The Miami Heat have handled business and righted a past wrong in the first leg of the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament. After going 0-3 against the Chicago Bulls during the regular season, Miami won when it mattered most, prevailing 109-90 to keep their playoff dreams alive.
It was an electric victory for Miami, which found reason to celebrate its success and embrace a harsh reality about what may ultimately limit the upside of its future.
Tyler Herro was in dominant form, posting 38 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 12 rebounds, while in-season addition Andrew Wiggins tallied 20 points, nine boards, two assists, two blocks, and two steals.
Davion Mitchell, meanwhile, continued to prove why he's a piece of the long-term puzzle in Miami with 15 points, nine assists, and his signature brand of lockdown defense.
Each of those stat lines reveals why the Heat have reason for optimism looking forward. Wiggins is the oldest of those four players at 30 years of age, while Adebayo, Herro, and Mitchell are all between 25 and 27—seemingly suggesting the current core hasn't even realized its full potential.
As the Heat prepare for one last Play-In game to determine if they'll reach the 2025 NBA Playoffs, however, reality is sinking in: They're still too average for their own good.
Miami is too good to get an ideal draft pick, not good enough to contend
If Miami reaches the Playoffs, it will remove itself from the lottery range in the 2025 NBA Draft. It's a daunting reality when one considers the arguable absence of a true franchise player to build around, and the uphill battle that exists to rectify that issue.
Adebayo and Herro have certainly impressed, providing play worthy of All-Star status, but losing Jimmy Butler was effectively the end of Miami having a superstar to lead the push for a title.
The good news is that the Heat project to be roughly $15 million under the first apron entering the offseason, thus permitting intriguing flexibility. The bad news is that they haven't exactly inspired faith with some of their roster decisions in recent years.
Even still, head coach Erik Spoelstra has kept the Heat afloat, all but guaranteeing that they'll be in the postseason discussion as long as he's on the sidelines.
It's a wonderful luxury for Miami to have, as Spoelstra is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Unfortunately, it's also what prevents this team from sinking low enough to have a top-five draft pick without the lottery balls improbably bouncing in their favor—if they have any eligibility at all.
It's an issue that predates Butler, who helped Miami contend, as the Heat have won no fewer than 37 games during any of Spoelstra's 17 seasons as head coach.
It's the double-edged sword of what makes the Heat one of the best franchises in the NBA. They're constantly relevant, thus giving superstars a reason to join a team that's made to win. Unfortunately, they're also stuck in limbo whenever they lack the top-end talent to make them a contender.
A successful offseason will put these concerns to rest, but the middling Heat remain too good for their own benefit until a true No. 1 arrives.