Miami Heat: A deep dive into the hottest team in the NBA

Taking a deeper look into the red-hot Miami Heat. 

After the Damian Lillard saga where the All-Star guard ultimately did not end up in Miami, a lot of people thought that the Miami Heat’s era was over. Especially with the departure of key role players in Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, there were a lot of questions on how Miami would look and at first glance, it didn’t look good.

Then, the regular season began and only solidified those thoughts. Though Miami won its first game, it was a one-point victory over a young Detroit Pistons team that ranks near the bottom of the league. Then came the early woes. With rest and injuries to players like Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, and Caleb Martin, the Heat dropped their next four. While the Bucks and Celtics sat atop the conference with newly upgraded rosters, the Heat with its “run-it-back” method seemed to die out as Miami sat at the bottom of the conference.

However, by sheer will, (and maybe this is what they call Heat Culture down there in the 305), Erik Spolestra’s guys have rattled off seven straight wins. Even an injury to Tyler Herro, who’s seemingly taken that next step, didn’t slow down the Heat. What happened? What changed? Here’s a look into how the Heat have kept the NBA’s longest winning streak so far this season.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro

We all know what Jimmy Butler can bring to the table, but all eyes were going to Miami’s young stars Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. After Pat Riley said that he needed a 25-point-per-game scorer and needed Adebayo and Herro to step up, they have done just that. Despite being in trade talks and rumors all summer long, Herro has proved everyone wrong, averaging 25/5/5 just before he went down.

Through the early woes, the guard was the main offensive drive for Miami and was monumental for the early wins during the streak. With Herro out for a few weeks with a sprained ankle, it’s a “next man up” mentality for Spo and the Heat and now it’s been on Adebayo’s shoulders.

Adebayo has finally emerged as a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound player. It’s no coincidence that Adebayo’s big games have resulted in Miami wins. All starting with a 22-point, 19-rebound, and 10-assist game against the Lakers, the big man has kept it up with double-doubles during the win-streak. Though the offensive production has been a welcome sight for both Riley and Heat fans, his defensive play remains one of the best in the league.

He’s held opposing guards and centers alike to poor shooting nights. To name a few, Adebayo has held Jaren Jackson Jr. to 14 points on 5-13 shooting, rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama to four points on 2-6 shooting, and Jaylen Brown to four points and 2-9 from the field.

Though his name has been left off the top-five spots for Defensive Player of the Year odds so far, he’s proved that those odds were made by the untrained eye.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Josh Richardson

Talk about trial by fire. Despite being a rookie, Spo has trusted Jaime Jaquez Jr. a ton to begin this season. “Juan Wick”, as nicknamed by some Heat fans, has played around 23 minutes per contest and has started some games on occasion as well.

Though he had a slow start, including a horrid 1-9 shooting performance against the Brooklyn Nets, he has since rebounded, finding his spots more. He’s scored in double-figures in the last four games, stepping up in Herro’s absence and it’s been much needed.

More of a post-player and mid-range specialist, Jaquez Jr.’s defensive play has also been a pleasant surprise. A good perimeter defender, he’s held the likes of Jayson Tatum to seven points on 3-8 shooting, Trae Young to three points on 1-4 shooting and Anthony Edwards to zero points on 0-3 shooting when switched onto them.

If the rookie can keep this up, then missing out on Dame would not be as big of a miss as people make it out to be.

The return of Josh Richardson has paid dividends so far. Though he got off to a slow start, J-Rich has scored in double-figures in three of the seven winning games. On a veteran minimum, he’s slipped into the role Vincent and Strus had but with the cheap contract, it’s turning out to be a steal.

Duncan Robinson 

What a journey it’s been for Duncan Robinson. The sharpshooter has had a career resurgence, earning an expensive contract with the Heat just to get overshadowed by Max Strus. However, starting in the 2023 playoffs, Robinson has shown glimpses that he’s more than meets the eye, with more play-making and driving attacks to his arsenal.

His two-man game with Adebayo has yet to be figured out and has been a valuable weapon, with Spo subbing the two players at the same time. Since Herro’s injury, Robinson has averaged 18 points per game, five rebounds and around four assists a game, a huge step up from his career averages. Even when he has an off-shooting night, Robinson takes it to the basket instead of sitting out on the perimeter as he had done in years past.

He’s also had some signature moments already, including shaking Wenbenyama on a fake spin and scoring the bucket.

If he can keep up this type of production, Robinson will prove to be one of the most valuable role players for the Heat.

Haywood Highsmith

The return of Haywood Highsmith cannot be understated. The 3-and-D player has taken the next step for Miami and with Spo inserting him into the starting role, the Heat have gone 7-0 and 18-1 all-time with Highsmith starting.

He’s been putting up more shots, averaging a career-high eight points per game with four attempted threes per game. Highsmith’s impact on both ends of the ball has not gone unnoticed. Per Brady Hawk of 5 Reason Sports, when asked about what has gone right in the Heat’s winning streak, Butler said that it was because of Highsmith and his new starting role.

He’s filled in the “small-four” archetypes that Miami loves (i.e. P.J. Tucker and Jae Crowder) and could turn out to be the best of the bunch.

Overall, the Heat’s role players have stepped up tremendously. A more-than-meets-the-eye deep roster was quietly assembled and has proved itself while Adebayo and Herro lead the way. So far in the Butler era, this squad may be his best one yet.