Following two consecutive middling regular seasons and two first-round exits, one consistent flaw has been very apparent. The Miami Heat offense has been significantly lacking in consistent production.
Despite Tyler Herro’s breakout All-Star campaign, it became clear the Heat needed another three-level scorer to supplement defensive strategies solely focused on Herro. ESPN breaks down why the addition of Norman Powell should immediately benefit the Heat’s two stars.
“Miami was dreadful last season following the Jimmy Butler trade, going 14-21 and losing 10 straight games in March before turning things around and earning a postseason spot through the play-in games,” the article wrote. “More than anything, the offense desperately needed a leg up this offseason. That’s where Powell, who’s playing the best ball of his career in his early 30s, comes in. He isn’t the biggest facilitator, but the man can score on and off the ball, and from both inside and outside the arc. He has shot nearly 40% from deep for his career. Expect him to be an enormous help to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo on the offensive end.”
Powell averaged 21.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds on 48.4 percent shooting and 41.8 percent from three-point range. If he can replicate most of his production from his best year of his career, the Heat can take advantage of a much weaker Eastern Conference next season.
HEAT’S ERIK SPOELSTRA EARNS LEGENDARY HONOR AMONG BEST COACHES THIS CENTURY
While many credit the franchise’s cornerstone players, Erik Spoelstra has been essential to the Miami Heat’s success.
To continue CBS Sports’ quarter-century rankings, they voted Spoelstra as the third-best coach since 2000 behind Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. Despite not winning as many championships, they broke down why they believe he was voted higher than Steve Kerr’s dominant run with the Golden State Warriors.
“Jackson faced stiff competition for the second-place spot,” the article wrote. “Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, and Rick Carlisle all received votes. Once again, the coach with more championships lost out in the voting. Kerr has four, but lost to two-time champion Spoelstra. The difference between the two is that Spoelstra has succeeded with multiple rosters, whereas Kerr has always had Curry as his core player.”
Ever since he replaced Pat Riley as the head coach in 2008, Spoelstra has led the Heat to six Eastern Conference championships and two NBA championships. While many attribute most of his early success to being part of the Big Three Heat era alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, he showcased the importance of great coaching during the Jimmy Butler years. While they didn’t win a championship, no other coach in NBA history has led a team to the finals with as many undrafted players as Spoelstra, who did it twice.
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