Miami Heat 2024-25 season preview: Jimmy Butler’s future looms large for East dark horse

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We’re breaking down the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 teams. Enjoy!

Additions: Alec Burks, Nassir Little, Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson

Subtractions: Caleb Martin, Delon Wright, Patty Mills, Orlando Robinson

Complete roster

Since Jimmy Butler’s arrival, the Heat have made five straight playoff appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals. The combination of Butler’s two-way brilliance, Bam Adebayo’s evolution into one of the NBA’s most complete players and coach Erik Spoelstra’s gift for transforming any roster into a top-10 defense establishes a high floor. And when Butler’s play takes a turn toward the transcendent …

… the ceiling ain’t half-bad, either.

Reaching it isn’t easy, though. Last season, the Heat finished bottom-10 in offensive rating, effective field-goal percentage, how frequently they attempted shots at the rim, team shooting percentage on at-rim tries, points in the paint, offensive efficiency in “clutch” situations and scoring efficiency in transition, among other categories.

“We need to improve,” Spoelstra told reporters. “We need to innovate.”

And while Spo and the gang certainly won’t shrink from that challenge …

Erik Spoelstra asked about teams in the East getting better such as Philly and New York

His response:

“You sound scared.”

— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) September 30, 2024

… a league-average-at-best attack likely won’t be enough to outpace the East’s best teams.

“Spo is always talking about being a top-five defense and a top-five offense,” Butler told reporters. ”That’s the formula for success.”

The recipe starts with better health, most notably for Butler — who, Playoff Paul Bunyan act aside, has yet to play 65 games in a season in Miami, has missed an average of 20 games per year and just turned 35. (In a related story, he entered camp without a contract extension; in another related story, he didn’t bring his…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/miami-heat-2024-25-season-preview-jimmy-butlers-future-looms-large-for-east-dark-horse-134751632.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-10 13:47:51

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

........,,,,,,,,||||||||||||||||||||]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]][[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[||||||||||||||||||||