5. Can the Heat build chemistry? And is it enough to catch the top teams in the East?
This Heat core is going into its sixth season together. That’s longer than the Big 3 era and more seasons than Kevin Durant spent in Golden State or Brooklyn. You don’t see teams stay together this long without winning a championship anymore. Usually, front offices will break teams up before it gets to this point.
But the Heat have decided to run it back (again) with Butler, Adebayo and Herro. Sure, there have been several point guards, such as Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier, over the years. Role players like Kelly Olynyk, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Caleb Martin have come and gone. Young players like Jovic and Jaquez have claimed more meaningful roles. But the foundation is the same.
Still, last season was a chemistry experiment gone wrong. Thirty-plus starting lineups. Injuries up and down the roster and all throughout the calendar. The Heat should get a better break when it comes to health, but this group will need to gel quickly to compete with the best teams in the conference.
The Celtics are the defending champions, and the 76ers, Knicks, and Pacers have all improved over the last two seasons. The Heat will fall behind unless they do a better job embodying all the stuff they painted on their home floor last season.