While the Miami Heat have been toward the middle-of-the-pack leaguewide in 3-point makes per 100 possessions (13.2) and 3-point percentage (36.5) each of the last three seasons, they’ve been a bottom-third offense.
It’s a multi-pronged issue, but their lack of a true facilitating guard has objectively been one of their fatal flaws. And former Heat guard and two-time champion Mario Chalmers acknowledged that this week.
“I’ve always said this about Miami: Miami’s at their best when they have a true point guard. I think that’s kind of what they’re missing right now,” Chalmers said on a recent appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio. “I think they’re right there at the door. Just a couple pieces away.”
Mario Chalmers is right. The Miami Heat lack a true point guard:
The last time the Miami Heat had a floor general operating the steering wheel was Kyle Lowry. In 2021-22, Lowry helped elevate the Heat offense into a top-11 unit before Father Time, unfortunately, caught up to him. But for much of his career, he was a quintessential point guard. In 2019-20, when Miami had a top-8 unit, while he wasn’t a “true” point guard, Goran Dragic was an excellent spark plug who was a smart decision-maker and the Heat’s best lob passer.
The fact of the matter is that the point guard position is a dying breed. You can still be labeled a point guard by the consensus, but most aren’t real point guards who are capable of consistently organizing an offense and putting players in the best position to succeed possession-by-possession.
As it currently stands, the Heat have an inordinate number of guards. Though you could argue that only one (Kasparas Jakucionis) fits the label of the modern-day point guard. Yet, the 19-year-old may spend most of his rookie season in the G-League!
There’s nothing wrong with that, but Miami still doesn’t have a true point guard — though Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell are improved playmakers.
There’s more than one way they can improve as an offense with Jakucionis (potential), Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio now in the fold. Regardless, a floor general to help — not hurt — their best players (who are also supposed to elevate others) would do wonders. But, alas.
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I don’t know why Dru is being under mentioned here. He has the potential to be everything we need at the point. We just need him to stay healthy.
We need that closer type player, the one who can create his own shot, draw fouls, and doesn’t wilt in crunch time. That guy gets the team who has him maybe 7 more wins a season. Thats pretty much our only real weakness, except for minor trimming at the edges. But, like V says, those guys are hard to get. .
If Miami plays Smith at point, the team still won’t solve the problem of playmaking/assists. In three seasons, he has averaged 1.6 assists per game. Last year, he averaged 2.6 assists in 19.1 minutes. However, I do believe he is an excellent back-up or reserve guard, especially at the price Miami got him for (3 years/$7.9M).
His game didnt shows in stats. But it was very visibly, that with him on court team played much better.
Almost anyone would have looked much better than Rozier.
when he played he looked like an all star pg.if the kid stays healthy hes pg1 dav pg 2.
Again, anyone would have looked like an all-star after the crappy way Rozier was playing.
Look at the stats.
Oops. I meant Smith averaged 6.2 ppg etc.
Well…Heat had golden opportunity in 2020 draft. Gigantic whiff taking Achiewa instead of Maxey. Remember Riley had to be strong armed to draft Wade over Chris Kaman! Soooo many other gaffes and what if’s. Still looking forward to season…
This is the time to look forward to the future, not backward to the past.
big whiff by pat luckily wade saved his tail for life.
No s**t.
Point guard or something else, heat need a player able to deliver the ball to the right player at the right time. Aside Dru, nobody in the team is able to do that at the high level. But Dru was injuried and has other shortcomings.
Heat missing a lot of things. Most importantly a true 1a alpha SS everything else is more or less null and void.
Listen, we’re all missing a lot of things. Me? I miss my mom. But you can’t bring people back from the dead.
Or at least you *shouldn’t* bring people back from the dead.
I wonder how to get players which are not null and void.
I suggest you to create a list of 20 players which you want to see in Heats uniform. After doing that, you will probably noticed, that all from that list are either superstars, good young players or something special in other ways, and that those teams which own such players wont trade them.
We have what we have. Take it or leave it.
So a pg is the end all be all in your opinion got it. A player to deliver the ball to other players and that’s it, once Mia gets a true pg they winning the championship vagibugi says so. Like you mfers have know interactions with the outside world I can tell. Mario and you agree that the team needs a pg I stated that the team needs a ss (imo more important) than a pg
how many ss in nba maybe 10.hard to come by.pats not been good lately.gotta wait for our next ss w/o him cant get jewelry.2025 team should be good for 45-50 wins.4 good players not one near a ss though
“Like you mfers have know interactions with the outside world I can tell.”
When a man uses profanity to support an argument, it indicates that either the man or the argument is weak – probably both.
P.S. Profanity is a common crutch of an inarticulate …er.
Nah it’s why I don’t like to comment on here, you vaibooger and 2qbn love getting smart and sarcastic whenever someone has an opinion you 3 stooges don’t like or agree with. Like everyone else should agree with what yall say or what yall say is the end all be all. Sit up here judging me and don’t know a damn thing about me says more about you than it does me and also speaks to my point. Grow up people use curse words captain America
I respect your right to an opinion, whether or not I agree with it (especially if you provide facts to support it). I don’t respect your tendency to resort to calling people names like mf’ers because they disagree with your opinion. Grow up and grow a couple. We’re all adults here. Start behaving like one.
P.S. Is it it written somewhere that the ss can’t be a PG?
Get a life goofball you don’t know shit about me
Maybe not, but I do know…
You were never taught the meaning of respect.
95% of the folks on HHH don’t like you.
Who gaf. I don’t live my life for who likes me or who doesn’t just because that’s how you live your life? That’s why made all these other profiles all besides hfl and 30 the others are you lol.
“95% of the folks on HHH don’t like you”
The other “folks” are profiles a lonely person like you created that’s why they always agree with you it’s sad honestly lol
That’s exactly the point. You don’t gaf. It shows in everything you write. Your profile is of a miserable, pessimistic, negative loser. Get a life!
“The worst person to be around is someone who complains about everything and appreciates nothing.”
You get a life clown. Fake philosopher who has multiple profiles on this site. A nobody in the real world that’s why you keep upvoting yourself then switch to other profiles to downvote people. You’re a winner huh? lol you don’t have a life and no wife that’s why you create multiple profiles on here nobody to talk to in the real world no one but yourself loser
You can assume, that if I write something smart or sarcastic to you, I don’t only disagree with your opinion, but also with how you express it.
It is kind of defence mechanism, preventing that this place transform into dump, which most of internet basically is.
Be smart and sarcastic yourself too. Not for my or others sake, but for this site sake.
Mario and me and, I believe, others too for a point guard. Mario and me and you, and others too, for ss. But those doesn’t grow on threes.
Heat are missing an Alpha and a PG. That’s why I have suggested more than once attempting to trade for Williamson and Murray. They could also use a good rotation PF/C.
tyler is not that that tradeable or else hed be gone ,heat fans overvalue him nba gms dont.defense matters team play matters two things he doesnt do well
dont u think about 31 teams are trying to do the same thing.were not getting an alpha or better pg this is our team for 25-26.maybe at trade deadline a decent player