Miami Heat: 3 reasons why the team’s offseason isn’t as bad as it seems

Miami Heat fans shouldn’t be down on the team’s offseason.

The offseason is officially coming to an end and after a quiescent summer, Miami Heat fans are left wondering exactly what direction the team is headed.

After back-to-back subpar offseasons, the only excitement South Florida fans have received is the reunion with Heat legend Dwyane Wade. The bright side of it all however, is the accumulation of a young core destined to take us to the promised land.  

With various free agents finding new homes, none whom were even remotely interested in what the Heat were offering, the Heat are now focused on their current roster. Something worth noting is that they are also relying on the Heat Culture and the notion that sometimes it’s always a better idea to stand pat instead of packaging a drastic hail mary signing or trade.  

Not all was lost though, as they were able to acquire a fan favorite; signing Derrick Jones Jr. to a two-year deal at the NBA minimum.

After signing him to a two-way contract last year, the Heat saw great potential and decided to immediately retain him for the next two years. The speculation about this low key signing is the quick potential upside for an athletic player like Jones.

Things looked difficult from the start, since the Heat currently have 11 players under contract that are close to capping their limit.

Just those players have close to $120 million circling the very expensive and lucrative $123.7 million luxury tax line. To make matters worse, it doesn’t really help their case when they were without a single draft pick, basically chaining them to the very limited and gloomy free agency acquisitions.

With Jones as the only fascinating exception.  

Now that Miami has no other option than to work ahead, here are three things their fans can gleefully look ahead to.  

A Youth Movement

Regardless of what anyone says, or the fact that this core has gone unnoticed among the Eastern Conference, Miami has a bright future with their young guys.

The average age combined between Bam Adebayo, Jones, Josh Richardson, and Justise Winslow is 21-22, with Richardson being the oldest at 24. The development the Heat organization takes pride in has been slowly working towards making tremendous strides with these four.

And it was on full display this past season.

Now looking forward, all four of them are locked in for this season.

Winslow has slowly developed into a point forward with immense defensive abilities to protect the paint as well. It wasn’t necessarily something in his arsenal at first, but with time it developed under head coach Erik Spoelstra. The Heat are looking at Winslow as a cornerstone within the franchise and by the looks of it have big aspirations for him.  

Richardson, snubbed as one of the most improved defensive players, has also been underlooked by the league.

But he hasn’t by Heat Nation.

His athleticism has been beneficial to his growth as a two-way player. He improved his defensive rebounding percentage from 8.5 to 9.0, as well as steals from 1.7 to 2.4 in a span of only two years. A lanky, smart player like Richardson can shift back and forth from the two and three opening up vast possibilities for Miami’s roster.  

The same can be said for Jones, who has a unique skill set to that of Kevin Durant if he ever reaches his maximum abilities.  

The other surprise and favorite that Miami quietly snatched in the draft was Adebayo.

He had a productive season for a rookie and became an immediate contributor filling in the gap filled by injuries.  

He provides great energy and versatility on both ends that meshes well with this young core and their focus. If they all stay intact past this season, the future looks bright and exciting for the Miami Heat.  

The Return of Waiters

Something that was greatly missed this past season and left a hole in the team’s rotation was Dion Waiters.

The 26-year old guard had made his mark early on and provides quick energy to an established unit ready to strive. Averaging 14.3 points on 39.8 percent shooting before going down, he was establishing himself as an internal clog in the Heat system.

The league has missed this and rightfully so due to his ankle injuries. In the two years that Waiters has been with Miami, he has missed a combined 88 games of 164 played. The first year because he played through the pain and this past season due to surgery that he desperately needed.  

Therefore, no one really knows what he can bring to the table when he’s healthy and 100 percent.

He is not an All-Star caliber player yet, but has the game to create offensive shots consistently. 7-11 needs to get back on the floor and prove to the league that they can become one of the best combo backcourts in the league. Goran Dragic has done his part to prove himself; now the Heat only need Waiters to finally prove his own worth, if he wants to become a Heat lifer.

The Culture Is Real

This term might not carry enough wait around the NBA, but it means a great deal to Heat fans.

The pure definition of hard work and dedication sprouts from this type of culture. Not only the Miami lifestyle, but the connection between the fans and the Heat.  

The foundation that president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison have laid out is what makes great chemistry among its inhabitants and why players work hard to achieve their dream. They share the same values and goals that make the Miami Heat organization what it is today.  

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Everyone buys into the culture and it spreads through the locker room. It’s a grit and grind roster and they take care of each other. The reason the rest of the league isn’t buying it is because of the amount of injuries that have plagued the Heat.

Take that away and you have a group of hungry guys ready to take on their doubters.

It’s an uphill battle, but the team prides themselves in doing it together and leaving it all out there on the floor. This year will be no different and the same motivation will carry on with a heavy chip on their shoulders. Don’t sleep on this Heat team because they have come to learn that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  

It may have been a quiet summer for the Heat, but that doesn’t mean excitement isn’t coming.