2019-20 Miami Heat Season Preview
By Robert Streit
The Miami Heat begins the 2019-20 season as a new looked team. With Dwayne Wade now officially retired, the Heat are a young team with many new faces. As free agency began, the Heat were able to acquire veteran all-star guard Jimmy Butler in a sign and trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler now the face of the Heat franchise says Dwyane Wade was the biggest reason why he chose to come to Miami. As a member of the Chicago Bulls, Butler briefly played with Wade while he was there and both men developed a close friendship with one another on and off the court. Butler now comes to a Heat team looking to re-establish itself as contenders in the NBA’s Eastern Conference after missing the playoffs last season.
The four team deal to get Butler meant the team had to trade Josh Richardson to the Philadelphia 76ers, Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers, and a protected first round pick to the LA Clippers. Richardson was the biggest loss because he was the Heat’s best player last season. Trade rumors went on all summer on who the Heat might get to help the team even more. Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul were names that were mentioned until both got traded for each other.
However, Miami was able to draft shooting guard Tyler Herro from Kentucky who brings perimeter shooting to a Heat team that ranked 21st in the league in 3-point shooting last season. Herro impressed in the NBA Summer League with his shooting and should earn enough playing time during the regular season. In addition to Herro, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo bring veteran experience and are primed for breakout seasons. Winslow shined last season as the Heat’s point guard when Goran Dragic was injured for most of the season. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, along with 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals. Adebayo, now becomes the Heat’s center with Whiteside gone. Despite being undersized at his position, he brings tons of energy and activity that should make up for that. Those are two things that Whiteside never consistently had while with the team and because of that Bam started 22 games last season after the All Star break and saw his statistics rise significantly in every major category.
In addition to these players, the Heat return veteran players Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk, James Johnson, and newly acquired Meyers Leonard who the team acquired in the Jimmy Butler deal from Portland in exchange for Whiteside. Each of these players along with Butler bring shooting, versatility, and toughness and if all can stay healthy should help make the Heat a playoff team this season.
