The Miami Heat's long nightmare is finally over. After a 10-game skid that felt like an eternity, they managed to snag a win against the Charlotte Hornets. But let's not pop the champagne just yet -- beating the Hornets is hardly cause for celebration.
Andrew Wiggins emerged as the hero Miami desperately needed, dropping 42 points in a performance that reminded everyone why the Heat acquired him as the headliner in the Jimmy Butler trade in the first place. He was dunking, shooting from deep, and generally looking like the offensive force this team has been sorely lacking.
Wiggins will be key in Miami's matchup against Butler and the Warriors.
But here's the thing: one good game against a terrible Hornets squad doesn't suddenly solve all of Miami's problems. This team still has major issues to sort out if they want to resemble a playoff team again.
The real test comes Tuesday when Butler and the Golden State Warriors roll into town. Butler's recent comments about his time in Miami were about as warm and fuzzy as sandpaper.
He basically dismissed the Heat's recent Finals runs as meaningless, saying "We didn't win anything like we were supposed to."
Ouch. That's gotta sting for Heat fans who lived and died with every playoff game during Butler's tenure.
But should we really be surprised? This is classic Jimmy -- downplaying outside noise to focus solely on the present.
The question now is whether Miami can build on this win and make some noise down the stretch. They're within a game of the ninth seed in the play-in tournament. A strong showing against Butler and the Warriors could provide the spark they need to make a late-season push.
Or they could revert back to the team that looked utterly lost during that 10-game slide. With this Heat squad, who the heck knows anymore?
One thing’s for sure – plenty of eyes will be on Wiggins come Tuesday night, if only because he’ll often be standing across from Butler. If he can replicate his Hornets performance against a much tougher Warriors defense, maybe they can notch a statement win to make the Miami fans proud.