{"id":20493,"date":"2024-12-25T09:54:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T09:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=20493"},"modified":"2024-12-25T09:54:24","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T09:54:24","slug":"5-things-that-should-be-on-this-years-miami-heat-christmas-wishlist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=20493","title":{"rendered":"5 things that should be on this year\u2019s Miami Heat Christmas wishlist"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Miami
The Miami Heat are 14-13 through 27 games to begin the 2024-25 season. (Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday\u2019s to all those who celebrate. As frustrating as some of it has been, the Miami Heat are still 14-13 through 27 games. But with nearly 70 percent of the 2024-25 season left, what are a few new toys that should be on the Heat\u2019s Christmas wishlist? Let\u2019s examine five of them!<\/p>\n

Better Clutch Time Free Throw Shooting:<\/h4>\n

The Miami Heat are 5-10 in clutch games, defined as games where the point differential is at least five points or less in the final five minutes. They have been a below-average defense in those situations, but they\u2019ve also been a bottom-six offense after being the third-worst clutch offense a season ago. The Heat also own the 8th-worst effective field goal percentage and the fourth-worst true-shooting in those situations.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s a byproduct of simply missing shots; it\u2019s a make-or-miss league, and sometimes teams fall in the latter despite good process. The Heat\u2019s process in the clutch, however, hasn\u2019t been particularly positive. Though another big reason is poor clutch free-throw shooting. They are shooting just 66.7 percent on free throws in clutch-time situations, the fourth-worst mark leaguewide. Miami is 23rd in free-throw attempts on a per-possession basis in those spots, but missing one out of every three free throws when it\u2019s a 1-2 possession game is the number one recipe to beating yourself. Every free throw counts\u2013they\u2019re free for a reason.<\/p>\n

More Positional Size:<\/h4>\n

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was two steps ahead of the pack when it came to modern-day small-ball. Spoelstra hasn\u2019t adapted, nor has he had the personnel to adapt with. Bam Adebayo still operates best as the team\u2019s primary \u201cbig,\u201d but the Heat don\u2019t have the proper functional, positional size to fit cohesively alongside Adebayo. Behind him, Kevin Love, who\u2019s dealt with personal matters from the onset, hasn\u2019t played well; Kel\u2019el Ware has\u00a0shown encouraging flashes\u00a0each of the last two games, but is still very raw on both ends of the floor. If the Heat can continue surrounding their best players with better complementary positional size, then this team\u2019s ceiling will rise.<\/p>\n

Better Play Against Good Teams:<\/h4>\n

Dating back to the start of last season, the Heat are 7-26 against teams who are top-10 in point differential,\u00a0according\u00a0to Cleaning The Glass. In eight games against such teams this season, they are 2-6 with the ninth-worst NET Rating and seventh-worst defensive rating. They might be one of the five teams with a top-10 offense and defense, but Miami is wholly mediocre against the NBA\u2019s best. If they want to make noise, that must change.<\/p>\n

Additional Roster Clarity:<\/h4>\n

Miami has players with too many over-lapping skillsets. There\u2019s too much redundancy without much clarity, and each player\u2019s role on a night-to-night basis isn\u2019t clear. Tyler Herro and Dru Smith\u2013who suffered a season-ending injury Monday\u2013are the only two players who have made legitimate positive strides from 2023-24 to 2024-25. Consistency matters, and the Heat are consistently inconsistent. Perhaps additional roster clarity clears that up?!<\/p>\n

A Healthy Jimmy Butler:<\/h4>\n

We\u2019ve seen that if Jimmy Butler\u2019s healthy and engaged, he can still be one of the most impactful players in the sport. But that\u2019s still a\u00a0huge<\/strong>\u00a0if<\/strong><\/em>; the last week\u2013missing all but seven minutes across three games with a stomach illness after rolling his ankle\u2013will indutiably raise eyebrows. He\u2019s still having the most efficient season of his career, but Butler\u2019s inconsistent availibility and play on the court isn\u2019t going to help his cause come next June when it\u2019s time to talk extension. Butler is still on-track to play 61 games, but the Heat need to him to consistently be at his best if the team wants any chance at a run in April and May\u2013as slim as those odds may already be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Miami Heat are 14-13 through 27 games to begin the 2024-25 season. 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