The Miami Heat ended up losing in Round 1 after a slightly disappointing regular season last year. After their Finals run in 2020, many expected more.
Though injuries and COVID protocols certainly got in the way, the team still underperformed. Defensively, the Miami Heat looked solid, but they struggled on the offensive end of the floor.
Miami finished with a top 10 defense in the league. They were top five in opponent points per game (108) and tenth in defensive rating (110.7).
On the other hand, the Heat were a bottom 10 offense. They ended 25th in points per game (108.1) and 18th in offensive rating (110.6).
Clearly, scoring the ball was not Miami’s strong suit. Goran Dragic’s scoring took a slight dip, Jae Crowder left in free agency, and various injuries left the team short-handed.
In addition, the Heat have a number of free agents to deal with this summer. Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, and Kendrick Nunn are both restricted free agents, while both Dragic and Andre Iguodala have player options.
If the offense had issues scoring last season, losing that many pieces would seriously hurt. Though the Heat could potentially have some cap space, they will likely use the majority of it to re-sign players.
The bottom line is that the Heat need to score the ball more next season. As simple as it may sound, it’s the honest truth.
With most of their money this summer going towards re-signing players, that scoring will likely have to come from within the organization.
This begs the question – which current Miami Heat player could see the biggest leap in production next year?
Tyler Herro
This might be the most obvious option the Miami Heat have on their roster. Many expected him to take a bigger jump last year, but it didn’t happen.
Tyler Herro still played well last year, but compared to his rookie year some people were left disappointed. Oddly enough, though, he improved in nearly every statistical category.
He averaged more points, more rebounds, more assists, and had a better field goal percentage. The one area he got slightly in worse was three-point percentage.
Despite all this, however, he only averaged 1.4 more shot attempts per game. Though he put up more points, he didn’t actually take that many more shots.
On a higher volume, Herro could truly start to shine the way most expected him to this past season. He took 12.9 shots per game last year, and there’s no reason that number shouldn’t go up.
He’s a fairly efficient shooter from all areas, and can pass the ball well. If given a higher usage rate, he could potentially lead the team in scoring.
Jimmy Butler is still the best player on the team, but the best player doesn’t always have to average the most points. Butler’s arguably a better playmaker than he is scorer at this point in his career.
Herro has shown great shot making abilities at his young age. With the right opportunities, he could blossom into a 20+ point scorer as soon as next season.
Kendrick Nunn
The undrafted point guard impressed the entire NBA his rookie year. Unfortunately, he earned less opportunities within the offense his sophomore season.
In the 2019-20 season, Kendrick Nunn took 13.6 shots per game, and averaged 15.3 points. Those numbers decreased to 11.8 shots and 14.6 points last year.
Despite this, Nunn’s efficiency greatly improved. His field goal percentage jumped from 43.9% to 48.5% and his three-point percentage jumped from 35% to 38.1%.
If given the chance, the point guard could progress even more next season. With his improved efficiency, he could take on even more of the scoring load.
Nunn is a restricted free agent this offseason, so the Heat would have to give him a new contract. If Miami needs someone to give them buckets, a homegrown talent could be the top option.
Outside of Duncan Robinson, Nunn ended the season with the highest three-point percentage on the Miami Heat. In addition, he had the best field goal percentage out of all the guards.
His innate ability to get a bucket at any time is extremely valuable. Allowing him to be one of the focal points of the offense could greatly improve Miami’s scoring.
Bam Adebayo
Though Bam Adebayo is already an All-Star caliber player, he still has room to improve as a scorer. He has yet to crack the 20 points per game mark.
At only 23-years-old, Adebayo is still second to Jimmy Butler in the scoring column on the Miami Heat. However, as Butler gets older, he could look to pass the torch to the young big man.
Adebayo is an athletic freak who can seemingly dunk over anyone. In addition, tons of videos have surfaced of him showing off his insane handle.
Realistically, he has the skills of a point forward, but in the body of a center. He is a truly unique player in the NBA landscape, and he should use that to his advantage.
He only averaged 3.5 drives per game last season and shot over 50% on them. With his crazy finishing ability at the rim, he could be driving, and scoring, way more than that.
The only piece missing from his game is a three-point shot. However, that might be something worth testing out for Erik Spoelstra.
The NBA three-point line is 23 feet and nine inches out. On shots from 16 feet or further last year, Adebayo shot 37.5%.
He has the ability to shoot the ball, it’s just a matter of whether or not Erik Spoelstra will give him the green light. If Adebayo develops a consistent three, it could be over with for the rest of the league.