The Miami Heat and Erik Spoelstra helped change the game once a little more than a decade ago, and it seems they may be doing it in real-time once again. The Heat's new-look offense has the chance to be revolutionary as it continues to significantly outpace expectations through the first week of the season.
Moving past the Jimmy Butler era, and without Tyler Herro, far and away the team's best offensive player, to begin the season, the overwhelming belief was that the Heat was going to take a sizable step back, particularly on one end of the floor.
But, looking back, it may have been quite foolish to doubt Spo and his evil genius tendencies. Even though it's only been one week, Spo has revolutionized the Heat offense in a way that has not been seen often before.
The Heat's new offensive philosophy
As the NBA experts Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones so eloquently laid out, it's an offense that has shifted away from being predicated on simple pick-and-rolls, and one that feasts on drive and kicks, post-ups (in favorable situations), and a quicker pace. The Heat are still utilizing pick-and-rolls, but at a much different pace than in years past.
So far, the success can't be argued against.
Through four games, the Heat have the seventh-best offensive rating, the best points per game average, and are top 5 in both 3-point makes and percentage. Even without their two best offensive players (Herro and Norman Powell) against the Charlotte Hornets, the team didn't miss a beat. Miami scored 144 points as it raced off to a 27-point victory.
Nearly everyone across the league continues to be dumbfounded by how much success the Heat has had so far this season, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The fact that Miami is already one of the best units on that end of the floor without their All-Star shooting guard playing a minute certainly wasn't on the bingo card for any analysts out there before the start of the season.
In fact, what makes the Heat's regular season success that much more unpredictable is the fact that there was nothing in the preseason that could've pointed to what the Heat have managed to do so far.
The Heat finished the preseason a winless 0-6 and had the 29th-ranked offensive rating. Sure, the Heat were banged up for much of the preseason, but going from arguably the worst offensive unit to one of the best is quite the improvement.
Miami still needs to prove that its offense is sustainable, and we can't crown them after just four games. But the early indication is that Spo (and the rest of the Heat's supporting cast) may have pulled off the inconceivable. The Heat may be changing the game again, right before our eyes.