The Miami Heat’s offense has looked out of whack for parts of the past few seasons, but this season has been a different and much more positive story. Miami has drastically picked up the pace it plays on that end, and the results have been incredibly impressive.
The Heat rank in the top 10 in the league in scoring, points per game and offensive rating, and that formula for success has them sporting a solid 3-2 record on the season. Miami’s offensive success is turning heads around the league, and one executive said the organization is “on the right s…”.
“As scouts began to assess what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had cooked up after a summer of soul-searching on how to pull the Heat back offensively (Miami has been ranked 21st, 21st and 25th over the past three seasons), they began to wonder one thing:,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wrote.
“Doesn’t this new system look like the Memphis Grizzlies did last year?
Spoelstra and the Heat consulted with former Grizzlies assistant Noah LaRoche, sources told ESPN, before installing a free-motion system that largely eliminates pick-and-rolls.
“It’s led to a tremendous offensive start in South Beach. The Heat are running more than any team in the league, using the fewest picks and have gone an entire quarter without Spoelstra calling a play.”
“You know Spo runs the opposite of the system that [Heat president] Pat Riley used to run, where he called every play and every play was accurate,” the league executive said. “And it makes me appreciate and respect even more that the organization is about the right s—. They’re about exploring and teaching in Miami.'”
Before the season started, the Heat were said to be doing something to shake up their offense, and they seem to be executing on their vision.
“I love it,” one scout said of the new offense, per ESPN. “It’s so different than everybody else. You don’t need a point guard, you need ball protection. It’s nonstop and it’s refreshing to see. It changes with Miami’s principles, which is to play hard defense and push the tempo.”
The Heat already have two games this season in which they have scored 144 points or more.
“Coaches love this type of system, because it’s about movement and team concepts — not the ‘hunt the mismatch’ style that you see a lot of places,” one scout said. “For it to work, you probably can’t have a dominating star on the ball, and you probably need a pretty strong coach. Well, that’s what they have in Miami.
“They didn’t have it in Memphis. We’ll see how it all works when [Tyler] Herro returns [from a foot injury].”
While Miami is hot on the heels of a spectacular run against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, it’s important to put the game in perspective. San Antonio leads the NBA in defensive rating and has perhaps the best defensive player in the league in center Victor Wembanyama. Even with everything taken into account, the Heat still lost by just six points, knocking down 15 3-pointers from the field while missing key help.
Perhaps no single player on the Heat has benefited more from their unique offensive concept this season than rookie Norman Powell. While the guard has sat out the past two games with a groin problem, he has started his maiden season in Miami guns blazing. Not only is he the Heat’s leading scorer this season at 24.0 points per game, but he has been explosive from 3-point range. Incredibly, he is shooting at a 50.0 percent clip from deep on 6.0 attempts per contest.
In other good news for the Heat, they will face a much less formidable defense in their next game. They don’t return to action until they play the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, and Los Angeles is at the bottom of the league in defensive rating. However, the Lakers will likely have guard Luka Doncic back in action by then, which would give them a big boost on offense.