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. 26.
"Say what you will about Adebayo scoring 83 in a game, but the man scored 83 points in a game," the article wrote. "If that were easy—even against a shamelessly tanking opponent—someone other than Wilt Chamberlain would have done it by now. But they haven’t, and Bam did, which is a testament to all the ways he’s pushed his game in recent years. That night, Adebayo hit tough 3s and powered through opponents to draw fouls. He was as aggressive with the ball as he’s ever been, in part because he was intent to punish any mismatch Washington put in front of him. As it turned out, every Wizard was a mismatch. Putting together the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history won’t rewire who Adebayo is as a player; he still isn’t a go-to scorer in the traditional sense, paradoxical as that now is to say. But simply knowing that Bam is even capable of detonating for a historic point total brings some new context to his game."
The next player to make the list is also unsurprising, although he has vastly outperformed expectations: Norman Powell at No. 56.
"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. 60 and Jaime Jaquez Jr. at 76. Herro missed most of the season, which presumably lowered his ranking compared to last season while Jaquez was impressive this campaign as a sixth man, earning the second most votes for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
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