things.

Noah (LaRoche’s) been a really good addition: he’s a part of our staff, along with the rest of the guys. (Chris) Quinn has been instrumental.”

I asked Eric Spoelstra… pic.twitter.com/Mq0qK0iHY1
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) December 9, 2025

The next question, though, revolves around Spoelstra's ending comments in that clip – with the Heat's offense regressing as of late, can Miami keep up the success of this fast-paced screenless style of play all season?

Only time will tell if the Heat change playstyles as the season evolves.