The 2022-23 NBA season has been somewhat of a disappointment for the Miami Heat. They have been unable to recapture the success that they found in 2020 during the Orlando Bubble, which has led to some up-and-down performances.
Miami entered the season looking like potential contenders once again in the Eastern Conference, but everything that could have gone wrong has. Big moves that they have made in recent offseasons just haven’t panned out.
The team has received no production from Duncan Robinson, who has lost his shooting stroke among injuries. His contract is one of the worst currently in the NBA. The same could be said about Kyle Lowry, who has struggled to remain on the court and even when he does play, isn’t very impactful. He is putting up his least productive numbers since becoming a full-time starter in the NBA.
The Heat remain an excellent defensive team, ranking ninth in defensive rating. But, their offense leaves a lot to be desired. They are currently 25th in offensive rating as too much of the onus is being placed on Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to carry the team on that end of the court.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers & Miami Heat Updates
This offseason, you can be sure that Miami will search high and low for upgrades. As long as Pat Riley is running the show, he has shown he isn’t afraid to make a splash and chase stars to bring to South Beach.
Who could the team have on their radar this offseason? After missing out on Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant, an NBA executive that spoke to NBA Analysis Network believes we should keep an eye on James Harden for the Heat.
“The Heat badly need a top option to shoulder the load as a playmaker and scorer. They’re in a tricky spot because they need to win on Jimmy Butler’s timeline with few options to add a significant difference-making talent. James Harden stands out as an intriguing option to fit that mold. … While the Rockets get brought up a lot as an option for Harden, there’s a lot to like about Miami as an option.”
Adding a player of that caliber to the lineup is exactly the kind of boost that the Heat need offensively. Harden had a solid bounceback campaign, leading the league in assists with 10.8 per game and scoring 21.1 points per game while knocking down 38.3 percent of his 3-point attempts.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers & Miami Heat Updates
While Harden isn’t regarded as a strong defender, the Heat have the pieces to more than makeup for that. They can sacrifice a little bit of defense if it means improving offensively as they just don’t have enough firepower to keep up with the better teams in the Eastern Conference or NBA.
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