The Miami Heat are in the middle of one of their poorest stretches of the season
At one point, the Miami Heat were considered the surprise of the early NBA season.
And then December hit.
The Heat have lost eight of the last 10, causing some to forget about their fast start. ESPN analyst Tim Legler went far as saying they are destined for mediocrity.
“They’re been fun to watch offensively. Not boring," Legler said. “But at the end of the day, I had them penciled in around that .500 range, which in the Eastern Conference is a Play-In team or a team fighting to get out of it. That’s probably who they are right now. I don’t expect any significant changes in either direction. They’re in that middle chunk—not on the level of the top teams.”
The Heat return to action tonight against the Toronto Raptors. Here's the game preview:
Game time: 7:30 p.m., Kaseya Center, Miami
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Betting line: Heat -5.5
VITALS: The Heat and Raptors meet for the second of four regular season matchups. They recently played last week in a game that was added to the schedule due to the NBA Cup Tournament with Toronto recording a, 106-96, win. Last season, Miami won the series, 3-1, and has currently won five of the last seven overall against the Raptors. The Heat are 65-44 all-time versus Toronto during the regular season, including 39-18 in home games and 26-26 in road games. The Raptors are in Miami for a rematch against the Heat following a 106-96 victory at Kaseya Center on Dec. 15. Tuesday’s contest marks the second game of a four-game season series against the Heat. Miami visits Toronto for consecutive games Apr. 7-9. The Raptors began their three-game road trip (Dec. 21-26) with a loss to Brooklyn on Sunday. Toronto will play its final road game of 2025 against the Washington Wizards on Friday.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Norman Powell
C Kel'el Ware
F Bam Adebayo
F Andrew Wiggins
RAPTORS
F Scottie Barnes
F Brandon Ingram
C Sandro Mamukelashvili
G Ochai Agbaji
G Immanuel Quickley
INJUY REPORT
HEAT
Tyler Herro: Out (toe)
Nikola Jovic: Out (elbow)
Pelle Larsson: Out (ankle)
Davion Mitchell: Available (ankle)
Norman Powell: Available (thumb)
Terry Rozier: Out (Not With Team)
Kasparas Jakucionis: Available (ankle)
Jaime Jaquez: Available (calf)
Jahmir Young: Doubtful (G League)
Norman Powell: Available (thumb)
RAPTORS
RJ Barrett: Out (knee)
Jakob Poeltl: Out (back)
QUOTABLE
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the state of the team: "We are developing a collective, competitive will. These painful games, eventually, are going to be wins. We're not happy about the result; we're not trying to just play well and lose at the end. We're developing a competitive, collective will. Our guys care in the locker room, but it's got to be another level. It's not enough, it's got to be more. This league is a savage league. It's survival of the competitive toughest. That's where we're going to get."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com