We have officially arrived at the 2025-26 All-Star break for the Miami Heat.
After a fun, electric 14-7 start, the Heat have, once again, crashed down to mediocrity. They enter the break 29-27, a 0.5 game back of the Orlando Magic for the No. 7 seed and 2.5 back of the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami secured a 123-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night, ending the first “half” on somewhat of a high note.
There are only 26 games left. Time flies, even when you’re not having the most fun; I can’t speak for everyone, but I haven’t been. But how would you grade the first 56 games of the Miami Heat’s 2025-26 season?! Let us know in the comments!
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Hanifan’s Take: C
Up to this point, the Heat have played the 12th-hardest schedule. They are No. 17 in offense and No. 4 in defense. But according to Dunks & Threes’ schedule-adjusted ratings, Miami’s offense is 20th, while its defense is fourth.
After all, it hasn’t been all bad. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson have all made leaps this season; Kasparas Jakucionis has blossomed as a rookie with his impact transcending the numbers; Andrew Wiggins has been the two-way wing the Heat traded for last February; Norman Powell was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
That’s not to mention: Adebayo remains one of the best two-way bigs in the sport. He’s averaging 22.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 43.7/36.0/81.1 shooting splits over his last 17 games.
Though Miami remains consistently inconsistent without a clear direction. And that’s an issue. The Heat are on track for their fourth-straight play-in, and that’s where nobody wants to be. They have been mediocre for the last half-decade, and you can’t build through the middle.
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I give us a c-, sure we got better, and even beat some good teams early on, but that only gave us false hope. Tbh Only reason I gave us a c is cuz of the young bucks and our play style, but pat needs to step up or go to a retirement home. I’m tired of the yearly routine of facing bulls in the play in or any other team for that matter.
Very impressive stats for Gardner:
Plus, he is very athletic and a pesky defender.
agree but dumbot has to play niko his stepfather gave him lots $$$ he .reminds me of josh hart
Great minds think alike cuz he definitely reminds Me of Josh hart with potentially a better 3pt shot .
I really like him.
Heat are also top 10 in net rating (#10, with CHA #11 and TOR, PHI, ORL #14-16). On offense the Heat limit turnovers (#5 in TOV%) and are 14th in 3FG% at 36%. On defense they’re top 10 in rebounding (#9 in DREB%), lowest opponent shooting (#8 in opponent eFG%), forcing turnovers (#10 in opponent TOV%), and limiting fouling (#7 in lowest opponent FT/FGA, and they commit the fewest fouls per 100 possessions of every team except Dallas)
Developing the offense in the second half of the season is the question, and they need Herro for that. Herro and Powell as the top 2 options puts Bam and Wiggins as the third and fourth options. If that happens the offense should be better than #17
Herro + Powell = bad defense. Teams will be able to target both of them. They better score a ton more than they are allowing.
They had the #9 defense last year with Herro/Duncan backcourt starting close to half the season. There is so much defensive talent on this team I think a Herro and Norm lineup can work
Until they go up against Mitchell and Harden, Doncic and Reaves and others.
Another stat, Miami is just 22nd in the league in 3PT rate, the % of shots they take that are threes, at 40%. (Denver is the #1 offense in the league and also at the same 40% distribution).
Miami can be taking more 3’s though because of their personnel. Herro and Powell are one of the best shooting backcourts in the NBA. Bam is taking almost 5 3PAs per game now and Ware is shooting 40% from 3. Heat lineups can go 5 out now. Jaquez is the one sub 30% 3PT shooter in the rotation (Jovic is too but he shot 37% last year), but Jaquez is shooting 50% from the field overall and he is 14th in the league in total drives per game (just above Luka!). Ingredients are there for this team to improve on offense
Who is this hero you speak of?
All good, but the reality is they weren’t very good last season and got destroyed in the playoffs. More is needed to truly compete.
norm was a clip jaime was doo doo.
True, but they are a mediocre team at the moment.
Last year the starting lineup was Herro/Robinson/Butler/Highsmith/Bam
This year when healthy it’s Davion/Herro/Powell/Wiggins/Bam
They traded Butler for 3 starters (Davion, Wiggins, Powell) and the 20th pick, Jakucionas who at 19 is already a rotation player. So that’s an A move.
For the season it’s INC. Their odds to win East went from 50-1 in preseason to 12-1 in first months and now back up to 30-1. There is no clear betting favorite in the East (DET, NYK, BOS, CLE are all 3-1)
For the stated goal of making noise in the playoffs, getting a 5-6 seed and not having to play DET or NYK in the first round would be big. Matt Moore has the Heat as a team that can make the 2nd round but not more. Basketball reference gives them a 53% chance at a top 6 seed, 4.1% chance of winning ECF, 0.7% of winning Finals
With the additions of Alvarado and Sochan, I have to pick the Knicks to win the East.
I like both, but no.
KAT is there. He becomes a liability in PO.
I think they are the deepest team in the East.
thompson a brunson stopper.nobody can stop dunc.dunc cant stop a fight thats for sure
Not the most athletic one in the bunch, but he’s probably the smartest one. IQ matters.
The punishments are as follows:
the best shooter in the bunch
Duncan’s a lover not a fighter. Got a girl in every town.
whos your source
She/they ain’t talkin.
sochan signing with nyk rc.
