Three reasons to buy in on the Miami Heat heading into the 2021-22 NBA season.
The Miami Heat made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason when they acquired Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. And they didn’t stop there. After the acquisition of Lowry became official, the Heat also added PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris on top of re-signing Duncan Robinson and Victor Oladipo.
After a disappointing showing in their Eastern Conference defense, the Heat is hoping that this season will be much different than last. However, especially considering how their impressive playoff run came in the NBA’s restart bubble, many are fading this team.
Though, you should do that at your own peril. The stars may not be aligning for the Heat heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, but there is a path for this team to finish as a top 3 seed in the East and potentially make another deep playoff run.
We explore three reasons why you should buy stock on the Heat this season.
Why to buy in on the Miami Heat: A full offseason
This Heat team hasn’t had a full offseason since before their deep playoff run. Jimmy Butler didn’t have a complete offseason to rest up after his magnificent run in the postseason and the rest of this team’s young players haven’t had an offseason to grow. That all changes this year.
After a more traditional offseason schedule, the Heat will have the opportunity to get healthy, get right, and improve through individual progression. Miami may not have the most talent on the roster, but they will make up for it in the intangibles and coaching.
It’ll be interesting to see how this team looks after a full offseason of rest, development, and scheming. Also, simple practice. The Heat has all the pieces to be a really good team. They just need to be able to put it all together. I believe they will, and a lot of that will be thanks to a full, more traditional offseason.
Why to buy in on the Miami Heat: Kyle Lowry fills the team needs to a T
It was no surprise when the Heat acquired Kyle Lowry. It made sense on multiple fronts and that’s why many believe this team will be improved. Lowry will give the team a true point guard, something they haven’t had in a long time. He also addresses the team’s lack of a point of attack defender.
He’ll also give Jimmy Butler help as a legit No. 2 scoring option. He fits the Heat culture perfectly and I’m not sure there was a better move that the Heat could’ve made when it came to fit. Are there better players out there the Heat should’ve targeted? Possibly. But I’m not sure there was a more Heat move than the acquisition of Lowry.
Lowry will make life easier for nearly every player on the Heat roster. He’ll also give Heat coach Erik Spoelstra another coach on the floor. There is a lot to like about Lowry and the potential impact he could have on the team this season.
Why to buy in on the Miami Heat: The Tyler Herro/Victor Oladipo potential
Considering the expectations that he came into last season with, there’s no question that Tyler Herro was considering a “disappointment” by many. He didn’t take a bit step forward in his game but was still quite productive for a sophomore player.
Nevertheless, Herro will have a chance to reinvent himself this season, with much fewer expectations. And that matters. If he can tap into his playoff form from his rookie season, there’s no question he can help lift the ceiling for the Heat.
The same could be said about Victor Oladipo, who was lost to injury just a couple of games after he made his debut after he was acquired by the Heat. The good news is that there are whispers that Oladipo may return sooner than expected.
If Oladipo and Herro both outperform their expectation this season, Miami will be in a good place this year and could round into a contender.