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Miami Heat Stats, Odds, Standings and Schedule for 2023-24 NBA Season

Miami Heat Last Season Performance

It is hard to put the Miami Heat’s 2022-23 season into perspective. If it weren’t for a 15-1 run in the final minutes of the eighth-place play-in game, the Heat would have missed the playoffs. But, they beat the Chicago Bulls, starting an incredible playoff run against NBA odds, and reached the NBA Finals.

Miami’s regular season was filled with injuries and offensive struggles. The Heat averaged the fewest points per game but made up for it at the other end of the court with the ninth-best defensive rating.

The regular season was a grind and the Heat finished with the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. They lost the seventh-place play-in game to the Atlanta Hawks before beating the Bulls to earn a spot in the playoffs as the eighth seed.

Once the Heat got their chance, they did not hold back. In five games, they upset the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks with Jimmy Butler playing at an elite level. In the second round, the Heat beat the New York Knicks in six games as the supporting cast, like Max Strus, started to make big plays.

Caleb Martin averaged 19.3 points per game in the Eastern Conference finals while Miami jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series. The Heat could not hold the lead but beat the favored Boston Celtics on the road in Game 7.

The Heat faced the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, winning only one game. It was a difficult end to a great run for the Heat, who became the first play-in team to reach the NBA Finals. The run has also led to decent NBA Finals odds in 2023-24.

Offseason Changes

Key Additions

Right now, the core for the Heat is already settled around Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. This offseason was about adding surrounding complementary pieces and replenishing some of the depth that the team lost.

On top of that, Miami is an organization that prides itself on getting the best out of its players, especially undrafted free agents. The Heat signed center Thomas Bryant as a backup to Adebayo and he adds more of a paint presence on both ends of the court.

The other big free agent signing was bringing back Josh Richardson, who had been on the team from 2015-19. While the Heat are not getting nearly the same player that they traded in 2019, Richardson is still a solid backup wing.

The Heat selected UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the draft with the 18th pick. There is a chance that he could get minutes early off the bench this season, given that he is an older rookie, already has a polished offensive game and is reliable on defense.

However, NBA news throughout the 2023 offseason has surrounded Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard wanting to be traded to the Heat. If Miami could acquire him, it would change a lot.

Key Losses

This past offseason, the Heat suffered a few more losses than expected. Part of that is many of their role players stepped up in the playoffs, earning themselves bigger contract offers from other teams.

Strus turned his playoff performances into a $63 million contract over four years from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gabe Vincent did something similar, signing for three years at $33 million with the Los Angeles Lakers. Both players were undrafted and provided a lot of depth for the Heat.

Backup centers Omer Yurtseven and Cody Zeller also left in free agency. Udonis Haslem retired after 20 seasons with the Heat. Miami also traded away Victor Oladipo, who suffered a knee injury in the playoffs.

Coach: Erik Spoelstra (44-38)

Erik Spoelstra has officially placed himself as one of the top coaches in the NBA with his performance in the 2022-23 playoffs. In the first round and Eastern Conference finals, the Heat still managed to win both series against far more talented teams.

Despite all the struggles for the Heat in the regular season, some of which had to do with player availability, Spoelstra got his team ready for the playoffs. With him courtside, he can always help the Heat find a way to win, especially in the most important games.

Miami Heat Strength: Experience

Over the last four seasons, since Butler signed with the Heat, they have made it to three Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals. This team has the experience and knows how to win the playoffs.

The core of Butler, Adebayo and Herro have been there for each of those three long playoff runs. Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love are still on the team, bringing their own championship pedigree.

The experience on this Heat team is a big reason they succeeded in the playoffs, looking like a completely different team compared to the regular season. It also helps that the Heat have Spoelstra, who has coached in six NBA Finals.

Miami Heat Weakness: Offensive Depth

One of the biggest concerns in the regular season was the Heat’s lack of offense. They scored the fewest points per game and ranked 25th in offensive rating. A big reason for that was a lack of effective 3-point shooters. The Heat attempted the 10th-most threes per game but only made 34.4%, ranking 27th.

Martin, Strus and Vincent got hot from behind the 3-point line when the playoffs started, another important reason for the team’s playoff run. However, when their shooting cooled off, the Heat struggled. Now that Strus and Vincent left in free agency, Miami has no clear replacement, having been some of the more reliable shooting options on the team.

So far, Miami has not added another offensive threat this offseason to fix any possible issues. On top of that, neither Butler nor Adebayo are outside threats, which can sometimes limit the team overall.

Miami Heat Predictions

The Heat are complicated for NBA predictions. On the one hand, it is hard to deny their incredible run to the NBA Finals. However, they also struggled in the regular season and there does not seem to be much effort to change that.

The 2023-24 season could eventually play out very similarly to last season. Miami might struggle in the regular season, finish in the bottom half of the playoff seeding, and try to make a run when the games matter the most.

Miami Heat FAQs

Will the Miami Heat ever win the NBA Finals again?

In three of the last four seasons, the Miami Heat have made or been close to making the NBA Finals, which should lead to hope this season. However, it does seem like the team missed its time frame.

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Who is the best player on the Miami Heat?

Jimmy Butler is the best player on the Miami Heat despite not being a dominating player on offense every game.

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Will the Miami Heat make the NBA Finals next season?

It seemed like the Miami Heat’s run to the NBA Finals needed everything for them to go perfectly, which might not happen in 2023-24.).

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