The Miami Heat officially closed out their preseason slate with a xxx against the Orlando Magic. Now that the exhibition portion of the schedule is over and done with, the Heat can effectively shift their focus to the start of the regular season.
But before breaking down the Heat's opening night clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves and what may await them during the rest of opening week, it's a good time to look back at what the last couple of weeks have meant for Miami and what they're building in Giannis Antetokounmpo's first season with the team.
Let's take a closer look at the Heat's five biggest winners from a productive preseason stretch.
Erik Spoelstra
Just from a purely objective perspective, it does seem as if Erik Spoelstra is rejuvenated. After a few rough seasons, in which the Heat found themselves in play-in mediocrity, Spoelstra seems to be reveling in this new chapter for the franchise.
The moment that the Heat acquired Giannis, everything shifted for this franchise. Including Spoelstra. He looks like a completely different coach right now compared to this point last season. Maybe there is more than meets the eye, but there's no question that Spoelstra is one of the big winners after the preseason.
Spoelstra just doesn't have a superstar player he can coach again; it also appears he has a very good team on his hands.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Aside from Giannis, there may not be a newcomer on the Heat roster who has fit into their role better than Tim Hardaway Jr. From the first moment he stepped onto the court of the Heat, Hardaway Jr. has looked like an excellent fit.
Hardaway Jr. knows his role is going to be that of a microwave scorer off the bench. And that's what he's proven to be thus far in preseason. In his preseason debut, Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.
At that point, I'm not sure if Hardaway Jr. needed to prove himself any more. He has the look of someone emerging as one of the most underrated additions from this past summer.
Andrew Wiggins
One of the big bets that the Heat is making this season is that Andrew Wiggins will be a capable third option next to Giannis and Bam Adebayo. While that's not something that can be answered through a handful of preseason games, there's no question Wiggins has done enough to quiet the critics.
For those who don't believe Wiggins can have a season as efficient, especially on the offensive end of the floor, as he did a year ago, they may have another thing coming. Wiggins has looked the part in the preseason thus far and could be exactly the type of two-way player the Heat needs next to Giannis and Bam this season.
It's just preseason, but it does look like Wiggins is going to pick up exactly where he left off last season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
At least through the preseason, it sure seems as if Giannis is on a mission. He's playing with a huge chip on his shoulder and looks every bit the dominant MVP-level player that many people questioned whether he could be again.
While Giannis deserves much of that credit, it also feels as if the Heat has been a great fit for him. It's still debated how much he pushed his way to Miami, but if he did, that decision is looking better with every passing day.
The Giannis and the Heat pairing will ultimately be remembered or judged by what they do in the playoffs, but it's difficult to argue with the results so far. Giannis looks like a big winner right now.
Nikola Jovic
Looking at the pure numbers from the preseason, Nikola Jovic didn't necessarily blow fans away, but he did look like he fit. At the very least, he did just enough to warrant another chance and real minutes once the season begins.
If he didn't show enough promise during the preseason, there's reason to believe that he would've begun this season out of the early-season rotation. But he did just enough over the last couple of weeks. That alone should be considered a big win.
The Heat certainly still have a lot to prove, but there's no question that they've been one of the bigger winners this preseason. The sky is the limit for this team, and it's going to be increasingly interesting to watch it all unfold.
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