The newly formed teammates Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each recently displayed optimism towards Powell’s addition and the upcoming Miami Heat season. (Photo via AP)
After a disappointing end to the Miami Heat’s 2024-25 season, they were in desperate need of a shakeup. Jimmy Butler’s trade demand antics clouded over Miami’s campaign to start the year. They faced more adversity with a rough 12-21 record post-trade deadline.
It seemed like they were starting to string together some cohesion late in the regular season. They responded to an abysmal 10-game losing skid by following it up with a six-game win streak. The team also put up some impressive outings in their two play-in matchups to earn a postseason berth.
Only to get embarrassingly swept in by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Despite their quick ousting from the playoffs, they showed some signs leading up to it. The new core was headlined by the additions of Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and Butler’s departure. However, they just didn’t have enough time to really see their full potential together.
During the Heat’s brief postseason appearance, it was evident that the team lacked scoring.
Tyler Herro was being hunted on every single possession, and there were no other real shot creators outside of him. That’s when the front office decided to make a much needed roster addition with Norman Powell.
Heat captain Bam Adebayo shared his enthusiasm for the Powell acquisition in a recent interview with the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.
“I feel like Norman is one of those guys who floats under the radar.. You’ve seen what he’s done and you seen him grow in this league.. He’s shown that he can be an All-Star caliber player, so I’m happy to have him. It’s a very good shakeup for our team and now it’s a different dynamic to it.”
— Bam Adebayo via Miami Herald
Additionally, Powell also iterated his excitement to join the Heat franchise and buy-in to the grind of “Heat Culture.”
“I think the Heat culture and what this organization is about is me to a tee. It’s exactly how I am. I’m built on competitiveness, I’m built on working, I’m built on the grind. That’s my motto, understand the grind… I’m really excited to get down and get acclimated and get ready to go.”
— Norman Powell via Miami Herald
Considering Miami’s clear lack of offensive threats, Powell’s talents should be a welcome addition to the roster.
He’s right at the peak of his prime years, and coming off a career season. His averages were nearly 22 points, 48% from the field, and 42% from 3-point range. Powell is also a strong defender at the wing position. This provides some lineup versatility alongside the heavy offensive skill set of Herro.
It is expected that Powell will instantly start alongside Herro in the backcourt. He will be backed up by Wiggins, Adebayo, and Kel’el Ware to shape up the rest of the first unit. Miami still has intriguing bench pieces in Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic. These pieces will help build a reputable revamped core, as well.
A drama-free lineup following the Butler dilemma should go a long way. Miami’s roster is going to be focused on pure hoops moving forward.
Adding Powell’s All-Star caliber skill set to pair with the already proven All-Star abilities of Herro and Adebayo is intriguing enough. This gives hope for a much better 2025-26 season.
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