The Miami Heat have a healthy aura of confidence that spills over them. It was evident on media day, during training camp, and during the first preseason game. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the Heat treated the competition with the seriousness of a regular game.
It’s still early, but a notable difference from last year is the speed with which the ball went forward. In recent seasons, the Heat operated without a traditional point guard and instead hit a scorer at position because the offense was moving through Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. This was the reason the Heat played at a more methodical pace.
This year, Adebayo and Butler’s highest priority is to score and attempt to force a double-mark from the opponent on them. Lowry’s dynamic pace of play will simplify teammate assignments by leaving them open to dribble penetration or in transition when taking the ball onto the court with an out pass.
Defensively, the addition of Lowry helps due to his strengths in multiple coverages. And let’s add that he is a great communicator on the field.
At training camp, Lowry’s impact was felt the moment practices began. Perhaps the greatest asset to the Heat is that it emulates Butler’s personality. Leading by example can be mentally draining and now Butler has a new senior lieutenant respected by everyone in the locker room.
Tyler Herro He came to media day looking “bulkier” without sacrificing the speed and precision for which he is known. Last season, as reported by Five Reasons Sports’ Ethan Skolnick, the Heat wanted Herro to show a greater commitment to weight training, and it appears that has been one of their top offseason priorities.
The third-year point guard impressed in the first quarter of the exhibition against Atlanta. Herro’s dribbling seems more controlled and technical, which is helping him maneuver to his favorite spots on the court with the ball. Early last season, shot creation and ball handling duties were part of the # 14’s expanded role and he had mixed results. This year, after a legitimate summer for a team that had 71 days off between last break, Coach Spoelstra will test the experiment again.
On the “Tobin & Leroy” show on media day, Herro said that the circumstances of the past two seasons intertwined with the COVID-19 pandemic were overwhelming. On that show he also said that the team is in a great position for what lies ahead.
Butler did not dress, but observed with the coaching staff on the sidelines all the weapons that will be available this year. Butler was wearing his mask, but I’m sure he was grinning from ear to ear when Herro made seven of nine baskets in opening period, or how organized the attack looked with Lowry at the helm.
The Heat’s body language is a stark comparison to how the team looked before the start of 2020/2021. The shortened NBA schedule probably felt like a chore for them after it was imposed on everyone because the league was going to make up lost assets by any means necessary. The last four teams in the bubble, the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers and Heat, were all at a disadvantage because the postseason is also a game of attrition..
For the next season, starting on October 19, the playing fields are leveled again. The last time they were on equal footing was in the bubble and Miami won the conference. Perhaps that’s something to keep in mind when examining the rest of the competition assuming the other contender in the east (Nets) will potentially have their leading guard, Kyrie Irving missing half the season due to his reluctance to get vaccinated against COVID. 19.
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