The Miami Heat’s 2024-25 season has been one to forget thus far. At almost the halfway mark of this new campaign, they have been scratching the surface of mediocre for a third consecutive year in a row— continuously hovering around the .500 mark.
Granted, Jimmy Butler’s messy trade drama has not helped this notion for Miami. However, even when he was in the lineup and more engaged during the beginning part of the season, the inconsistency in the win column was still there.
The “run it back” strategy once again from Pat Riley hasn’t turned out as good as expected. For the most part, the Heat’s core has been a lot healthier than in recent years. That injury card isn’t a viable excuse anymore; it has been much deeper than that.
The rotations have been questionable, as Coach Erik Spoelstra most notably has been reluctant to unleash the full potential of Kel’el Ware. There has been starting unit tweaks, failure to find reliable closing lineups and an inability to find the most effective groups throughout games. And it has led to several double-digit blown leads and disappointing losses. If the Heat had properly closed out games with these leads, they wouldn’t be fighting to get out of the play-in picture for the third consecutive year.
Tyler Herro’s impressive emergence as an All-Star caliber talent has helped cover up a plethora of flaws among the team. But the heart of those flaws were highlighted in a recent article by The Ringer, titled “The Least Improved Players of the 2024-25 season":
“Heat employ a couple of candidates for this column. Bam Adebayo is having a strangely inconsistent season, & Jaime Jaquez Jr. has—to put it kindly—not made the leap Miami was counting on. But (Terry) Rozier is the most deserving.”
In Riley’s method to buy in with this current build, he has put trust in internal development and growth. Outside of Herro, there is a strong case that most of Miami’s rotation has taken a step back. It all starts with Bam Adebayo, as the All-Star big man was destined for the best season of his career. Unfortunately, it has been the opposite of that.
Adebayo’s stats have decreased almost entirely across the board, but specifically with his shooting efficiency. His 45% from the field has been good for a clear cut career-low. It has impacted the Heat’s ability to win, considering that the majority of the team’s offense often runs through him. The continuous elite versatility on the defensive end has kept his status relevant, but it's been overshadowed by his offensive struggles.
After a terrific rookie season, Jaime Jaquez Jr. has seemed to take a step back as well, despite a recent encouraging triple-double outing in Monday’s double overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. His inability to spread the floor and develop a more reliable outside shot has the potential to continue stunting his growth.
The biggest disappointment is indeed the play from Terry Rozier, though. It has been clear that he is not the near 24-point player in his last Charlotte Hornets stint that Riley traded for. In fact, his scoring has been cut in half since his Hornets departure. His efficiency isn’t any prettier, as the 30 year-old point guard is barely at 40% from the field on the year.
In a season that displayed plenty of early optimism, the Heat have been one of the most underwhelming squads in the league. There may still be a lot of time left, but it is no secret that a major roster overhaul has been overdue.