The Miami Heat's up-and-down season has been one of the quieter stories of the NBA. At first, the team was the hottest team in the Eastern Conference before coming back down to Earth and are currently sitting as the No. 8 seed with a 29-27 record. However, even with the ups-and-downs, there are players on the roster who have been viewed as some of the better players in the league.
Bleacher Report released their updated list of the top 99 players in the NBA. The Heat have four representatives on the list with the highest ranked player being Bam Adebayo at No. 32.
"A short-list resident of the NBA's defensive versatility rankings, Adebayo pairs at-rim disruption with superhuman, shape-shifting switching ability," the article wrote. "With his defense being a known commodity, there's been a hyperfocus on his offense — particularly his ability to expand its range. Well, he's finally burst through that barricade this season. Sort of. He looks more comfortable and confident firing from range, but his success rate shows more of a streaky shooter than a reliable one (33.8 percent on the season due to both fiery and frigid months). That might still be a big win if the rest of his bag was intact, but his field-goal shooting is free-falling (career-worst 44.3 percent), and his playmaking hasn't provided this little punch in years (2.8 assists)."
Adebayo began the preseason ranked at No. 27. The next player ranked is maybe the most surprising addition in Norman Powell at No. 44. Powell, originally ranked this preseason at No. 75, has re-energized the Heat's once-stagnant offense and earned his first All-Star nod.
"Perhaps unbound by the aging curve that controls the rest of us, Powell, a first-time All-Star, is engineering a second consecutive career campaign - as a 32-year-old," the article added. "He doesn't do a lot differently than he did in his younger days; he has just raised his letter grades in his comfort zone. The Heat don't ask for too much creation for him, and he returns the favor by pumping in points as a sneakily premier play-finisher."
The final two members of the Heat to crack the list are Tyler Herro at No. 77 and Andrew Wiggins at No. 80. Herro has not played much this season but has proven his worth as an elite scorer. Both could potentially be moved this offseason. It is also interesting to note that Jaime Jaquez Jr. did not crack the list as one of the favorites for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Either way, the Heat have a good amount of talent and could be a sneaky team if they make the playoffs.
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