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The Miami Heat had a busy offseason, adding the likes of Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker to a competitive roster. Sharpshooter Duncan Robinson also signed a lucrative extension. The Heat will enter the 2021-22 NBA season as one of the contenders for the title.
The Miami Heat reached the NBA Finals in 2020, but had a campaign to forget last year. They crashed out of the playoffs in the first round, getting swept by the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, Pat Riley and the front office have done some stellar work to improve the roster this summer, making the team competitive again. On that note, here is a look at the three areas the Miami Heat improved this offseason:
#3 Point guard position
Adding a quality point guard was the Miami Heat's biggest priority this offseason. They accomplished that objective by snapping up Kyle Lowry, one of the best veteran players in the league. Not only does Lowry bring in elite point guard play, but the intangibles he possesses are also quite invaluable.
Lowry was the de-facto leader of a Toronto Raptors team that won the championship in 2019. He is now expected to play a similar role in the Miami Heat locker room as well. Add Jimmy Butler to that, and the Heat have two of the best leaders in the league at their disposal at the moment.
Coming to his on-court prowess, Lowry is adept at playing both on and off the ball. That gives head coach Erik Spoelstra a versatile option to have in the backcourt. Kyle Lowry averaged 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists per game last season for the Toronto Raptors, proving his all-round prowess and versatility.
He is also a brilliant shooter. The former Houston Rockets star made close to 40% of his threes last year, doing so on a healthy 7.2 attempts per game. A six-time All-Star and a part of the 2015-16 All-NBA team, Kyle Lowry could make the Miami Heat a legitimate contender in a stacked Eastern Conference.
#2 Shooting
The Miami Heat tied down three-point specialist Duncan Robinson to a four-year deal, effectively securing the future of one of their most key assets. Robinson has been a menace for opposition teams since his breakout year, bombing threes from behind the arc with consummate ease.
Robinson has shot 42% from downtown in the two years he has played for the Miami Heat. He has also considerably improved in defense lately. Aside from extending Robinson's contract, the Heat also added Markieff Morris, who is a dead-eye shooter as well.
Morris was an integral part of the LA Lakers' rotation that helped the Purple and Gold win the 2020 NBA championship against the Miami Heat. He could now come off the bench to provide some solid minutes as a spot-up shooter.
PJ Tucker is an above-average three-point shooter as well, so it is safe to say the Heat would rely heavily on his three-point shooting this year.
#1 Defense
The Miami Heat pride themselves in being a defensive-minded team, with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo being two of the best players at the defensive end in the NBA. Their defense was a key reason why the franchise reached the NBA Finals in 2020. Pat Riley and the Miami Heat front office have ensured that they improved on that end this summer.
The addition of PJ Tucker is the most critical one, as the Heat have added one of the grittiest players the NBA has ever seen. Even at 35, Tucker has a motor that never quits, as his energy in defense is second to none.
Tucker hounded Kevin Durant in the Bucks' series against the Nets in the 2021 playoffs. He could prove to be an effective weapon against Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the upcoming postseason as well.
Kyle Lowry is also a capable defender, who can be an annoying presence on the defensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, Dewayne Dedmon provides a cover for the power forward and center positions, and Markieff Morris is one who is capable of playing lockdown defense.
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