It may only be preseason, and it might've only been one half, but the Miami Heat did a great job of debunking the narrative surrounding the 3-point shooting concerns around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
During the Heat's first half of their preseason opener against the Toronto Raptors, they shot 11-for-23 from 3-point range. More specifically, Andrew Wiggins was one of the individual standouts, going 4-for-6 from the 3-point line all by himself.
Again, it's probably not best to completely overreact after just one preseason half, but it's certainly an encouraging sign. After the move for Giannis, all the Heat heard was that they didn't have enough shooting, playmaking, or depth.
The Heat may indeed have enough shooting around Giannis and Bam
At least during the first half of their first exhibition game, none of that mattered. And especially from the 3-point line.
After the move for Giannis, the Heat added Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson as notable deep-shooting options. While Thompson had his struggles in this new Heat offense, Hardaway Jr. did look quite impressive.
During the first half, Hardaway Jr. finished with 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting from the 3-point line. Thompson, who may still be getting used to the Heat's offense, had a little more of a difficult time on night one, finishing with zero points on 0-for-2 shooting from the field overall in the first half.
There were clear growing pains when watching the Heat in the first half of their preseason game against the Raptors, but it does seem as if Erik Spoelstra does have enough pieces to build something special.
The flashes were certainly there, especially when it comes to the shooters around Giannis and Bam.
The Heat will need time to completely get all on the same page, especially on the offensive end of the floor, but there were some very big things shown in the preseason that the team will be able to build on heading into the rest of the exhibition schedule.
As the Heat looked quite impressive against Toronto, it was just the fact that Giannis and Bam looked further along than most would've expected. The shooting, specifically, is something that Heat fans will be able to be excited about.
All summer long, the Heat were constantly doubted. They didn't take long to debunk many of those concerns. Miami will certainly have to prove it when it matters, but at the very least, they've gotten off to a great start.
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