With the Miami Heat’s off-season in full swing, it’s time to hand out some player grades.
Despite making the postseason this time around, 2017-18 wasn’t all too kind to the Miami Heat. Including handing them a first round playoff exit, courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers. And so, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors battle it out once again via the 2018 NBA Finals, the rest of the league has been thrust into their off-season.
This summer is bound to be a busy one for the Heat. Between the likes of trying to figure out if they should unload Hassan Whiteside and how to keep Wayne Ellington around, there is a possibility that the roster will look quite different come next fall.
However, there’s also a chance that things stay almost exactly the same.
(Uncertainty really seems to be the name of the game in Miami recently.)
Regardless of what happens next year though, there’s still plenty of reflecting to do on the current squad. While guys like Goran Dragic continued to have rocky steady campaigns, others like Tyler Johnson seemed to have regressed. And then there’s Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson (Rook 1 and 2, respectively) that blossomed at exactly the right time.
Of course, Dwyane Wade also once again gave a helping hand to the Heat, making his return to the team in February. With Dion Waiters unfortunately taking a step back, sidelined by unavoidable ankle surgery.
Each player played a role in both the organization’s success and failures this season, so it’s time to hand out final grades.