Just 20 months ago, the Miami Heat seemed destined for purgatory. Jimmy Butler was traded, Tyler Herro was good but injury-prone and inconsistent, and Bam Adebayo was very good, but it still felt like there was more there. And in their eventual playoff loss that season, the team was embarrassed in historic fashion by the Cleveland Cavaliers (I got nightmares from writing this sentence).
As much as I love Bam, and as good as Herro could be, those two were not a combination that could have led the Heat to anything substantial. And Pat Riley obviously recognized that.
Fast forward to now, Herro (and a few others) and a ton of draft picks were cashed in for Giannis Antetokounmpo; the Butler trade gave the Heat two quality starters in Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins; and Bam had 83 points in a regulation basketball game. It is much better to be a Heat fan now than it was back then.
The Heat's goal this season is all about locking up Giannis
I say all this to make clear that the results of this season, no matter what, should be taken with a grain of salt. Because the Heat have genuine hope now.
The main goal of this season is much more streamlined than many might realize. It's very simple, actually: sign Giannis to an extension. Everything else goes on from there.
I might be a Heat fan, but I'm not delusional: a championship can be the aspiration, but it is not a realistic goal for this season. Every time the Heat have added a star in their franchise history, they did not win a championship in their first season.
Superstars don't win championships in their first season with the Heat
Butler lost in the 2020 NBA Finals. LeBron James lost in the 2011 NBA Finals. In Shaquille O'Neal's first year, the Heat lost in the Eastern Conference Finals.
I expect to be a competitive playoff team and even make a deep run, but I am fully aware that a championship is historically not in the cards. That's perfectly okay.
Trust me, I really want to spend this whole article imagining a fantasy of the Heat winning a championship this year. Sure, there's a path, but we just have to prove we're a tough out once again and ensure that Giannis is officially a long-term member of the Heat.
Outside of the Giannis extension, I want to see genuine development from our recently extended players in Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic, and hopefully some type of development from Erik Spoelstra's favorite project in the soon-to-be 29 year old Dru Smith. And, I want roles to become clear for the veterans who will hopefully be around until the end of their careers.
More importantly, let's go out and win. Win in the regular season again, and stop with the play-in appearances. And win at least one playoff series (hopefully two) on the way to a successful season.
I just want the Heat to feel like the Heat again. And I think they can do just that, especially now with Giannis leading the way.
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