The Miami Heat don't have a traditional point guard on their roster, so head coach Erik Spoelstra decided to do the next best thing - make everyone the point guard and have every player push it up the floor as much as possible.
It's an offensive philosophy that hasn't been used often, if at all, and the Heat are thriving in it. Through the first 11 games of the regular season, the Heat has the No. 1-ranked pace and the 11th-ranked offensive rating. Miami is using a top-10 defense, along with playing offense at a blistering pace, to emerge as one of the biggest surprises in the Eastern Conference this season.
It remains to be seen if the Heat can continue to play at this insane pace over the course of an entire season and whether it will continue to be just as effective, but it's difficult to argue with the results that the team has gotten so far.
With wins over the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers to begin the year, it's clear that the Heat are evolving into a potential problem that no one could've predicted before the start of this season.
The surprise of the Eastern Conference
Without a truly dominant team in the East this season, the Heat could enter the conversation of a club that could present some problems for so-called contenders. While no one will confuse the Heat's roster with one that could potentially compete for a championship, they may have the right mix of players who could evolve into a team that no one will want to face when the playoffs roll around.
Of course, that's under the assumption that this offense is here to stay. All of that goes out the window if the Heat's offense loses its momentum or if the rest of the league begins to figure them out.
However, at least for now, it appears as if Spo has truly found something truly special with this unit.
And without a clear superstar on the roster, this might be the perfect offensive philosophy for this team.
It remains to be seen how far this offense will carry the Heat, but it's been one of the biggest surprises of the season thus far. In what many assumed would be a "gap" year for the Heat is turning into something much more.
Who knows what the Heat will be able to ultimately accomplish this season, but there's no question the team is 100 percent more entertaining than they were last season. And Spo's unheard-of new offense is a big reason why.