The Miami Heat are an anomaly of size when it comes to their roster

Two sizeable things stuck in Monday’s first preseason games, the Miami Heat’s lack of and an abundance of.

The Miami Heat tipped off their 2020-21 season on Monday night. Although in a preseason defeat to the team they will again face on Christmas Day, the New Orleans Pelicans, it was a good first showing for the club.

Three of the main guys didn’t play in Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, and Andre Iguodala, who took on a more sizeable role in last season’s bubble. However, the guys that did play showed some good things.

They need to continue to tune up that Miami Heat defense, while hopefully, the shots start falling with more regularity. Those weren’t the things that most stuck out to me though.

Two guys that we haven’t seen a ton of yet, because one is a rookie and one didn’t play a ton last season, in KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa both stuck out to me. They are big dudes.

The Miami Heat have good size throughout the roster. They do need more rim protection though.

Standing between 6’8″ and 6’9″ for both of them, they are every bit of what the program information says about them. They are both thick and with broad shoulders as well.

Also, they can both really move. They also both have depth to their skill sets, which means that they have a ton more to offer from their repertoires.

While that young size at the stretch four and along the perimeter is a welcomed sight, there is an area where the Heat still don’t seem big enough. Right at the rim and in the middle of the paint are still areas of concern for Miami right now.

Again, that was only the first preseason game, so I won’t totally overreact based on that but they were mauled in there on Monday. Between Steven Adams and Zion Williamson attacking the hoop like a madman, the Miami Heat were bludgeoned to death at the tin.

They must address that as we progress through the season. Whether that means finding a guy or pulling some more out of guys like Chris Silva, they have to find something that they can do there.

So, they have good size at most places and poor size at the place where size is most important. It isn’t the worst problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.

I expect them to address it. One way or another.