What awards should or could we expect from the Miami Heat? Can anyone gain a rotation spot they once lost? We dig into all of that and more as we outline what each Heat player's biggest goal should be heading into this season.
While every player has individual goals heading into the season, it’s those ambitions coming together that will ultimately determine whether the Heat, as a whole, can achieve their larger aspirations. With that said, let's break down one big goal for every Heat player on the roster.
Vlad Goldin: Earn multiple non-garbage appearances
Vlad Goldin has struggled to make much progress during his time with the Heat. But as a 25-year-old two-way player, there's no better time to change that than now. Experience matters, and Goldin lacks that on the biggest stage. The goal is simple for Goldin: get some much-needed experience on the main roster.
Tre Donaldson: Win the backup point guard spot
Dru Smith is the guy above Tre Donaldson, and maybe Ryan Conwell if the Heat see him as a point guard rather than a shooting guard. Regardless, between injuries and inconsistency from Smith, I don’t think Donaldson being a rotation player is crazy.
Keshad Johnson: Be the fun teammate
I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way at all, because Keshad Johnson has given the Heat good minutes before. I just want a fun bench guy who keeps up the positive vibes, and he’s the obvious pick for me.
Nick Richards: Make it all year on the Heat's roster
This is a low bar, but for a guy like Nick Richards, who’s on his fourth team in four years, this is a genuine achievement. And if he makes it through the year on the Heat roster, that means he's likely doing something right.
Simone Fontecchio: Shoot 40%+ from 3-point range
Simone Fontecchio was blazing hot to start last season, shooting 50 percent from the 3-point range in his first 10 games. The issue: it didn’t last. If he makes it last, he will be in the rotation easily. He doesn't need to hit the 50 percent clip, but anything above 40 percent and Erik Spoelstra will have a hard time keeping him off the floor.
Myron Gardner: Become the Heat’s best value player
Myron Gardner played well in quite a few appearances last year, but he hasn’t really found his role yet. And for someone making only $5 million over the next three years, Gardner becoming a rotation regular instantly makes him one of the best value contracts in the NBA. Considering the financial situation the Heat will be in once Giannis Antetokounmpo signs his max deal, that would be huge in maintaining depth.
Nikola Jovic: Prove last year was an aberration
Taking into consideration the recent contract extension he had just signed, Nikola Jovic was one of the worst players in the entire NBA last year. He wasn't great during his first three years in the league, but despite his inconsistency, he was still an interesting rotation piece with some promise. The goal for Jovic is to just get back to that point, and we'll go from there.
Dru Smith: Finally prove coach Erik Spoelstra right
There hasn't been a bigger Dru Smith fan within the Heat organization than head coach Erik Spoelstra. He's given Smith seemingly every chance to prove himself, and this is the year. He’s 28 years old. If not now, it's probably never happening.
Ryan Conwell: Make an All-Rookie Team
I’m aware that giving a rookie with no guaranteed playing time the goal of making an All-Rookie team is unfair. But bench contributors consistently make those teams all the time, and Conwell has a realistic path to minutes early on in the season.
Bobby Portis: Become “Playoff Bobby” again
Bobby Portis is perfect for a few hustle plays and the big 3-pointer when the team needs it most. The Heat need to see it in the playoffs. Simple as that.
Tim Hardaway Jr.: Win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award
Tim Hardaway Jr. has received votes for the award in five different seasons and reached his highest finish of third last season. Finishing the job this year could be huge not only for the Heat, but for his next contract (keep in mind he only got a one-year deal).
Pelle Larsson: Develop a consistent offensive game
Pelle Larsson already has the tools of a “glue guy” for a championship team, given that he’s a good defender and above-average playmaker. If he can improve his offensive efficiency and become a legitimate offensive threat, he should be the starting shooting guard for the Heat very soon.
Klay Thompson: Lead the Heat in total 3-pointers made
This should be easy, but there’s a reason I emphasized total: Klay Thompson will need to be healthy to lead that category. He will likely get some rest days, but his health will be key to the Heat’s spacing this year.
Davion Mitchell: Prove he can be a “primary playmaker”
Assist numbers, of course, aren’t everything, but Davion Mitchell has already proven to be “primary playmaker” caliber. If he can make the Heat offense run effectively again, he will be in line for a huge payday (good luck, Pat Riley). He'll also help make the Heat take the leap from dark-horse threat to legitimate contender.
Andrew Wiggins: Shoot 85%+ from the free throw line
I know this sounds boring, but Andrew Wiggins actually shot a career-high 78.4 percent from the charity stripe last year. While he doesn’t generate many free throws, the ability to make them can be huge in late-game situations, and a career year from the line is much more helpful than you might expect.
Bam Adebayo: Shoot 37%+ from 3-point range on 5+ attempts per game
Spacing has been a huge point of emphasis in criticism of the Heat this offseason (it’s not like the Heat made the finals twice this decade with two non-three-point shooters, right?). Still, Bam Adebayo's three-point development over the last two years has been great to watch, and becoming a shooter teams can’t ignore makes the Heat dangerous.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: MVP + All-Defense team
After a few down years (in terms of overall team success) in Milwaukee, the pressure is on Giannis to prove that he was far from the problem. With good health and consistent performances, I expect that he will prove once again that he is in the best-in-the-world conversation.
That would mean getting back in the MVP race.
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