The Miami Heat's up-and-down season has been carried by the strong performances by some of the team's players. With Tyler Herro missing a good chunk of the season thus far due to injury and Terry Rozier being arrested at the beginning of the campaign, the Heat were dealt a tough hand. However, the team has persevered and currently sit as a Play-In team in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Ringer released their updated version of the top 100 NBA players and four players on the Heat cracked the list. The first is unsurprising and it is the longest-tenured member of the team: Bam Adebayo at No. 28.
"With Bam, so much comes down to how you frame his contributions," the article wrote. "Is he an unimpeachable creator? Clearly not. But among elite defenders, he’s unusually versatile on offense - and is asked to facilitate in ways most centers could never manage. Bam’s ability to handle the ball is instrumental in keeping the action moving, even if Miami’s unconventional offense doesn’t really do him any favors. He doesn’t have the benefit of spoon-fed points off rolls to the rim, and he doesn't get to draft off the attention paid to a fellow superstar. It’s Bam who sets the table. That explains both how the Heat have climbed up to the middle of the East standings, and what keeps them from climbing higher."
The next player to make the list is also unsurprising at this point of the season, although he has vastly outperformed expectations: Norman Powell at No. 46.
"The first-time All-Star has seen his shooting percentages regress after an absolutely thermonuclear start to the season, but Powell remains the most versatile offensive player in Miami," the article added. "His ability to reliably score both on and off the ball has offered some insulation for the Heat offense, which sucker punched the league out of the gates but quickly fell into a rut. Even though he’s 32, his game revolves around velocity. There are few players better at running full speed in transition and rising up for a 3 at a moment’s notice. Give Powell the space to gain a head of steam, and he’ll find his way to the basket. This team lacks the personnel to apply pressure at the rim in its half-court offense, and Powell's insistence and intentionality set a standard for what the Heat offense could be but often isn’t."
The final two players to make the list are Tyler Herro at No. 72 and Jaime Jaquez Jr. at 77. Herro has missed most of the season, which has presumably lowered his ranking while Jaquez has been impressive this season as a sixth man. He is currently in the conversation for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
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