What does the future hold for a struggling Miami Heat?

The Miami Heat have not had an easy start to their 2016-17 season, but what does their future look like down the line?

The Miami Heat are 11-26, falling to 13th in the Eastern Conference. Justise Winslow has just been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The team can’t stay healthy, trade rumors are swirling and there’s no noticeable plan of how to rebuild this proud team.

Things are not looking good.

Yes, their failing record has a lot to do with the fact that they have fallen victim to injury after injury. From Winslow initially dealing with a wrist injury that kept him out 16 games, to Dion Waiters missing 19 contests from tearing a muscle in his groin, to Josh McRoberts being ruled out indefinitely after fracturing his foot and now Hassan Whiteside unable to play due to a retinal contusion… health has been a big concern for the Heat.

In fact, at some point this year, Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, James Johnson, Josh Richardson, Wayne Ellington and Luke Babbitt have all also been sidelined with an injury or illness.

Pretty hard to win with no bodies on the floor.

More from All U Can Heat

It is true too that Waiters has finally returned, and Whiteside is rejoining his team on their road trip this weekend. So as of today, Miami is 11 strong. But even if the Heat are totally healthy from this point forward, the damage is already done.

Now, Miami did finally snap their six-game losing streak against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, defeating them 107-102 on the road. Between Dragic and Tyler Johnson combining for 42 points and some solid team three-point shooting, Miami Heat basketball was back in full effect.

But Heat Nation should be able to celebrate more than four wins in one month.

So where does the organization go from here? What happens next?

Well, if you ask a majority of fans, the answer would be “tank.”

In other words, keep losing games so the Heat are guaranteed a top draft pick. After all, this draft class is said to be one of the best the league has seen in a while. Names like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and Dennis Smith at the top of that list.

But that is not exactly a strong plan, for a number of reasons.

The first of which being that draft picks do not always pan out to be the players they are supposed to.

See: Derrick Williams.

Having played for the University of Arizona for two years, Williams averaged 17.8 points and 7.8 rebounds a game. As a freshman, he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, his notoriety only increasing as a sophomore. He led the NCAA in true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage, and was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. He also helped his team advance to the Sweet 16, where he scored a career-high 32 points and 13 rebounds in a win against Duke University, getting Arizona to the Elite Eight.

He was then drafted No. 2 overall in 2011 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that is about where his success ends. Because since then, the forward has played for four different NBA teams, and averages 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per matchup in 21.1 minutes over his career so far. His best year occurring as a sophomore when he averaged 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds a contest in 24.6 minutes.

Now is there anything wrong with those numbers? No. And at 25, Williams still has plenty of time to find his footing. But such production could never help rebuild a team.

Derrick Williams is an example of a draft bust, something the Miami Heat should be considerate of as they are poised to pick near the top of the draft.

So what is to say any member of the 2017 draft class would not end up going down a similar path? After all, college and pro ball are two completely different worlds. Just because you are a stud in one, does not necessarily mean you can keep up in another.

Additionally, president Pat Riley has never much cared for trusting young talent to turn things around.

There is a reason he built a super team of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. And that he scooped Dragic up at the trade deadline two years ago. And that he wanted to go after a “whale” like Kevin Durant last summer.

Riley likes to put his team in the hands of already well-established stars. Players who have a history of winning. Guys who can turn everyone around them into success stories as well.

Not to mention that when it comes to a youth movement, the Heat already have one under their belts. While Winslow may be out, Johnson and Richardson are certainly using this period of transition to improve their game and develop their potential. And what a difference a few months has already made.

Instead of riding the tank train, Heat Nation should look to the front office making a trade at the deadline (as long as Dragic is not involved) and signing some big free agents (Blake Griffin aside) in the summer. Plus, what is the likelihood that Wade sticks around in Chicago anyway?

For now, fans will just have to endure the struggle, taking comfort in the fact that a guy like Tyler Johnson is fast-growing into a budding star. And that in general, the Heat are a tough, scrappy group, willing to fight their way to a successful future.