Miami Heat: Coach Spoelstra’s biggest challenge heading into the season

Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts against the Houston Rockets(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts against the Houston Rockets(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat are as deep as they ever have been. That’ll be a challenge for Spo.

The Miami Heat may not be the team in the league with the most or best top-end talent, but when it comes to talent sprinkled throughout their roster, they are one of the deepest. Like every team, they have holes and deficiencies but unlike every team, they have a guy that fits every player type and any situation.

For this reason, with the varying and versatile personnel this roster features, you’d imagine that there would be a ton of competition for looks and shots on offense. Well, there probably will be but in the Miami Heat Culture, those opportunities are earned like everything else.

Regardless of how they are split or divvied up, there is something else about the Miami Heat’s shot opportunities as a whole that would concern you. They simply don’t get enough of them.

The Miami Heat don’t take enough shots. It’s simple enough but a huge issue for them.

When you take a look at the team stats and totals from last season, the Miami Heat sat dead last in field goal attempts per game. Their 84.4 attempts per contest sat a full seven shots behind the top teams at 91.6 in the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans.

Listen, I know, the Miami Heat are neither of those teams and for good reason. They don’t have to be first.

Could they try not to be absolutely last though? That’s the only thing that’s a major concern.

Being middle of the pack would put them near 89 attempts per contest and that would be ideal, at the very least. That’s going to be Coach Spo’s biggest challenge this season.

That will be to find enough quality shots for all of the talented guys he has on his roster. He has to do this without sacrificing much efficiency though, if any at all.

He needs to find a way to get closer to that 89 attempts per contest number as well, as you just can’t survive in today’s league if you’re not going to let it fly. That’s his biggest challenge heading into the season and I think he’s very prepared to conquer it.