Another Miami Heat favorite could be joining Tyler Herro at All-Star Weekend

Tyler Herro has been named an All-Star, and that's the most exciting thing that happened for the Miami Heat this year. The sixth-year sharpshooter put in the work to change his shot diet, and the results paid off. Another Heat star could join him in San Francisco. Before crowning our potential All-Star participants, we'll check in on the growth of other core members and a struggling Heat guard. 

1. Nikola Jovic is a gutsy player in more than one way
2. Is Bam Adebayo returning to form?
3. The apology needs to be as loud as the disrespect
4. Miami should be well represented during All-Star weekend now and in the future
5. Slow start, but Kel'el Ware is not an ordinary rookie

Nikola Jovic is a gutsy player in more than one way

The Dunkers Spot, hosted by Nekias Duncan and Steve Smith Jr., is one of the best basketball podcasts for detailed analysis. A few weeks back, they touched on the Heat and the team's best passers. Both hosts got to a few names before they mentioned Nikola Jovic, but I'm starting to think Jovic may have a case for the best pure passer on the roster.

If you include the ever-absent Jimmy Butler in this conversation, he may still be No. 1-- manipulating the defense and making crisp reads were on his bingo card nightly.

Bam Adebayo has higher assist numbers than most, and his excellence in the dribble-hand-off adds to his assist total. Adebayo averages 8.2 screen assists per game, and he's as good as the best of them. More players have better stats in that department, but in my book, Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis are the only bigs who clear him as a screen assister. Kevin Love was mentioned in this conversation as his outlet passing is the best since Wes Unseld (and maybe Nikola Jokic), but Jovic's versatility is slept on.

The Cavs game on Wednesday was one to forget, but this off-hand, on-the-move assist to Rozier illustrates Jovic's absurd passing. 

His accuracy on these passes can be hit or miss. Still, the audacity and fearlessness to attempt these passes from ridiculous angles show a solid foundation for getting your teammates involved. Per PivotFade, he has 104 assists and 23 bad bass turnovers on the season. Jovic has thrown 19 assists to rising Heat star Kel'el Ware (second behind Herro's 27). The Point Jovic experiment seemed dull early in the year, but the flashes pop more and more, and you expect him to put it all together one day. These passes here are nuts. 

Is Bam Adebayo returning to form?

The defensive side of the ball has never been an issue for Adebayo. The rim-protecting numbers aren't great, but that issue can be solved with the Ware-Bam lineup. Maybe not this year, but eventually, Ware will be that dominant paint protector.

Across the board, Adebayo is still one of the best defenders in the league and is in the running for his sixth All-Defense selection. The world knows he's elite on that end, but his touch and finishing have abandoned him this year. Hopefully, this week's three-game slate can lift Adebayo out of the dark season he's had scoring-wise. 

This has been the captain's best three-game stretch of the year. If Adebayo had averaged 21 points with a 65 TS% all year, he would've been named an All-Star last night. His jumper falling and dominant restricted-area play have been the biggest differences between this stretch and the whole season. 

Bam played bully-ball and helped the Heat win in double OT against the Orlando Magic. He seemed like a tank, dunking all over 6-foot-10 Wendell Carter Jr. 

The jumper falling is a bonus we thought we'd see all year based on the Olympics and stretches in last year's season. 

Here's how this hot three-game stretch compares to Adebayo's full season-- jump shots 45% vs 36% | restricted area: 90% vs 68%. 

That jump shot improvement is sustainable. 90% from the restricted area is bonkers, as known paint monster Giannis Antetokounmpo is at 74%. Heat fans don't need Adebayo to be Giannis—as long as his finishing continues to trend upward, the future is still promising. 

The apology needs to be as loud as the disrespect

Well, we're not necessarily here to apologize to Terry Rozier for doing his job, but we can acknowledge that he had a better week. Rozier is still cold from three, but he was efficient from other spots on the floor. 

His finishing ability and an Arctic cold streak from 3 have squashed his percentages, but he took steps in the right direction this week to restore his aesthetically pleasing game.

Rozier has shot 56% on 139 layups this year. For reference, here's how other 6-foot-1 guards have shot on layups

Trae Young: 49.7% on 147 attempts

Darius Garland 57.3% 150

Payton Pritchard: 68% 68

T.J. McConnell: 62% 158

Compared to players of the same size, Rozier has been better than All-Star caliber guard Young and right below Garland. Rozier had a surprising week, going 9/11 (82%) on layups. 

Zoom into the second layup attempt in this clip, and you'll see his teammates jump off the bench when Rozier puts back his missed floater. It's cool that his teammates support him and want him to regain his magic. The Heat brotherhood is stronger than ever amid this theatric season. 

Miami should be well represented during All-Star weekend now and in the future

While the Heat brotherhood is stronger than ever during this frenzy, it's a good time to step away from the drama and have some fun!

Tyler Herro became the third player drafted by the Heat to make the All-Star game (Dwyane Wade and Bam Adebayo). Now that the anxiety of finding out if he will make the team is over, he can start practicing for the 3-point shootout because he should get an invite. 

Herro's third in the league in made 3s, and he's getting them the hard way. His 43 unassisted 3s aren't a small feat for a player known for catching and shooting. There's not a more difficult shot than a self-created 3.

Herro is getting it done off the catch, too. That's always been his bread and butter, and it's a closer simulation of the 3-point shootout. If Herro accepts the league's invite, he could become the fifth Heat player to hoist the 3-point shootout crown (Jason Kapono, Daequan Cook, Glen Rice, and James Jones). 

Slow start, but Kel'el Ware is not an ordinary rookie

Consistent DNPs and short-leash games are the only reason Kel'el Ware wasn't initially selected for the Rising Stars Challenge. Erik Spoelstra now trusts Ware, and he's the Rookie of the Year favorite.

There are injured players like Jared McCain who won't participate in the Rising Stars game, so Ware will be there. He won't be there this year, but one day, maybe he could even join Herro as a 3-point contest participant.

The Cavs game wasn't his best showing. Jarrett Allen and first-time All-Star Evan Mobley are a lot to handle— growing pains continue for our future Heat star.

Discounting that clobber fest, Ware was shooting 45% from 3 on four attempts over the previous eight games —that's peak Steph Curry efficiency. With more volume, we'll get a better feel of how real his jumper is, but the more I see, the more I like it.

The best big-man shooters of all time, Dirk Nowitzki and Karl-Anthony Towns, are the only 7-footers to win the 3-point shootout. One day, Miami's own Ware could throw his name into that hat. 

Stats as of 1/30/25 via PivotFade, NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Cleaning The Glass, and PBP Stats.