Miami Heat: The 3 Most Noticeable Improvements Thus Far
By Noah Decker
The NBA has had an exciting start to its 75th Anniversary season and a team that has been exciting to watch are the Miami Heat. They are continuing their mission of returning to the NBA Finals and winning the fourth franchise title.
So far, they have not disappointed. They have started the season going 4-1, with their only loss coming from an overtime battle in a game in which Kyle Lowry did not play.
Last season did not go as planned for the Heat, as they were swept in the first round. In the offseason, Pat Riley got right to work and made all of the moves necessary to put them in a better position to win it all.
So far, the offseason acquisitions have had a tremendous impact on the Heat’s success, which is translating into victory. Here are the top three areas in which the Miami Heat have made drastic improvements compared to last season.
When Kyle Lowry Can Be Your 4th Option, That’s Pretty Good. light. Must Read
1. Pace
The Miami Heat had one of the slowest paces in the NBA last year. Although they have a lot of fast players and one of the fastest centers in Bam Adebayo, they weren’t able to push the ball up the court as fast as other teams because they lacked the playmaker with the skillset to initiate fast breaks.
This year, all of that has changed and thanks to Kyle Lowry. Lowry is a gifted point guard, who can either run with the ball in his hands or accurately pass the ball across the full court.
He has done both for the Heat so far. With all of the defensive stops they have gotten, the Heat have been running hard on the fast break.
This places them second in the NBA in both fast break points per game and points off turnovers. Lowry’s ability to push the pace is contagious.
Even when he is off the floor, his mere presence inspires other players to push the ball as he does. It is worth noting that playing faster does not directly correlate with winning.
However, considering how well the Heat run on the fast break, it is something they should continue to work with. So far for Miami though and also worth noting, pushing the pace has translated into wins.