3 Surprising lessons the Heat can take from its summer league title run
By Wes Goldberg
2. Scoring is important
It’s not a coincidence that the Heat won the summer league championship after leading all teams in Las Vegas in scoring.
It’s easier to score in summer league than in real NBA games (especially when you’re making 52% of your shots as a team) but the LVSL Heat also played a more modern offense.
The Heat in Las Vegas took a higher rate of 3-point attempts (40% of their shots) than last season’s Heat and played at a faster pace, utilizing hit-ahead passes and trailing 3-point shooters to get efficient looks.
If this is a sign of how the Heat want to play next season, that’s a good thing. The Heat have ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive rating for the last two seasons – and near the bottom of League Pass rankings, too. Not that they care, but playing a more fun brand of basketball isn’t only for the vibes. Look at the Indiana Pacers, whose offense fueled a run to the 2024 Eastern Conference finals.
The Heat can talk about elbow pads, the nastiest, hardest-working blah blah blah all they want, but scoring points is still the most important thing in this sport.