2 Heat trade deadline additions fix a weak spot and change goals for the season

The post-Jimmy Butler era in Miami is finally upon us. He's moving to the Bay Area, and the Miami Heat got back dynamic individual defenders.

Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are the generals leading the troops now. The defensive focus of the group will test the duo's leadership as they attempt to lead this young nucleus to the playoffs this season. Herro is surging in multiple ways, and Adebayo's rhythm is restored. The breaking trade shifts this year's focus from "dark-cloud saga" to "see what we have while we still attempt to win games." 

1. Miami's defenses collapsed in the Bulls debacle. You won't be anyone with that type of effort down the stretch
2. How does No. 22 Andrew Wiggins fit in a Heat uniform on the court?
3. Off-night is going to give teams hell
4. All turnovers aren't created equally
5. Dont push Bam Adebayo to the edge

Miami's defenses collapsed in the Bulls debacle. You won't be anyone with that type of effort down the stretch

You'll blow a lead when you don't get back on defense vs. a shot-happy team. The Chicago Bulls aren't great, but they let it fly, and allowing them to see the ball go in on fast-break opportunities only skyrockets their confidence.

This "fast" break is inexcusable. How is there only one black jersey getting back? Kel'el Ware is barely in the frame, and we see him jogging. Ayo Dosnmu was the beneficiary of poor Heat transition defense here, but Josh Giddey led the charge during this comeback. Giddey saw the ball go in twice on easy opportunities, which got him going.

Giddey's not a major scoring threat. The Heat sagged off him a few times in the clutch, and he made them pay. His 12 points this period were a season-high in fourth-quarter points. Anyone can get going once their confidence rises through the roof.

Giddey is seen bulldozing past Tyler Herro. His confidence grew with each passing possession. Those easy, fast breaks jump-started the non-scorer and allowed him to torch Miami in the fourth.

The Heat are an up-and-down team. They've been that all year. We get excited seeing the potential of the young nucleus as fans, but when you take a step back, you see that this squad can beat good teams and squander leads to mediocre teams. If the bottom of the East weren't in disarray, this Heat team would be on the verge of missing out entirely on the postseason. They'll be in the mix all season, competing with the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic to stay out of the play-in. Their inability to stay in front of the ball and lack of effort in transition allowed the Bulls to creep back in and snag this game. The new Heat additions ease that pain.

How does No. 22 Andrew Wiggins fit in a Heat uniform on the court?

If we go back to 2022, Andrew Wiggins was named an All-Star starter and put on a defensive masterclass in the playoffs. He slowed down a healthy Luka Doncic more than anyone's been able to do and had Jayson Tatum in handcuffs in the Finals. His offense was powerful, and Luka was on the receiving end of said power.

We're years removed from that version of Wiggins, but his defense remains intact. Wiggins was the Warriors' best perimeter defender. He's a long, strong-footed slider who makes life tough on virtually anyone. He's coming from a system with a defensive infrastructure, so playing next to Bam and under Spo shouldn't require much adjusting. 

Wiggins' role remains to lock down the other squad's best wing. He's an A+ one-on-one defender, perfectly fitting in Heat Culture. 

His offense consists of tough twos and catch-and-shoot 3s this season. The midranges are banned unless you are Bam Adebayo, so we'll probably see Wiggins attacking the rack with his burst. He'll be relied upon to get two feet in the paint, collapsing defenses and finishing over the top of them. His defense got him here, but hopefully, his driving and finishing can return to solid levels. I thought he'd be the Heat's new point of attack defender, but Pat Riley and company had another grand idea.

Off-night is going to give teams hell

There's a reason Davion Mitchell is nicknamed "Off Night." If you're defended by him, prepare to have an off night.

The fourth-year guard out of Baylor University is a pitbull defender who never stops. I said Wiggins fits Heat culture, but Mitchell embodies it. The Bulls game was a strong example of the Heat's tendency to get burnt on the perimeter. Mitchell solves that puzzle. He's the new point-of-attack defender who should take many Terry Rozier minutes. Mitchell's shaky offense is the main reason he was available.

