The Miami Heat’s revamped offense has been clicking this season. Even after a low scoring night in Dallas on Wednesday, Miami still remains second in the association in points per game.
The storyline of this new approach is simple: less screening, more isolation, less spacing problems, more paint touches.
It’s been an adjustment for some, as Tyler Herro even mentioned in his return that there were a few moments where he almost naturally motioned for Kel’el Ware to come set him a screen.
For players like Herro and Norman Powell, pick and roll basketball is second nature. Herro mentioned recently that mixing in some more pick and rolls as they go will naturally happen, and I don’t believe that’s as negative as it was made out to be.
As teams start to diagram the best ways to slow down this isolation offense, defenses will help off the three point line less often, as the Mavericks did a night ago, daring the Heat to beat them with pure two point shots. That’s a hard thing to do in this new NBA.
On the most recent episode of the Young Man and the Three podcast, Powell and Bam Adebayo spoke about this new offense, even opening up about their honest opinions of it.
“Honestly I’ve enjoyed the whole system,” Powell initially mentions. “We could’ve run a little bit more pick and roll, because coming in and being traded, before I knew the offensive shift, I watched a lot of film on Bam and Tyler with how they had that two man.”
“Especially me with Bam coming out that corner with DHO’s and stuff like that,” he continued. “Like I studied him, so being able to play in the pocket and be able to do that two man and get downhill, and now I have a lob threat…So I think that aspect I miss in the offense of not being able to get to as much.”
This shouldn’t be viewed as a negative thing with players “disagreeing” with their team’s style. It’s just natural for high level scorers and handlers to be used to a ton of pick and roll operation after doing it their entire life.
Norman Powell and Bam on the new offense, Norman wants more screens
Norman: I enjoyed the whole system. We could run a little more P&R cause I watched a lot of film before trade with Bam and Tyler two man
Bam: I can’t really Judge the offense at this point, we’re cooking… pic.twitter.com/NiJzpVFDNe
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 4, 2025
Powell is such a condensed and natural scorer, so this new style of offense definitely fits him a ton on his way to a 25 point per game season up to this point.
“I love the free flow, I feel like it fits my game,” Powell spoke on the new style. “My athletic ability, getting out in transition, running, shooting in transition, getting down to the cup. I think it fits everybody’s game and that’s what I like most about it.”
Bam Adebayo immediately joked that he can’t really judge the offense right now, because “we’re cooking.”
Powell and Adebayo went back and forth a bit on the matter, as Powell reiterated he loves the offense no doubt, but he just wishes he could run a bit more two man game actions with his fellow podcast guest, Mr. Adebayo.
In all honesty, while the Heat need to stick to their principles at the moment, there’s defintely a chance that screens get increased as the season goes on, more specifically in lineups when Herro and Powell are being staggered.
When the starting or closing lineup is out there, they don’t need to simplify things to a pick and roll game. But with those in-between lineups consisting of either Herro and Ware on the floor or Powell and Adebayo, an occasional empty corner pick and roll won’t hurt.
But for now, stick to what has gotten you to the second most points a night in the entire NBA.