NBA Season Preview 2019-20: The 5 biggest questions for the Miami Heat

In preparation for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season, it’s time to take a look at five critical questions for the Miami Heat.

1. Who is the fourth-best player on the Heat this season?

This is a complicated question and the answer is just as layered. The best player is clearly Jimmy Butler; after him, there’s no clear hierarchy. There’s a case to be made that Bam Adebayo is likely the team’s best raw talent. But concerns about his offensive diversity are real, as is his willingness to be a secondary scorer. Justise Winslow is a capable two-way player and his defense will be as stout as ever. While most expect him to be the season’s starting “point guard” (the quote marks are used because, as recently as Miami’s Media Day, head coach Erik Spoelstra refused to label Winslow as a starting guard but rather as just another playmaker/ballhandler), can he replicate the success he had last season as the initiator on offense?

Second to Butler, the team’s most accomplished player is Goran Dragic, but coming off a season in which he played in only 36 games (and at nearly 34 years old), it’s less likely that “The Dragon” will be a consistent impact player. And there’s always the enigma wrapped in a puzzle draped in self-confidence: Dion Waiters. In the best shape of his NBA career, there’s a good chance that he can be a solid contributor on offense. But, like most of the roster, there are questions as to how he can fit alongside Butler, not just in terms of temperament but style. The question gets more complicated the longer you think about it, so let’s just say that Butler is 1A, and everyone else is 2 (it’s Goran).

2. Tyler Herro: The hero the Heat need this season or just a guy with an interesting last name?

What a difference a day makes. If I had answered this at any point but after his 18-point, preseason debut versus the Spurs, I am not sure how I would have answered this. As it stands, I am prepared to say that Herro is the likely Rookie of the Year winner as of Oct. 9. Perhaps that’s an overstatement but there was a lot to be encouraged by in Herro’s first game. He was extremely poised, fluid in his shooting and comfortable in finding his spots or making plays for teammates. He worked well off the dribble and initiated offense regularly, even playing alongside other veteran ballhandlers. Even the concerns over his defense weren’t as glaring as advertised.

Typically, Miami hasn’t relied on rookies (even Dwyane Wade came off the bench in 2003) and so there’s no way of knowing whether Herro will get much of an opportunity to show if he can be a consistent threat. Eventually, he’ll be on the scouting report and opponents will try keeping him from getting comfortable. For now, let’s just say he has real talent and he should be a factor on a team that needs perimeter shooting to open up an offense that was often stagnant in recent seasons. And also, here’s to procrastination, without which this would have been a very different response.

3. Who should be the starting point guard?

Winslow. Dragic is certainly more experienced but he’s not necessarily a facilitator, a role that Winslow seems to thrive in. Lost in the conversation about who should start is the reality that Dragic was halfway in a Mavericks uniform before Dallas’ front office got cold feet and reneged on a trade agreement with Miami. If Spoelstra and the front office viewed him as the starter, that proposed trade never happens. Still, Dragic is a capable scorer. He’s dealing with age and a lingering knee issue and so a bench role is the better fit for him. He’s set to enter free agency next summer so showing value as a backup guard and offensive sparkplug will help him land a future contract.

As for Winslow, who knows what to expect? The small sample size we’ve seen him man the position is rendered moot now that Butler changes the team dynamic completely. But in a vacuum, he’s comfortable setting the pace and making plays for others. He’s a better shooter than he once was and his defense is still elite. He’s tall, strong and switchable and he’ll be a matchup nightmare for opponents. And he’s on the books for another three years. If he’s going to be a valuable player to build around Butler, he needs the opportunity to show it.

4. It’s late January and the Heat are mired in a deep slump. Tensions are high and Jimmy Butler has just led Derrick Jones Jr., KZ Okpala, Meyers Leonard and one of the equipment managers to a double-digit scrimmage win in practice over the rest of the starters. What does Butler yell to Pat Riley as he leaves the floor?

“You gonna make me whoop they a** to the motherfuckin’ Doobie Brothers? Ain’t y’all never heard of Florida-Georgia Line???”

5. On paper, the Heat are the         th best team in the Eastern Conference.

There is absolutely no right answer to this, because of the number of questions about how the team will fit around Butler. But, there’s potential here, to be sure, in terms of individual growth and also or scaling the East rankings. Moreover, there’s Erik Spoelstra, who appears energized at the challenge of molding this team while letting Butler do what he’s done best. Spoelstra has consistently maximized the talent at his disposal and so he’s the x-factor here. On paper, they’re likely the seventh-best team in the East. But, as they say, the games aren’t played on paper or in South Beach. Or something like that.