NBA Mid-Season Grades: Celtics standout; Warriors, Lakers receive failing marks

Miami Heat

After an offseason to forget, in which they missed out on Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, the public as a whole was down on the Miami Heat. Even some of the Heat's most loyal fans found difficulty in identifying hope heading into the start of the season. Then, the Heat started doing what they always do - win. Tyler Herro had a great start to the season, as did Bam Adebayo. And as perhaps the biggest surprise of the season thus far, Jaime Jaquez Jr. emerged as arguably the second or third-best rookie from this year's draft class.

However, all that recently came to a halt as the team hit a bad skid. But then the front office stepped up and made a much-needed move to shake up the roster. In trading Kyle Lowry and draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Terry Rozier, the tide could be shifting once again for the Heat.

The Heat, all of a sudden, could be reinvigorated and I'm not sure that's a sight the rest of the Eastern Conference wants to see. In turning in a last-second extra credit assignment (in the way of the Rozier trade), the Heat emerges with a solid mid-season grade.

Grade: B-