(Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The Miami Heat are winless through five preseason games.
Does that matter? No. The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t record a single win in four preseason games last year; the Bucks went 0-5 in 2022-23; the Los Angeles Lakers went 0-6 in 2021-22.
The current iteration of the Heat aren’t those teams, and vice versa. The point is that preseason win-loss results ultimately don’t matter — though the process does, specifically from the team’s regular rotation players.
Miami is playing much faster this preseason. But there is one glaring flaw with the team’s offensive output — a big topic of conversation after it’s been a bottom-third unit each of the last three seasons.
It ranks DEAD last in a very important statistical category, which can’t carry over if this roster has any chance to have success come the regular season.
Heat are dead last in 3-point attempts per possession:
Through five preseason games, Miami is No. 34 in preseason 3-point attempts per possession, attempting just 21.2 per 75.
Yes, you read that correctly. They are behind the Hapoel Jersualem B.C., Guangzhou Loong-Lions, South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United — four international clubs who have played exhibitions — in threes attempted.
Miami also hasn’t done itself any favors efficiency-wise, knocking down 30.1 percent from deep (28th), including a ghastly 5-for-34 performance from beyond the arc against Atlanta.
It could be a complete aberration, but that’s less than ideal!
Kel’el Ware, a below-average shooter, leads the team in 3-point makes (8), with Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins Nos. 2 and 3 with seven and four 3-point makes, respectively.
I don’t think the Heat’s spacing has been particularly good, nor has some of their shot selection. Miami will have to look more jelled if it’s going to consistently push pace at a high level. It’s doing a good job attacking, cutting and making quick decisions when it is forcing defenses to backpedal, but the results haven’t been super consistent through five games.
Let’s hope they’re getting these misses out now — because they will need far more makes at the onset of the regular season in Tyler Herro’s absense.
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