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What should we expect from the Miami Heat in 2017-18?

By Tyree Morton

Apr 8, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gestures during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gestures during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Miami Heat had a very unexpected 2016-17 NBA season to say the least, so can we expect a consistently great year for them next season?

In the first two months of the 2016-17 season, the Miami Heat looked like a lottery team. Nobody expected them to be great so this was no surprise to the rest of the league.

Miami wasn’t satisfied with their efforts, though. Many thought Hassan Whiteside would take on a much larger role offensively after the departure of Dwyane Wade. That wasn’t the case. Still, Whiteside was very effective despite his drop off in blocks per game.

At the start of the season, Dion Waiters didn’t play like the player that the Miami Heat brought him in to be. Through his first 16 games, he averaged 14 points on 38 percent shooting. Waiters missed the next 20 games with a pectineus tear.

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Goran Dragic improved from last season, but with Waiters out this didn’t mean much as Miami was still losing.

After an 11-30 start, Miami won 30 of their last 41 games. The league was shocked. They had one of the best records in the league from January 17th till the end of the season. In fact, they had the very best record from January 17th up until Dion Waiters suffered another injury that forced him to miss the last 13 games.

Ultimately, it cost the Heat a playoff spot, too.

Miami finished the season 41-41, lost a tie-breaker to the Chicago Bulls and narrowly missed the playoffs.

Had Waiters never went down, the Heat could have moved up to a potential 5th seed. I mean, what a story would that have been?

Miami still had a story either way. Turning an 11-30 record into 41-41 is no easy task.

This feat has put Erik Spoelstra in the Coach of the Year conversation. If Spoelstra does win, he’ll be the fourth coach in NBA history to win Coach of the Year with a .500 or below record.

Recently, the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh agreed to part ways and this will free up cap space for the Heat. Miami see’s Chris Bosh as a liability health wise and believe it’s best to not take any risks.

Now, looking at the offseason, the Miami Heat have some very important moves to make. Potentially, the Miami Heat could have about $37 million in salary cap to spend. They can get a superstar and then some. There have been talks of Dwyane Wade coming back but I doubt they’ll even spend $20 million on him. If he’s about the money, he’d most definitely stay in Chicago.

If any star player has done their homework this season, they’d know that Miami has amazing potential. Pat Riley is a piece or two away from making a deep run into the playoffs. With the possibility of having so much to spend this offseason, I’m sure he believes he can make some magic happen in South Beach.

Must Read: 2017 NBA Draft: 5 Top Prospects With The Most Bust Potential

Whether the Miami Heat make some moves or if they decide to hold out, you can still expect them to be a playoff team, if healthy, next season. Just how far will they go?

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