(Mandatory Credit: Jason Miller/Getty Images)
While the Miami Heat have been toward the middle-of-the-pack leaguewide in 3-point makes per 100 possessions (13.2) and 3-point percentage (36.5) each of the last three seasons, they’ve been a bottom-third offense.
It’s a multi-pronged issue, but their lack of a true facilitating guard has objectively been one of their fatal flaws. And former Heat guard and two-time champion Mario Chalmers acknowledged that this week.
“I’ve always said this about Miami: Miami’s at their best when they have a true point guard. I think that’s kind of what they’re missing right now,” Chalmers said on a recent appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio. “I think they’re right there at the door. Just a couple pieces away.”
“I’ve always said this about Miami: Miami’s at their best when they have a true point guard. I think that’s kind of what they’re missing right now. … I think they’re right there at the door. Just a couple pieces away.”
— Mario Chalmerspic.twitter.com/rOvmuSuwlZ
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) August 27, 2025
Mario Chalmers is right. The Miami Heat lack a true point guard:
The last time the Miami Heat had a floor general operating the steering wheel was Kyle Lowry. In 2021-22, Lowry helped elevate the Heat offense into a top-11 unit before Father Time, unfortunately, caught up to him. But for much of his career, he was a quintessential point guard. In 2019-20, when Miami had a top-8 unit, while he wasn’t a “true” point guard, Goran Dragic was an excellent spark plug who was a smart decision-maker and the Heat’s best lob passer.
The fact of the matter is that the point guard position is a dying breed. You can still be labeled a point guard by the consensus, but most aren’t real point guards who are capable of consistently organizing an offense and putting players in the best position to succeed possession-by-possession.
As it currently stands, the Heat have an inordinate number of guards. Though you could argue that only one (Kasparas Jakucionis) fits the label of the modern-day point guard. Yet, the 19-year-old may spend most of his rookie season in the G-League!
There’s nothing wrong with that, but Miami still doesn’t have a true point guard — though Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell are improved playmakers.
There’s more than one way they can improve as an offense with Jakucionis (potential), Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio now in the fold. Regardless, a floor general to help — not hurt — their best players (who are also supposed to elevate others) would do wonders. But, alas.
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