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#3 Miami Heat had subpar offense
The Miami Heat boasted an incredible defense this season. They were 7th in defensive rating and 4th in points allowed. But they largely lacked an offense that could beat the volume shooting teams of today.
The Heat were ranked 17th in offensive rating overall but were below 20th in many of the categories. For a team with a lot of young players, the Miami Heat occupied 29th position in pace and 25th in points scored, which is quite disappointing.
They attempted the fewest attempted shots per game as a team in the league last season and were the 4th-lowest in shots made. The Miami Heat also got to the free throw line less often compared to other teams and didn't sufficiently attack the paint. Much of their field goal attempts were three-pointers and when their players didn't make them, they inevitably lost games. The Heat were also ranked 29th in both total and offensive boards.
#4 Victor Oladipo's injury
Victor Oladipo barely played for the Miami Heat this season. He appeared in just 4 games for the Heat and averaged 12 points, 3.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in 27.8 minutes of play. He was inserted into the starting lineup and seemed like a perfect fit early on. But an injury to his right quadriceps tendon meant he underwent a season-ending surgery.
The Heat traded Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley in exchange for Oladipo earlier. Olynyk was excellent for the team in the past three seasons and was always going to be a miss once he left. Judging from last season, it seems as though the Heat lost an important role player and in return, got a star who always seemed to be injured.
#5 Inconsistency in their performances
As a result of injuries, the COVID-19 health and safety protocols and constant roster rotations, the Miami Heat were incredibly inconsistent in the 2020-21 campaign. Coach Erik Spoelstra couldn't salvage the season with a hapless roster that had no major playing time together.
The Heat had 21 players who played for them this season and 17 different starters. This meant the side used a new combination for their starting five almost every other game with no sight of consistency.
The Miami Heat would go on an occasional winning streak, but an injury or sidelining would see them skid and go back to square one.
Also Read: What next for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat?
