3 Strengths of the Miami Heat that’ll be key to their success in the 2021-22 NBA season

Head Coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat coaching against the Charlotte Hornets during the preseason game at FTX Arena on October 11, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat coaching against the Charlotte Hornets during the preseason game at FTX Arena on October 11, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

#2 Defensive depth

<a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/dewayne-dedmon' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Dewayne Dedmon</a> #21 of the Miami Heat poses for a photo during Media Day at FTX Arena on September 27, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Dewayne Dedmon #21 of the Miami Heat poses for a photo during Media Day at FTX Arena on September 27, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

The Miami Heat signing of P.J. Tucker has given the team some depth and a more defensive force with his ability to take on the best player of the opponent and run him out of rhythm. While Tucker can also space the floor and sink in some threes, his defensive prowess will be most needed as the Heat had a bad run on defense the previous season.

If the Miami Heat are to challenge for the title in the coming season, they will surely need their defensive unit to rise to the challenge.

The re-signing of Dewayne Dedmon gives Spoelstra a wide variety of potential plays, which might feature a possible link-up with Bam Adebayo, giving Bam more freedom to wreak havoc, which we saw play out during the Bucks' series. Need I mention the magnificent Jimmy Butler, who led the league last season in steals per game and placed second in total steals.


#3 A shooting powerhouse

<a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/duncan-robinson' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Duncan Robinson</a> #55 of the Miami Heat poses for a photo during Media Day at FTX Arena on September 27, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Duncan Robinson #55 of the Miami Heat poses for a photo during Media Day at FTX Arena on September 27, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

The Miami Heat had a terrible run in the previous season on offense, netting 39.2 times per game from the field, ranking 26th in the league, with a field goal percentage of .468, which had them ranked 17th in the league. This should be a thing of the past with the amazing additions the front office introduced to the team during the offseason. The Miami Heat roster currently contains good shooters that could make the difference when it comes down to it, including Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo, Morris, Lowry, Duncan Robinson and Butler.

The Lowry addition, in particular, should prove most helpful in increasing their offensive power, alongside Robinson. Their presence should address the offensive problems of last season, as the Heat ranked 25th in points per game in the 2020-21 NBA rankings. Placing 19th in the league in 3-point percentage (35.8%), with an offensive rating of 111.2, ranking them at 18th position and they also had the worst offensive rebounds per game in the league.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar