For the longest time, the Miami Heat appeared to always be in a bargain for retaining their relevancy in the Eastern Conference. They'd long been coveting their next superstar after the days of the Big 3 era led by LeBron James had passed.
Even after landing Jimmy Butler in 2019, the assumption was still that much wouldn't be accomplished by the South Beach squad. Butler was coming off of a campaign smearing season with the Philadelphia 76ers, which was assumed to be the case with Miami as well.
Fast forward and Butler aided in transforming the Heat into an Eastern Conference version of the Golden State Warriors, which afforded them the luxury of appearing in the 2020 NBA Finals. The underdog, gritty mentality presented by Butler has been complemented by the sharpshooting of his supporting cast.
The Eastern Conference will be slightly more of a challenge this go around for Miami however. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to present a fully healthy roster and the Milwaukee Bucks will look to surely return the favor this season after being eliminated by the Heat in the playoffs.
Here are a few predictions for the Miami Heat in the upcoming season.
4. Tyler Herro becomes a starter
There were cases to be made against Herro being a starter last season. He was a rookie on a team that would start to overachieve their preseason predictions. Be that as it may, the 20-year-old showcased his talents on the biggest stage in the Finals.
Clearly, he still showed the typical signs of a rookie during certain stretches of the season. Even so, Herro's overall projection still is no different than prior to when he was drafted. The Kentucky standout averaged 13.5 points while shooting an impressive 38 percent from beyond the arc during his first year in the league.
The Heat currently have Butler and Goran Dragic, who re-signed during the offseason, currently occupying the backcourt. In such, that leaves Herro likely having to find time at the 3 spot, which is outside of his true position. Even so, it maximizes the Heat's offensive firepower. At 6-foot-5, Herro could still flourish as a wing if necessary.
He only started eight games last season, he'll start all 72 games this season.
3. Duncan Robinson breaks his own record
It's no secret that Robinson is playing on peasant money given his production. The hopeful outcome is that he maintains his level of play going into 2021 and that he receives a huge payday regardless of where it comes from.
Robinson went haywire last season from 3-point range. He broke the previously set 3-point record by Wayne Ellington, who knocked down 227 threes during the 2017-18 season. Even with coming off the bench to extend or create leads for Miami, Robinson was able to rack up 270 3-pointers last season, putting him at the top of the list in franchise history.
The better portion of the scenario was watching the 6-foot-7 forward bring in 3-point barrages after only seeing 10.7 minutes of action during his rookie season and averaging 3.3 points per game.
Robinson will end the 2020-21 season with at least 25-30 more 3-pointers than with what he ended last season.
2. Bam Adebayo gets DPOY
Adebayo played his way into Defensive Player of the Year conversation last year before eventually bowing out to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even so, all signs are pointing to the former Kentucky Wildcat making another significant jump in the upcoming year. He's locked in with Miami after signing his five-year, $163 million rookie max extension. With that, expect Adebayo to play at ease and further unlock his game.
In all three years, Adebayo has jumped his statline by a wide margin as each year passes. He finished last season averaging 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. His most impressive stat however would be his blocks. After showing no signs of progression in terms on paint protection in his first two years in the block department, Adebayo was able to put rim attackers to shame last season while averaging 1.3 rejections per game.
As a centerpiece for the Heat going forward, he'll be prioritized by head coach Erik Spoelstra on defense above all else. There's still a lot of competition about the league that can become candidates for DPOY, but Adebayo is set to make the biggest leap of them all.
1. Heat repeat NBA Finals appearance
Before the 2019-20 season ended, commentators were already counting the Heat out of making it to the Finals again next season. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving being healthy again, many spectators are ready to hand over the East to the Nets.
Despite that, the Heat are still the favorites to repeat off chemistry alone. They've brought back more or less the same roster aside from losing Jae Crowder. Still, they were able to bring in Avery Bradley, which will bring an increase in 3-point shooting and stellar defense, two things on which the Heat pride themselves.
Despite the flashiness that comes in regular season games, the Nets have yet to play in a playoffs series with both of their co-stars. Meanwhile, the Heat have for the most part seen all of the formidable competition that boasts the league. Butler will be back while furthering his chemistry with an established roster that's hungry to compete once more.
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