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The Miami Heat posted a 40-32 record in the 2020-21 NBA regular season as irregular performances and injuries kept the team away from achieving better results.
Heading towards the 2021-22 NBA season, the Heat will look to recreate, or at least get close to, their exploits from the 2020 NBA Playoffs. The team reached the NBA Finals but were defeated by the LA Lakers in six games.
However, it won't be easy for the Miami Heat to replicate their incredible run as the Eastern Conference is stacked. The conference has the Brooklyn Nets and the reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks, who swept the Heat in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
3 weaknesses the Miami Heat must work on in the 2021-22 NBA season
The additions of Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker have brought a pair of NBA champions to the Miami Heat squad. However, there are still some issues that coach Erik Spoelstra will need to work on to prevent another tough regular season.
Let's take a look at three weaknesses that the Miami Heat will need to get rid of in the upcoming season.
#3 Rebounding
Rebounding is definitely an issue that the Miami Heat's rivals can exploit in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Last season, Erik Spoelstra's team struggled in terms of rebounds, ranking 29th in rebounds per game in the entire 2020-21 NBA season. The Heat ranked 29th in offensive rebounds grabbed per 100 possessions and were last in offensive boards per game.
The Miami Heat did not have a single player averaging double-digit rebounds last year. Bam Adebayo led the team in rebounding with nine per game, followed by Jimmy Butler with 6.9.
#2 The Miami Heat need to protect the rim better, even with Bam Adebayo on the team
The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA. While he is certainly a good rim protector overall, the Heat are not particularly good at guarding shots close to the basket or generating blocks on defense.
Of course, the Miami Heat's defense is the best asset the team has, but some tweaks in the rim-protection area could be extremely beneficial.
Last season, the Heat ranked 30th in blocks per game in the regular season and 29th in blocks per 100 possessions.
While blocks are not the only way to measure rim protection, it is definitely an area that the Miami Heat could improve.
#1 The Miami Heat need to improve their overall shooting efficiency
The Miami Heat's defense dragged the team to an NBA Playoffs spot last year. The Heat were only 18th in Offensive Rating, generating a 0.0 Net Rating throughout last year's regular season.
Their defense allowed 111.2 points per 100 possessions to opposing teams (seventh-best in the NBA). However, their offense did not hold its end of the deal, and it caused the team to lose multiple games.
The Miami Heat converted 46.8% of their shots last year, ranking 17th in the NBA. They made 35.8% of their three-pointers from beyond the arc, which was 19th in the entire NBA.
Tyler Herro did not have an impressive sophomore season with the Miami Heat after his brilliant run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs in the Orlando bubble. After making 38.9% of his three-pointers as a rookie, he made only 36% in the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Duncan Robinson had another great year from the three-point line in the 2020-21 NBA season. However, his 40% efficiency from the three-point range was not as impressive as the 44.6% he posted in the 2019-20 season.
If the Miami Heat manage to improve their shooting from all areas on offense, they will have a good chance of replicating their run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
