Just over the halfway point in the season, the Miami Heat sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-21. It’s been a rollercoaster of a season so far, in a good way.
Through all the adversity with injuries throughout the year, the entire roster has stepped up. Starting from max money Jimmy Butler and all the way to ten-day contract Kyle Guy.
While seeing Erik Spoelstra coach Team Durant and watching Jimmy Butler play in the All-Star game was a great moment, the entire team deserves a nod for their performances.
From the games where Jimmy records 30 point triple-doubles to the big-time ten-day contract win in Phoenix, everyone has shown out, at least, once.
It may seem a bit too premature to be handing out awards, but from watching every game this season, they deserve it. So, with that being said, these awards are the opinion of one guy.
This guy! It’s time to show some appreciation for the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Coach Of The Year
Starting off with the NBA’s Coach Of The Year award, it should go to Spoelstra (obviously). What he’s done this season has been tremendous.
Coach Of The Year
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry have all been out for an extended period of time at some point this season and the entire roster is still not put together. Leading the Miami Heat to the top of the Eastern Conference with what seemed like a new lineup every night, speaks to the greatness of Spo.
Spoelstra might not be big on awards and while at the end of the day, he probably just wants to win, if he ever deserved an award it would be now.
If it were just among the Heat, of course he is their COY, but he deserves the nod for the real league-wide award too.
He certainly has competition from head coach, Taylor Jenkins, of the Memphis Grizzlies. They currently have the third-best record in the league, but that team has not faced the injuries that Miami has.
Spoelstra has done just about as much as Taylor has, though with way less throughout the season. It would be great to see Spoelstra get nominated as a top 15 coach ever and then win his first COTY award.
Hopefully, Miami can finish the season strong for Spoelstra to grab it. That should be enough.
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Sixth Man Of The Year
The next award is the NBA’s Sixth Man Of The Year. That easily goes to Tyler Herro and as of right, now he has the best odds to win the actual award.
Sixth Man Of The Year
Tyler has been great this season, averaging 20 points per game on efficient shooting off the bench. He did struggle quite a bit last year in trying to find his footing, as he dealt with injuries and COVID, but he’s back and better than ever.
His improved playmaking and finishing have tremendously helped benefit him with his scoring but have also helped his teammates as well.
His drives towards the basket cause immediate attention, which gives him the decision to go for his crafty floater or a dish to a guy like Dewayne Dedmon for the dunk.
In theory, this should be the mindset for every player, but it’s always easier said than done and he’s doing it. Tyler has done everything he can for this team, especially when Bam and Jimmy have been out with injuries.
He’s been through so much, including last season and this one. The way he’s been able to be a consistent spark of offense off the bench is worth an applause and downright diabolical to the opposition.
That’s why he is the Miami Heat’s Sixth Man Of The Year and should be the league’s too.
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Rookie Of The Year
This next award can be kept simple and well, because he’s the only rookie on the Miami Heat team that gets minutes. The Miami Heat’s Rookie Of The Year goes to Omer Yurtseven.
Rookie Of The Year
What’s left to say that hasn’t been said about Yurtseven this season? When Bam and Dedmon were down, he showed that he can be a capable player in this league by snagging boards and playing hard on the offensive end.
The big guy just needs to keep grinding and he’ll get his time. With the recent praise from the legendary center and former Miami Heat champion, Shaquille O’Neal, you better believe that he will.
Now that the obvious picks are out the way though, let’s get to the fun part. The next award here shall be the Miami Heat’s Most Improved Player award.
A few guys could have won this one, but one guy deserves it above all else. Here’s a hint, he was massive in the most recent win over Chicago.
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Most Improved Player
A lot of guys have stepped up this year for the Heat and honestly, you should be proud of all of them for coming through when the main guys were out.
Most Improved Player
This award has to go to one player though and that is Gabe Vincent. What’s special about Gabe is the fact that you knew he had it in him to become a solid role player, but he’s doing it now.
It was just that, sometimes, the IQ didn’t always seem to be there, while he just couldn’t seem to hit a shot. The effort and defense were always present, which is why Spoelstra always gave him minutes.
This year, he’s come back to take control of a whole new role. The numbers may not be out of this world, but they are up and the efficiency is so much better as well.
Being an improved playmaker and shotmaker helps open up the floor for Herro to do what he does best. And as stated earlier, when Herro can get to his spots, it only further opens up the floor for everyone else.
Everyone’s success intertwines with each others, which is probably how they climbed to being the top seed thus far. One of his most notable showings came in their last game against the Bulls, a massive win, generally and due to the circumstances.
Filling in for the missing Kyle Lowry, Vincent would proceed to drop 20 points, grab two boards, and hand out three assists on 7-13 shooting from the field and 4-8 from three. Anyone could have won the award, especially someone like Caleb Martin, but watching Gabe Vincent take that next step in his career has been great to watch.
He deserves the credit for staying ready.
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Defensive Player Of The Year
Next is the Defensive Player Of The Year award. This may not come as a shocker, but it has to go to Bam.
Defensive Player Of The Year
The way he’s been able to switch on defense and guard one through five makes him a one of one. You can just about laugh when guards get the Bam switch.
Bam has a defensive rating of 102.6 when he’s on the floor, which is one of the best in the league considering the variety of players he has to guard.
He’s been special since returning from the thumb injury, wreaking havoc all over the floor from the perimeter to the paint.
The Heat need to keep pushing the Bam DPOY agenda every season because without this guy, this team would be nowhere. This was an easy pick compared to his teammates, but don’t get it confused, he’s earning everything coming to him.
Keep being that disrupting force, night in and night out, Bam.
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Most Valuable Player
The last award is the MVP.
Most Valuable Player
This MVP for the Miami Heat might surprise some people, but for what he’s done so far, it has to be Kyle Lowry. Lowry came to Miami to relieve the pressure off of Butler and help run the offense.
What he has ended up doing is a bit more than expected, while he has stepped up to the plate in every facet of the game, hands down. That stretch without Bam and Jimmy, where he was running with 10-day and undrafted players, was a lot to ask of the veteran point guard.
He could’ve just given an average effort and took defeats until the calvary came back. Instead, he rallied everyone together and they played some special basketball.
Without Lowry, there is no way the Heat have the one seed and I think that would still be the case if Adebayo and Butler were healthy. You knew the Miami Heat were getting a floor general, but even that feels like an understatement.
With him present, the defense is quicker and guys like Butler can run the floor instead of going to get the ball after a rebound. Now, every MVP has signature moments in the regular season and Lowry has had plenty.
Think back to the first matchup in Dallas. Lowry had 22 points and nine assists, but the stats aren’t what impressed, but rather the way he was scoring and assisting.
Lowry went six of nine from three-point range and made it look effortless. The range he was pulling from could be located in Houston.
His most recent game against Charlotte was an interesting one too. On a night where everyone absolutely stunk, Lowry was able to hit clutch shot after clutch shot to help get the Heat a double-overtime win.
It was great to see him take over because during all of last season, if Bam and Jimmy both struggled, that’s a double-digit loss. He finished with 25 points, nine boards, and five assists in the win and though the numbers may not stand out, they are a completely different team when he’s active.
He may not be the flashiest MVP, but he’s gotten the job done for the Miami Heat this season. The Miami Heat could have easily been in play-in territory without Lowry and it’s not that crazy of a notion.
Besides his personal leaves, Lowry’s availability has kept the Heat ahead as the first seed and that is why he’s the MVP of this team. Again the season is only halfway done, but the first seeded Heat deserved some recognition from top to bottom.
This was that.