The Heat have finished at 0.500 or better in each of the last three seasons, making the playoffs twice, with a “whole is greater than the sum of their parts” approach to excellence. The roster is deep with talented complementary pieces and, having struck out on a big name star in free agency to pull it all together, they have continued to rely on depth and synergy to stay competitive.
This has been particularly true on defense where Miami finished last season ranked seventh in defensive efficiency, allowing 104.0 points per 100 possessions. Hassan Whiteside and his gaudy shot-blocking numbers are the most obvious element of their defense but a collection of versatile wing players has been just as key.
Leading that versatile wing core is Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow. Those two were both on a short list of just 44 players who were on the floor for at least 3,000 defensive possessions last season and who spent at least 10 percent of those possessions matched up against each of the positions 1-4 (point guard through power forward). That sort of versatility is rare and Winslow and Richardson were also among the most effective defenders in that group, as measured by Defensive Real Plus-Minus.
Whiteside may be the team’s most impactful interior defender when engaged, but Bam Adebayo has flashed a lot more mobility and could be a much switchier piece in the middle of the Heat’s defense. That trio — Adebayo, Winslow and Richardson — played just 327 minutes together last season but they held opponents to a paltry 95.1 points per 100 possessions. It’s worth noting that with Whiteside in place of Adebayo the number jumped to 101.5.
The Heat were already a very good defensive team last season and obviously, improvement at the other end of the floor, where they ranked 20th in efficiency, will be a lot more important to the team breaking through the playoff wall this season. But Richardson just turned 25. Winslow will be 23 in March. Adebayo won’t turn 22 until next summer. Together, they could form an intimidating defensive core for years to come, one capable of handling the myriad defensive responsibilities a modern offense can throw at them within each possession.
The Heat may be looking for a star to come in and solidify the team’s identity, vaulting them back into championship contention. But in Adebayo, Richardson and Winslow they already have the pieces to build an elite defensive team who can match up with the kind of positionless schemes the best offenses in the league are preparing.