The positives and negatives of the non-tanking Miami Heat mentality
The Miami Heat mentality focuses on one thing: winning.
The Miami Heat stay being a team with a very specific mentality year in and year out: not tanking.
Even last season, when it seemed that the team was trying to get a lottery pick at 11-30, they swung back around and missed the playoffs in a tiebreaker with the Chicago Bulls. This year has proven that the team of last year had potential, as most of that team returned.
"“If you know anything about our organization we’re not going to play for any other purpose or motivation than to win,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra in January 2017. “Everything we’re building is trying to build habits to learn how to win but learning how oftentimes comes with frustration, anger, disappointment.”"
Last year certainly held some of that disappointment for fans, but turning things around with Dion Waiters in the second half of the season also produced some hope for the future. It seems that the Miami Heat mentality comes with just that: a lot of positives and negatives.
Positives:
Young players getting valuable experience of the grind
Players get experience grinding out long road trips and finding a winning mentality, even when it is hard. This season, the Heat are in a better position than last year for the playoffs. However, the team has lost their last five games. This is a perfect example of young players like Tyler Johnson, rookie Bam Adebayo and Josh Richardson getting playing time and experience, that will help them develop as players.
Actual contention for a playoff spot
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In the wild, wild Eastern Conference, anything can happen. Since the Heat are not sitting players to lose games, it allows them to be a playoff contender. Looking at the East this year, no teams should really be tanking considering the unpredictability.
It creates excitement for fans, hope for team’s future
Yes, it is always hard for fans to see their team losing game after game, but continuously going out and actually trying to win instead of throwing away games at least provides a little hope. For the Heat, having a young team with a mix of veteran players putting everything out there, is better than sitting at the bottom of the East.
Negatives:
Lack of draft picks
Due to a shortage of draft picks over the past few years, the Heat have to turn a focus on free agency and trading. Although Miami is a beautiful, income-tax-free place, when a team is consistently average and they do not have max contracts to give, what is left is not always what stars are looking for.
In the same way that focusing on wins can give hope for the future, it is also a risk
This connects to the previous point by way of growth. If the Heat stick with the same team year after year and do not aggressively go after players in free agency, they are not going to get very far in short or long-term. However, Dwyane Wade‘s return could help the Heat recruit players in the league looking for sunny skies, and a veteran to help them improve their game.
Next: An open letter: Welcome back to the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade
For the Miami Heat, winning comes first.