The Miami Heat's new offense isn't all about pace. There's also been a noticeable—and notable—move away from pick-and-rolls, which both helps instill motion in this offense but could also eventually leave it exposed against opposing defenses.
As analyst Zach Lowe noted, the Memphis Grizzlies tried a similar approach last season, but once defenses caught up, they spiraled down the stretch and wound up firing their head coach, Taylor Jenkins.
Hinted at this on the ZL Show before the season + noted lack of PNRs in their first game. Keep an eye on the Heat -- and whether the league gets a handle on it, as happened to a degree with MEM running similar stuff last yr. https://t.co/9KhBwzmFMo
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 27, 2025
With two screen setters in coach Erik Spoelstra's preferred starting five, and no real primary playmakers on the roster, this approach arguably fits the personnel best. Could it prove to be too simplistic for NBA defenses over time, though?
The Heat may not have enough creators to make this work.
Because Miami's lead guards aren't go-to scorers and top-shelf distributors, it isn't super surprising to see the Heat having the league's lowest percentage of their possessions ended by pick-and-roll ball-handlers, per NBA.com. What is jarring, though, is that they're also bringing up the rear in plays finished by pick-and-roll screeners.
In other words, they're just setting fewer on-ball screens than anyone.
So, how are they putting so many points on the board (127.3, fifth-most overall)? Well, they're among the league's most active teams in transition and on isolations. The first part follows Miami's general directive to keep the pedal floored. The second, though, is borderline baffling when the Heat don't really have any make-something-out-of-nothing creators.
Last season, for instance, they were a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of isolations. And remember, that group still got 25 games out of Jimmy Butler, Miami's top shot-creator since the Big Three disbanded.
That's where you worry about the film eventually catching up to this club. If defenses are waiting for screens to come, and the Heat are attacking before they realize those aren't happening, that's how Miami can get a step ahead. It's also, unfortunately, a tendency teams will pick up on during film sessions.
As Lowe alluded to, the Grizzlies tried something similar last season, and for a while, it worked spectacularly. Eventually, though, opponents learned to combat that movement, and Memphis didn't have any great counters. The Grizzlies had the league's fifth-best offense before the All-Star break and plummeted to 16th after it.
Of course, if you've been a Miami fan, you might be perfectly fine with fielding a league-average offense. The Grizzlies, perhaps notably, didn't have a dominant defense to fall back on, but the Heat just might, as they rank third in efficiency so far.
It's OK, in other words, if the league catches up to a certain degree. The Heat just can't afford a complete collapse.
It's frankly tough to tell right now how big of a worry that should be. On one hand, this feels like asking a lot of these specific players, who might need more ball screens to gain an advantage on their defenders. On the other hand, Spoelstra's mind is as sharp as you'll find in the basketball world, so if he thinks this is the right approach for his roster, it's hard to question it.
You might consider this, then, something to monitor as this new-look offense gets more games under its belt. If nothing else, it should be a fun watch, since buckets are coming in a flurry. Just try to enjoy the makes without worrying too much that the system might have an expiration date on it.