Miami’s roster is a combination of their old guard and their youth movement. Which takes the reigns in 2018-19?
The Heat are going to be headed for an interesting situation in 2018-19. A quiet offseason saw them bring back most of the roster that went six games with the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2018 Eastern Conference playoffs, and their roster is set up to be an interesting contrast that directs the next few years of the franchise.
On one hand, you have the Heat’s under-the-radar youth movement that’s fleshed out over the past few years. Led by Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and Bam Adebayo, the Heat have remained competitive because of their ability to develop talent, mixing swings on athletic talent in the draft with a knack for mining their G-League affiliate for NBA rotation players. The ceiling of the Heat’s youth movement is debatable due to the limitations of Winslow and Adebayo, but this is an impressive core of bargains.
Last year, that group of low-cost overachievers was paired with a high-priced veteran leadership unit of Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, and of course, Dwyane Wade. Dragic and Whiteside have been the marketable stars in the past few years, but their impact on the team dwindled last season. Dragic isn’t getting any younger, and Whiteside might have been one of the least cost-effective players to suit up in the league last season. And while Wade did provide a slight spark late in the season, whether or not he’s back this year remains to be seen.
The Heat should maintain a playoff presence in the East, but this should be the year that directs the next few years of the franchise. Can Dragic and Whiteside keep the Heat’s alpha status for another year? Or are Winslow, Adebayo and company going to help the Heat try to move on from their biggest contracts?