Miami Heat: New-look Heat has chance to prove itself as a contender

The Miami Heat has a chance to prove itself over an impossible 10-game stretch. 

Through the first three games, we’ve seen a little of everything from the new-look Miami Heat. We’ve seen them at their best and, arguably, at their worst.

The Heat was the best version of itself as it trounced the Milwaukee Bucks in the season-opener by 40-plus points. Then, the Heat turned around to lose at Indiana just a few nights later. Miami did well by bouncing back to blow out the Orlando Magic, but the inconsistency is exactly what many worry about pertaining to this team.

However, over the course of the next 2-3 weeks, the Heat will be able to quiet all the nonsense. Because of how their schedule falls, Miami will be able to prove itself as a true contender in the Eastern Conference.

Starting with a road game against the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night, the Heat has to play seven of its next 10 games on the road with each of them coming against likely playoff teams. This 10-game stretch ends with a four-game road trip in which the Heat has to play the Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, and Jazz.

If Miami managed to emerge from this road trip over .500, that has to be considered a win all-around. This is the type of stretch that can catapult the team to new heights and one that could bring the team together.

Perhaps most importantly, it’ll be vital for the team to emerge from this stretch healthy as well. If there’s one big reason why some aren’t big believers in the Heat as true contenders in the East this season, it’s because they don’t believe that this team can remain healthy.

Jimmy Butler has had his durability issues in the past and hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since the 2016-17 campaign – in fairness, he did play 58 of the 73 games played during the 2019-20 season.

Kyle Lowry has already missed one of the team’s first three games with an ankle injury and PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris are veterans that could seemingly breakdown at any given moment.

The good news is that this incarnation of the Heat has some young legs on the roster – between Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro. They will be key as the team prepares for the next 10 games.

Another storyline to follow over the course of this “very real” stretch is Tyler Herro’s play. Through the first three games, Herro is the team’s second-leading scorer while averaging 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 47 percent shooting from the field.

If Herro can consistently be a 20-plus point scorer off the bench for the Heat, that drastically changes the outlook on this Heat team. I’m not sure when the last time the Heat had such an offensive weapon off the bench and one that doesn’t shy away from the big moments.

If Kyle Lowry, Jimmy, and Bam can remain healthy, the Heat has a chance to be a contender in the East this season – especially if Brooklyn and Philadelphia continue to trip over themselves. And Miami has a great chance to reinforce that idea as they embark on a key 10-game stretch over the next few weeks.