The Miami Heat's development team strikes again. Long lauded for their ability to unearth diamonds in the rough, the Heat have, once again, been vindicated, this time in the form of a Summer League championship trophy after they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 120-118, in an overtime thriller in the final.

The Grizzlies may have had the most stacked Summer League roster, at least by the end of the tournament. They had the services of four players who played legitimate minutes last season for the NBA team in GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Trey Jemison, with Jackson, LaRavia, and Pippen combining for 89 points, but it did not matter, as the Heat pulled out the victory thanks to heroics from Josh Christopher and Pelle Larsson.

Josh Christopher's stocked has dipped precipitously ever since he was drafted in the first round back in 2021, but latching on with the Heat appears to be the best decision to make with the intention of reviving his career in mind. He led the team in scoring with 24 points on 9-17 shooting, but he had plenty of help as well, with four other teammates of his scoring in double figures as well.

In particular, 2024 first-round pick Kel'el Ware, whom many thought the Heat reached for, has continued to impress in Summer League. He put up 21 points and 10 rebounds on 80 percent shooting from the field, and he figures to be a major win for the Heat's scouting department yet again given how productive he has been in Las Vegas.

Heat fans, who are always an expressive bunch, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their euphoria over their Summer League championship.

Just to further highlight this achievement, the NBA will reward the Heat with special championship rings to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Summer League.

The Heat may not have done too much this offseason, but if they continue to have this solid pipeline of young talent, then it's hard to ever count them out, even in the loaded Eastern Conference.

The Heat's youngsters show out

Josh Christopher and Kel'el Ware will be the ones to draw headlines, and deservedly so, but the likes of Pelle Larsson, Alondes Williams, and Cole Swider should not be forgotten. Larsson, in particular, aside from scoring the game-winner, continued to show that he has a place on the Heat's NBA roster thanks to his solid ability to move off the ball, off-the-bounce oomph, and his soft touch that extends beyond the arc.

Williams was in the Heat system last season, and he continues to get better. His shot creation and three-point range make him a valuable player in his own right, and it's not like he needs the ball to succeed. And then there's Swider; a movement shooter, he made the Grizzlies play by knocking down five of his eight threes in the Summer League Final; with shooting at a premium, could Swider make his case for a roster spot, especially when he's 6'9?

Whatever the case end up being, one thing is for sure: the Heat have done it again.