The Miami Heat won two frustrating games this week against the Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers, and got smoked in the second half by a surging Golden State Warriors team to go 2-1 this past week. While wins are finally coming around, the Heat still seem to struggle against good teams so far. But wins are wins.
Also, the Sioux Falls Skyforce made their G League season debut on Saturday! We saw two of the Heat’s two-way players debut: Vlad Goldin and Tre Donaldson, while Keshad Johnson was with the varsity squad, riding the bench.
A reminder of the rules:
1. These rankings will be based on performance from only this upcoming season (excluding today’s edition).
2. Injured players will be included unless the injury is season-ending.
3. G-League and prior team performances for newly traded/signed players will be included.
4. Two-way players are included.
Let’s get into the list.
18. Bez Mbeng (G League Honorable Mention
In a tradition I’m starting this week, I will be giving a shoutout to a top G League performer who is not on a two-way contract. That player this week was Bez Mbeng, who had a near triple-double, racking up 14 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals with only two turnovers. Mbeng was with the Heat’s summer league team and could very well get a call-up from an NBA team soon.
17. Vlad Goldin (Two-Way)
Vlad Goldin actually played exceptionally well in a way he had not shown much in G League, putting up a 26-point double-double with three blocks. Unfortunately, the same issue of the Heat having too many bigs will continue to make his path to minutes difficult, but seeing improvements like this in the G League is encouraging
16. Tre Donaldson (Two-Way)
Tre Donaldson also got off to a hot start in his G League debut, putting up 24 points and eight assists on an efficient 68.8% true shooting. Donaldson could be getting a shot very, very soon, considering the continued struggles of Tim Hardaway Jr. and the dependence on Ryan Conwell.
15. Keshad Johnson (Two-Way)
While Keshad Johnson has yet to play basketball at the G League or NBA level this season, the fact that he remained on the Heat roster while Donaldson and Goldin went to the G League shows me that he is probably still closer to minutes than the other two-ways. But if Donaldson gets a look as I project, he might be moving a little lower on this list.
14. Myron Gardner
Myron Gardner still appears to be in the doghouse despite making a bunch of appearances last season. All hope isn’t completely lost for him, but it’s still an uphill battle for him to get rotation minutes.
13. Simone Fontecchio
Simone Fontecchio, because of his ability to get hot shooting the ball, might be closer to minutes than we realize. Mainly because Andrew Wiggins keeps seeing minutes reductions, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is quickly fading from the rotation.
12. Nick Richards
Another week, more sticking to the bench for Nick Richards. His competition in Bobby Portis struggled immensely this week, so he could actually be in line for minutes sooner rather than later, which moves him up from last week’s position of 14 to 12.
11. Nikola Jovic
I was very tempted to put Tim Hardaway Jr. here, but Nikola Jovic getting multiple DNPs this week puts him slightly lower since Spo’s trust in him seems to be running out. Granted, he showed some signs of life last week, so I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him quite yet.
10. Tim Hardaway Jr.
My goodness. I don’t want to pile on too much, knowing what Heat fans are already saying, but it was not supposed to be this bad for him. Hardaway was a premier bench player last year for the Nuggets, and now it appears he’s completely lost his shooting touch, going as far down as 23.7% from 3 in his first 10 games.
And unfortunately, Hardaway Jr., without good 3-point shooting, is an utterly useless player. He either needs to pick up his shooting immediately, or he’s going to be strapped to the bench, barring injuries.
9. Dru Smith
After making a few appearances, Dru Smith is now back on the bench, logging only one minute this week (and it was in garbage time). However, the reason he is still at No. 9 is that he should be in line for minutes soon if the eventual full benching of Tim Hardaway Jr. comes. Granted, coach Erik Spoelstra's aggressive use of Ryan Conwell could make it difficult for him to carve out more than 8-10 minutes a game.
8. Andrew Wiggins
It’s time for me to pull off the band-aid with Andrew Wiggins: he is completely shot as a player right now. Wiggins is only averaging 8.3 points on 31.7% shooting from 3, and is generally playing under 30 minutes as Spo has looked at more lineups involving Pelle Larsson. As bad as it might be for his already low confidence, Wiggins could be in line for a bench role in favor of the previously mentioned Larsson, and I think most Heat fans right now would support the move.
7. Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis was off to a hot start this season, but this past week was not a good showing from him. I expect his 3-point shooting to creep up again after falling to 32.5% on the season this week, but as a longtime Giannis teammate, he’s got a long leash, and his effort on the court is greatly appreciated as the team tries to establish a culture.
6. Ryan Conwell
Ryan Conwell finally got true playing time, averaging 22 minutes a game over the three games this week and looking exactly like the player Heat fans expected him to be. He’s a sharpshooter, clearly a good offensive player who's settling into his own, and has shown effort defensively. He needs to be playing on a nightly basis, and he proved that this week.
5. Pelle Larsson
Pelle Larsson is beginning to get a huge, nearly starting-level role for this Heat team, and for good reason. Larsson is off to a ridiculously hot start from three, shooting 45% from three on three attempts per game. With the struggles of Andrew Wiggins, Larsson is getting the opportunity of a lifetime and is absolutely earning every minute he’s getting. A starting spot should be in the cards for him, but even if he doesn’t start, he will play starting-level minutes.
4. Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson is reminding everyone who he is. He’s been one of the best 3-point shooters in the entire NBA (4th in total threes as of November 9), and he looks like he’s truly in shape again. He’s up to 43% from three while shooting the 10th most attempts per game in the NBA (9.3 attempts). Klay is officially back, and that’s amazing news for this Heat team.
3. Davion Mitchell
Davion Mitchell has put many narratives to bed, not only racking up assists but also knocking down threes at a 40% clip while upping his attempts to a career-high 5.5 a game. He does need to get back to his elite defense, but so does most of the roster, so I’m trusting in him.
2. Bam Adebayo
Bam is looking like Bam. An average of 18 points and eight rebounds is just about regular fare for a player who’s averaged 16 points and nine rebounds in his career. However, if he can actually make a 3-pointer like he did the last two seasons (18.2% on 3 attempts per game this season), I expect that he should cross 20 points a game soon. Also, please defend better.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo took some media heat this week, and understandably so. But he’s still an MVP-level player, even if his defense has taken a clear step down. If he can lock in more on that end and lead the Heat back to even a league-average defensive unit, this team might finally have hope.
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