The Miami Heat Power Fankings is a weekly power ranking, counting down the fan favorite Heat players of the week. It’s not based just on stats or highlights or screw ups or wins or losses, but some unscientific combination of all of those things and the grey matter in between.
1. Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade, the team’s leading scorer through the first week of action, has resided upon the top of the Miami Heat Power Fankings for most–if not all–of his career. Sure, there were some years in between when LeBron James gave him a run for his money, but in our heart of hearts we always loved D-Wade more.
It’s a new season and a new team. Still, here is Flash, leading the troops and enchanting our hearts with every post up, pump fake and spin move.
He’s also the guy who feeds Hassan Whiteside all so many of his good looks at the rim and, while he’s not doing anything spectacular, he’s giving Heat fans a reason to say “What do you mean Wade’s washed up? Just look at him!”
2. Justise Winslow
The rookie got off to a slow start in the preseason but has gone to another level in the regular season. Erik Spoelstra is trusting him with big minutes and he’s doing all the little things to fit nicely into various Heat lineups. He’s also doing big things, like this stupidly awesome dunk.
3. Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside fouled a guy with his eye brow against the Houston Rockets. He also had a line of 25 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and three steals. He dunked a bunch of times, too, thanks in part to the dishes that Chef Wade served him.
If not for the big Rockets game, Whiteside would have been much lower. He was pulled after just four minutes in the opening game of the season, and put up just 11 points in 36 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But he’s our lovable lunatic, and we got his back.
4. Chris Bosh
No one makes AmericanAirlines Arena erupt quite like Chris Bosh.
5. Josh McRoberts
Josh McJesus has been fantastic. This Hozier-looking big man is a flashy passer who is always in the right place at the right time. He doesn’t like to score, apparently, but we don’t need him to. Just keep doing the behind-the-back passing and floor spacing and we’re good.
6. Luol Deng
Luol Deng is on a Mario Chalmers-length leash with Heat fans. Okay, maybe it’s not that short, but the Small Forward After LeBron had big shoes to fill, came from a rival team we did battles with for so many years and, let’s face it, didn’t play up to his big contract in Year One. In Year Two, however, Deng has been a whole lot better. He’s more aggressive getting his shot, willing to shoot corner 3s and found his taste for defense again. Deng has been the closest thing to Shane Battier since Shane Battier, and we loved Shane Battier.
7. Udonis Haslem
Not only did Udonis Haslem play key minutes in place of Hassan Whiteside in the first game of the season, he gave the team a rally cry of a halftime speech in the third game of the season against the Houston Rockets. Only UD has that kind of urgency. That kind of desire to win every friggin game.
We would like to think his halftime speech, which was apparently laced with curse words and flying water bottles, went something like this but it probably something more like this.
8. Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson hasn’t played in all but one, the last, Heat game. But, boy howdy, was that performance spectacular. He scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was running and jumping and hustling and bumping around like he was hopped up on Red Bull and made of Coca Cola. For Christ’s sake, he did things like this.
9. Mario Chalmers
I don’t know why he’s ranked No. 9. He just is. He’s ranked above the others because, for once, Heat fans aren’t In Hate with him. Let’s celebrate this, because this is probably as high as Chalmers will be ranked all season.
Not ranked: Goran Dragic, James Ennis, Josh Richardson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Andersen, Erik Spoelstra, Micky Arison, Pat Riley, Burnie, Eric Reid, Tony Fiorentino, Alonzo Mourning, The Ghost of Mike Miller, Late Arriving Heat Fans.