Are the Miami Heat Bound For the Play-In Tournament Again?

MIAMI, Fla. – After several roster upgrades, including the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Miami Heat should be among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy.

However, The Athletic might differ.

According to senior NBA columnist John Hollinger, the Heat are projected to finish among the bottom seven in the Eastern Conference – the No. 7 seed in the Play-In Tournament.

“I don’t think the rest of the roster beyond Giannis and Bam Adebayo is anywhere near good enough, and those easy wins in the East will be much harder to come by this season,” he wrote. “Miami will need all of Giannis' brilliance and Erik Spoelstra's wizardry just to squeeze 40-something wins out of a limited supporting cast and drag the Heat into the playoffs.”

The rest of the starting lineup, other than the two stars, is projected to be Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, and Klay Thompson. They are expected to complement Antetokounmpo and Adebayo and deliver an impact on both sides of the court.

Wiggins is one of the league’s best two-way players. He can guard multiple positions, primarily one through four, and provides efficient floor spacing – a career 36.2 percent three-point shooter. Wiggins can operate with and without the ball, which makes him a great fit to share the frontcourt alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. Last season, the 31-year-old averaged 15.4 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 68 games (all starts). Wiggins shot a career-high 41.4 percent from behind the arc.

Mitchell is projected to make a jump in production as the Heat’s full-time starting point guard. He’s one of the league’s most disruptive defensive guards. Last season, Mitchell averaged 9.3 points on 49 percent shooting, 2.7 rebounds, a career-high 6.5 assists, and a steal in 70 games (all starts). He was among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio – 4.3.

Thompson has legitimate questions upon arriving at South Florida. Despite being one of the most prolific shooters in league history, he will turn 37 years old late in the season. The Heat don’t need the iconic splash-brother Thompson, but rather someone who proves to be serviceable and an efficient threat behind the arc.

Looking at the bench, the Heat have a ton of depth: Pelle Larsson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Bobby Portis Jr. Although none of them are proven consistent scorers, they can complement Antetokounmpo and Adebayo when sharing the court. Hardaway Jr. and Portis Jr. are consistently Sixth Man of the Year candidates; Jovic and Larsson are younger players who have plenty of room to grow.

The Heat have a well-rounded roster, but making the Play-In Tournament would be a disappointment. Although it once led to an NBA Finals appearance in 2023, that shouldn’t be the standard, especially with one of the most dominant MVPs in league history.

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