There were plenty of positives in the Miami Heat’s loss to the Timberwolves

The Miami Heat may have lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, but there are still plenty of positives to focus on.

Any loss hurts. And unfortunately, the now 2-4 Miami Heat have added another one to the books, falling short to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

It was their third in a row, despite being amidst a six game home stand. The start of their 2017-18 campaign not going exactly as planned.

However, fans should still take pride in their team. Because although there’s no such thing as a moral victory in the game of basketball, if there were, you best believe the Heat would have taken that W.

Does that ease the pain a bit?

The truth of the matter is, Miami hasn’t looked good this season. Coming off a 30-11 run to end last year, Heat Nation was excited to see the guys dominate the Eastern Conference. Maybe not right away. Still with obstacles to face. But it’s clear the organization has entered a new era of Miami Heat Basketball. An exciting one, that has success written all over it. So with the front office having kept the core group together, what could go wrong?

Apparently, a lot. Like Rodney McGruder having to repair a fractured leg, and Hassan Whiteside being sidelined with a bone bruise. And the team seemingly having lost their defensive identity, along with their ability to shoot the ball from 3-point land.

But last night against the Timberwolves? Things started to go right, once again. So regardless of the final outcome, there were still plenty of positives to focus on.

For one, Goran Dragic is continuing to play his brains out.

The guard finished the evening with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block, proving his worth on both ends of the floor. In six games, he’s averaged 19.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists, consistently continuing to shine bright among some darker days for the Heat.

And what’s better, the 31-year-old could have done more versus Minnesota, but didn’t have to. Why?

Well, Dion Waiters finally found his groove.

Dealing with ankle issues after deciding to forgo surgery this summer, Waiters started the season off on a lackluster note. However, that certainly wasn’t the case yesterday.

The Philadelphia-native scored a whopping 33 points on 14-of-28 shooting, despite going just 1-of-8 from downtown. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists, swatting three steals as well. But it wasn’t just his stat-line that proved impressive. It was the type of shots he was making.

Bam Adebayo also had himself a good night.

The rookie recorded his first NBA double-double, with 13 points and 13 rebounds, in 31 minutes.

How’d he get there?

"“I feel like my mind is starting to slow down,” Adebayo explained. “I’m not going too fast. I’m starting to pace myself. Coach is allowing me to get all these minutes. I thank him for it because he believes in me just like I believe in me and my team.”"

Making his third start in a row to fill in for Whiteside, it’s clear president Pat Riley and company struck gold during the 2017 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old still may have plenty to work on, but already has surpassed everyone’s expectations. In fact, many are confident he’ll one day grab a Defensive Player of the Year award.

Next: Waiters' late heroics not enough as Timberwolves top Miami Heat

While it would have better for the Miami Heat to walk away with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, there’s certainly something to be said about the noticeable team changes that took place on Monday night.