The NBA generously lists Mitchell as 6-foot-2, but he appears much smaller. That can occasionally be a strength on defense as he's lower to the ground and pickpockets opponents. Overall, though, we know basketball is a giants game. His height limits his offensive impact, as he's not a consistent shooter from deep finisher at the rim. That sounds a lot like Rozier's season for the Heat, but the difference is Mitchell is a feared defender. Guys shoot over him, but that will be a shot you have to work for.

Bball-Idex ranks Mitchell and Wiggins as top 10 matchup difficulty defenders this year, and bringing those intangibles to South Beach gives Miami elite defense lineups. Herro doesn't add much to the defensive infrastructure, but his growth is the story of the Heat's year.

All turnovers aren't created equally

Tyler Herro's 79-straight game streak, knocking down a 3, ended against the Spurs. This halfcourt heave didn't count, but you love seeing a 40% 3PT shooter take a heave! They don't care about percentages, knowing they can get it back up with silky jump shots. 

Herro should care about his turnovers. It's true he's playing a role that doesn't best amplify his skills, but the last two games were an uncharacteristic turnover fest. We can live with turnovers that involve attempting to involve your teammates, but randomly losing the ball cannot become common.

The Heat turn the ball over at a top-10 rate. They've protected the ball with the best of them, Herro included. But the past two games have tested his TO%. He's dealing with traps and the team's best defenders. That's what comes with being a lead guard. 

Do they still call carrying/palming in the NBA? The refs saw this play as one. If you ask me, it was a weak call, but these are the turnovers we don't want to see from Herro. Attempting a needle-threading pass can be forgiven because it gives your team a chance for a touchdown. Lost ball turnovers are like sacks, taking you out of field goal range.

These are inaccurate passes, but they are forgivable TOs nonetheless. Herro is dealing with the traps and missing the open man accuracy-wise. He sees them, but he needs to be more accurate. Making the read and attempting the pass is step one. These are forgivable TOs. 

Losing the ball getting into a routine left-hand move is not.

While the turnovers were up this week, so were Herro's dimes. He averaged eight assists over the past three games and did all the little things. His historic 3-point streak ended, but that didn't stop him from sacrificing his body to free Bam up for his game-winner in San Antonio.

Herro is an All-Star in all the correct ways. The defense won't catch up, but getting your teammates involved and making an impact with a broken shot are other positives for the future.

He's playing out of his true role, so when the Heat gets a real point guard, he'll be even more dangerous as a two-guard with these on-ball chops he's developed in this developmental Heat season that turned into a make-the-playoffs year with the trade deadline additions. Miami traded for talent, but they've also acquired the Bam Adebayo that has been desperately needed.

Dont push Bam Adebayo to the edge

It's rare to see Bam Adebayo get into any skirmish. The Heat captain is a laid-back guy who gets along with many stars across the league. Charles Bassey of the San Antonio Spurs isn't a star and wasn't having it with Bam.

The two battled for positioning on a dead ball. The two giants pushed and shoved, ultimately needing to be separated by the referee. Bam is cool-headed, but don't push him to that level. Bassey woke up a resting giant, and the Spurs paid for his actions. 

Bassey got caught on a massive Herro screen, the switch came, and the rest is history. After burying another one on Bassey's squad, Bam has the second-most walk-off game-winners among centers all time. Bam's season has turned the corner offensively. 

Bam's overreliance on midrange jumpers isn't the analytical approach some like to see, but that dropping means the touch is returning. Sure, the Spurs game was tied, so if he missed, we'd be in overtime, and there'd be less pressure. But the confidence to raise and stick that middy over a wing shows that Bam can continue this trajectory. 

Some of the shimmy-shake midranges he made in this one were a work of art. His rim and jump shot numbers continue to climb. Bam's return to form won't change much this year regarding championship aspirations, but Miami could be a tough first-round out with Adebayo balling at this level. His scoring game returning to form ensures he's still the two-way phenom in the Heat's future plans.

Stats as of 02/06/25 via PivotFade, NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Cleaning The Glass, and PBP Stats.