The Miami Heat have one big glaring need that they continue to refuse to address. Former Heat guard Mario Chalmers recently said the quiet part out loud, something that the fan base has long been clamoring for the front office to address - the fact that they need a true point guard on the roster to fully unlock this team's potential.
In the words of Chalmers, "Miami's at their best when they have a true point guard. I kind of think that's what they're missing...a true point guard."
I'm not sure if that's when the Heat have been historically at their best, because even during The Big 3, I'm not sure I would label Chalmers himself as a "true point guard." But the point still stands. At least for what the Heat need now, there's a strong argument to be made that they would be much better off with a pure point guard in the lineup next to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat may not have a true point guard in their rotation
The Heat, once again, are heading into a season in which they have guards capable of setting the offensive table and being primary playmakers, but will continue to sell their potential short if they never completely address this issue with a true point guard.
Miami's day one rotation is unlikely to have a natural point guard playing a huge role. While that may not seem like a huge problem in theory, it will eventually catch up with the team.
The Heat will be at their best when both Bam and Herro can play to their strengths. With the Heat asking them to embrace more of a playmaking role than they should be, they're only spreading themselves way too thin than they need to be.
But that's part of why the emergence of Kasparas Jakucionis this season could make all the difference for the team. As the only young player with the potential to emerge as a game-changing true point guard, it's easy to see why he is one of the most valuable pieces of their future puzzle.
At the same time, asking Jakucionis to play that role this early into his career is not fair.
Chalmers isn't always batting 100 when it comes to his criticism of the Heat, but it's hard to argue with this current assessment of the team. Miami needs a true point guard, and the fans have been begging the front office to make a move for one.