Heat's most important takeaway from win streak has nothing to do with stars

5 Things U Can Heat

1. 1. Hustlers don't stop. They keep going.
2. 2. Don't get sleepy
3. 3. Kel'el Ware is more disciplined
4. 4. Backups save the day
5. 5. Heat stars clicking

After the Miami Heat became the first and only division foe to drop a game to the Charlotte Hornets on March 10th, one thing became clear— guaranteed victories were a thing of the past.

That's why the beginning of the six-game winning streak can't be taken for granted—the Heat drug some Cooper Flagg-hopefuls through the mud. The Hornets, Curry-less Warriors, Hawks, 76ers, and Wizards aren't world-beaters, but Miami needed to prove they could still rock these teams. They did that with a plus-21.8 net rating, going 5-0 in the stretch. 

The Boston Celtics matchup was seen as a litmus test, and the Heat delivered again, extending the streak to six. Pelle Larsson and Kyle Anderson were the hammers that nailed Boston in, and Larsson, in particular, has been doing this on the regular in the last week.

1. Hustlers don't stop. They keep going.

Larsson does all the little things hustle players are supposed to provide. He dives on the floor for loose balls, contests shots like a madman, and gets over screens like that's his sole responsibility. Those traits aren't going anywhere. That's what gets him on the floor. What we've seen this past week is the next step in his game.

Heat fans love seeing Jayson Tatum crying in agony at the hands of the Heat, and Larsson provided us with more green tears. 

Larsson attacks the Celtics defense aggressively, shrugging off contact and finishing like it's another day in the offense. He'd already beat up the rim a few possessions before, and his grit is probably annoying as an opponent. 

After finishing through Tatum, Larsson throws the ball back to Tatum, and we hear Tatum beg the referee to call a delay of game. If Larsson wasn't working the Celtics, I doubt Tatum would use his star status to get this called. He was under Tatum's skin, and that's lovely for the Heat. 

Those weren't the only drives that popped for Larsson in this one. Boston began to respect Larsson's rim pressure and sent bodies flying when he bullied his way past Sam Hauser for another paint touch. 

Larsson then threw an off-balance, two-handed rocket to Davion Mitchell for an open knockdown. Larsson leveraging the type of matchups he's getting while maintaining the other parts of his game that keep him on the floor is a game-changer. 

2. Don't get sleepy

It's impossible to keep Larsson out of the lineup when playing like this. He averaged 12 points, four boards, four assists, two and a half steals, and almost a block this week. Larsson knocked down 3-pointers at a high clip, but he's capitalizing on the easy ones.

Part of being a role player is that you aren't the focus of the scouting report. Players may forget about you as they laser in on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. You can play that sleepy defense on Larsson if you want, but by the time you refocus, he will be at the basket mailing in easy layups. 

The Wizards fell victim to Larsson's continuous movement. After his last backdoor cut, Wizards announcer Chris Miller was fed up. "He's been inside the paint way too much tonight for Washington," he said. 

Pelle Larsson will do that if you disregard him on the floor. This is the part of his game that didn't need fine-tuning. With this aspect of his game, stellar defense, intensity, and a passable jump shot, we're looking at a 10-year NBA player. The jumper and rim attacks are swing skills for him.

Another rookie in the 305 is improving at things that were questionable at the season's tip.

3. Kel'el Ware is more disciplined

Rim protection is more than blocking shots. It's forcing offensive players into difficult attempts, influencing the paint so much that said offensive player doesn't even want to take a shot. Staying on the floor and not going for every fake is another component of protecting the rim.

Kel'el Ware showed promise when he got NBA minutes, but he was fidgety. Ware tried to send every shot to the bleachers and got caught in the air doing so. Ware got cheap blocks that the Heat sometimes didn't recover and immediately led to the opponent scoring. Staying in position to get the board after the block or miss is an under-discussed portion of rim protecting.

The 76ers guards aren't the best finishers, so Ware staying planted and trusting his teammate to contest here show signs of improvement.

This would've been a swat attempt 10 times out of 10 in December. Here, Ware drops perfectly into space and gobbles another rebound. He averaged nearly 12 rebounds a game from March 19th to the end of March.

Discipline will take Ware a long way because the natural talent is all there. More discipline has equaled more minutes for Ware. Ja Morant got off a good shot after stiff-arming Ware and creating space to snap the Heat's six-game win streak. 

Ware will get even better contests when he muscles out. That'll come. He's no longer glued to the bench, but that hasn't stopped the Heat bench from blitzing teams. 

4. Backups save the day

Part of the Heat's late-season resurgence is their bench play. Erik Spoelstra switched Davion Mitchell to a reserve role after starting his first 14 games in Miami. That role is basically semantics because Mitchell is still averaging 33 minutes a game-- his contributions in those minutes range from white-on-rice, on-ball defense to consistent shooting.

Mitchell made a critical 3-pointer to put the Heat up one in the Grizzlies outing. Morant went under, and Mitchell continued to show this may not be a fluke. While Morant did game Miami, I would've liked to see Mitchell stick with Morant after this soft screen.

Kyle Anderson has led the bench mob with Mitchell. He didn't get an opportunity to close out the Grizzles, but his presence was felt in Boston. He had his game of the season, pouring in 19 points on 6 for 9 2-point shooting. Downhill Slo Mo drives are always a blast, and this windmill crossover (shoutout Dwyane Wade) was no different.

Heat lineups with bench players were a staggering plus-11.6 during their six-game winning streak. Mitchell, Anderson, and Larsson (usually) are the sparks for the Heat and are peaking right before the postseason.

5. Heat stars clicking

Tyler Herro has erupted after a post-All-Star slump. He's back to the level that helped him fulfill his lifelong dream in February. 

Getting feet in the paint while drawing fouls has been a major plus. Herro has drawn 32 fouls over the last nine games. For reference, James Harden, who's playing at an All-NBA level and is the master of drawing fouls, has drawn 40 in his last nine. 

Some fans don't love free throw contests, but these easy shots improve efficiency and are the easiest shots in basketball for a shooter like Herro.

Bam Adebayo's shooting is becoming greater than "the last X games." His slow start to the year was well-documented, but he's shooting like the type of player who can shoot 37% on 3s over a whole season. Maybe the drama and controversy weighed on Adebayo more than we thought. He's been money from deep and defensively.

Maybe Adebayo's streak of five straight top-five DPOY finishes doesn't continue, but Adebayo is still All-Defense level. That streak cannot end. On a team full of one-way players, Adebayo's D-EPM is still top-tier. His clutch block on Morant on national TV could've done some justice to his All-Defense case because those awards are still partly narrative-driven.

Winning games would've made Adebayo a lock. But the Heat are in unfamiliar water. They will finish this season under .500 for the first time since 2019. With a play-in spot clinched, the Heat will have a chance to make the playoffs. They're playing their best ball at the right time despite the loss to the Grizzlies.

Stats as of 04/04/2025 via PivotFade, NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Cleaning The Glass, and PBP Stats.