Damn
Sochan, to me, is very similar to Kuminga. Crazy athleticism, iffy shooting, solid defender, and only 22. A shame we couldn’t get him. Oh well, there’s always Chris Paul.
not familiar with him that why i have u and sunman my staff ill leave the rotation to yours truly music? jonny b goode j winter or hendrix rolling stone hendrix or dylan 4 hfl winter/hendrix
Neil Young, Tom Petty, Steve Miller, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Eagles, CCR, AC/DC, The Who, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, ELP, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Beatles for starters.
take talking heads out u got the lebrons of rock.talking heads for me niko level
That’s his list, not yours. Doesn’t matter if you don’t agree. There were so many that it’s hard to choose. The Yardbirds 3 guitarists are there. Just too many to name.
no he named the best ones any rocker would tell u that maybe little deep purple alice cooper uriah heep thrown in but talking heads come on .i like rock like sports and i couldnt name a song they did.
Uriah Heep is even more obscure. Talking Heads had some hits. Once in a lifetime (same as it ever was), burning down the house, wild wild life.
Psycho Killer, And she was,
burning down the house know that one.remember the term bubble gum band that describes talking heads one of hfls first concerts uh at pirates world early 70s easy living their big song from .demons and wizards top 10 album in the hfl hierarchy.of albums.
No way does Talking Heads fall into the bubble gum category! Their music was complex unlike 1910 Fruitgum Company, the Archies, and others
there like the b52s not the rock hfl grew up with.when u light one up do u go to your record player and put on talking heads lol
B52s is one of most favourable bands.
we got diff music tastes.but we have same basketball tastes
They were much more complex than B52s. That was a good but campy type band, fun to watch, talented. T H were much deeper.
True for TH. . Also some interesting music came from band members after band fell apart.
Yes, David Byrne is quite the artist.
You had to be buzzed to appreciate them. Throw in a little Jethro Tull, Metallica and Cream for good measure. Could put together a pretty good playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bOkNmIz0nk&list=RD3bOkNmIz0nk&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKDYErlu5Kc&list=RDfKDYErlu5Kc&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_GFN3a0yj0&list=RDn_GFN3a0yj0&start_radio=1
By refusing to go all in to win or all in to tank, Riley has insured the Heat would have a mediocre team for the past 4 years and the foreseeable future. No risk…no reward. Nothing has changed.
Every year Riley gives fans hope then proves the hope to be misplaced. There is no need to get excited about an average team. The only thing consistent about this team is it’s inconsistency.
I’m refraining from getting too excited about the Heat until something significant changes. Meanwhile….meh. Average team…average grade. C
havent seen this team healthy for 1game .
Without a big time closer during crunch time how much would it matter.
How well do you think this team matches up against physical teams like Pistons, Knicks, T’wolves, Nuggets, Rockets, Utah, etc.
Miami is a gateway team for the bottom 15 into the top 15. Developing teams go through Miami on their way up the ladder and aging and tanking teams go through Miami on their way down. Miami is the only constant. Stuck in the middle…too bad to succeed and to good to fail.
havent seen them one second as a full squad.the team needs an enforcer(wasnt maurice lucas the og)it is a super super soft team not one bad ass with size.in the buy out market get some nasty sob so pelle doesnt have to get a broken nose every night.ill tell u the last guy id want to fight was vladamir the first guy id take on would be kelela
Vlad? Really?
it wasnt but few years ago we were in the finals find the next quitter.
We already have one. His name is Tyler Herro.
I remember I did t agree with you much but damn do nowadays. Others like 2015hear believes this team has a chance at the 6th seed and believe they can beat the Knicks or the Celtics to get to the 2nd round it’s embarrassing honestly
Thanks hhh. I try to be objective and factual. I agree, considering the weak play-in competition and the way the team is currently playing, they should easily make the play-in round, they should also make the playoffs and will probably not make it to the second round.
As it has been all season, the Heat needs a ss and a good two-way front court player in order to be truly competitive. I can’t believe Riley didn’t at least try to trade for a rotation caliber PF/C before the trade deadline. I think he can’t decide whether to tank or to keep piecing together play-in teams year after year while waiting for a ss to land in his lap.
“Eyes are useless when the mind is blind.”
~ Unknown ~
orlando always beats us charlotte coming for us,gonna be a good playin tournament even atl has a shot to win its gonna be a dog fight.if things start clicking stay injury free theres enough good players to compete with the beasts of the east
Got any more of that stuff?
gave that up along time ago when mrs hfl came into life it was either stuff or mrs.think i made the wrong decision life hasnt been as much fun w/o stuff.miss the partying days but had to grow up eventually i guess.
Mrs sm and I have never lost it. We are adults during the day and stoners at night. 41 years and counting. We be jommin mon. Forgot to include Bob Marley and Third World, although they aren’t rock. Don’t even get me talking about Motown.
You’re going back to we can compete with the East again? No way. You said the same thing last season. How did that work out?
Hard to say.
I like players, and I like how team is constructed, aside some holes in the team (backup center). I like also how team is playing.
But I don’t like inconsistency.
Its clear that this is not a contender team, but every team, even the worse ones, are able to put together a string of wins from time to time. Except Heat.
I m not sure if its mental or a sign of a quality of the team. But I doubt the later, there are four all stars in the team.
Maybe Spo is not capable to maximize the players, too. Or some players, namely Jovic and Herro, doesn’t play as they should or doesn’t play at all.
I don’t even feel to give a grade.
This team is better then last year one. If nothing else, its clear, who can be a part of the future and who cannot. Bam, Powell, Ware, Kas, JJJ, Pelle should be a core going forward.
I guess you could give the product on the floor a C. They’re around .500 and a play-in team again. The very definition of an average NBA team. