NBA Power Ranking Roundup: Where do the experts rank the Heat?

Every year, writers release their power rankings to start the season and give fans a glimpse into the future of where they think all teams should be ranked. After a disappointing season last year, I wanted to see where major outlets have the Miami Heat ranked.

The national media has often overlooked the Heat over the years. But, believe it or not, the media outlets have been fair.

Bleacher Report ranks the Heat 18th

“The Miami Heat’s ceiling is largely dependent on the availability of Jimmy Butler. There’s plenty of talent beyond him. Bam Adebayo is an All-Star and one of the best defenders in the NBA. Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. make up one of the league’s most interesting young wing duos. But a surefire top-six finish and a return to legitimate contention will take the presence of 'Playoff Jimmy' for more than just the playoffs. Given his expiring contract and the chance he has to earn one last big deal, it’s reasonable to think he’ll push a little harder in the regular season than he has in the past.”

I agree with this statement: Miami's success largely depends on Jimmy Butler. While the team has talent beyond Butler, including players like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Terry Rozier, their performance hinges on Butler’s play. With Butler's contract situation still uncertain for next season, we can expect him to give his best effort in order to secure a lucrative contract, whether with Miami or another team.

NBA.com: 16

"The Heat have been the No. 8 seed in the East each of the last two seasons. The first time, they made a miracle run to the Finals. But six months ago, they got clobbered in the first round. The best way to avoid that same fate is to be better in the regular season."

I generally agree with the assessments from Miami Ranking and NBA.com. While it's true that Miami was "clobbered" in the first round, it's important to note they were missing key players like Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. That said, Miami has finished 8th in the Eastern Conference for two consecutive years, which is a situation that needs to be addressed. If changes aren't made, the team should seriously evaluate how to improve and avoid the play-in tournament.

ESPN: 18

“Anchored by a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Adebayo, the Heat posted the fifth-best defensive efficiency in the league last season, allowing only 111.5 points per 100 possessions. But while they made the opposition grind it out, their offense was so inept it made the other team's defense look just as effective. Miami was 21st in offensive efficiency, scoring 113.3 points per 100 possessions.”

For the Heat to effectively take the next step, their offense needs improvement. I agree with ESPN's assessment of Miami. While their defense was ranked 5th in defensive efficiency, my observations suggest they didn’t perform as highly as that ranking implies. I found Miami to be overrated last season; their defense was solid, but not exceptional. However, their offensive efficiency ranked 21st, which feels generous. In short, Miami’s offense must improve in order to be taken seriously.

CBS: 18

“It's nearly impossible to imagine the Heat ever being BAD, but this roster doesn't exactly instill confidence. If Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are all on the court, they should be able to compete no matter the opponent -- but that only happened 27 times last season. We all know Erik Spoelstra will work his magic and get this team to the playoffs, but it's fair to ask whether Miami's days of being a scary postseason opponent are in the past”

A spot-on review for the Miami Heat. Miami has talent on the roster, but with Miami's three primary players, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, only playing 27 games together could be better. Let alone the six years those threes have played with each other; we still need to find out if those three are fit or not. Miami has been to rely on Erik Spoelstra to make magic with this roster due to injury issues and roster construction. Also, it's fair to ask if this run that Miami has been on is in the past. Time will only tell what direction Miami will go.

The four power rankings I viewed were fair. Miami, as of right now, is a middle-of-the-road team that can play against anyone but can lose to anyone. Miami was ranked 18 -16 in many rankings. That’s how a team that can’t figure out on offense should be ranked. Miami has the potential to be ranked a bit higher, but it all starts with Miami being healthy and figuring out its offensive woes.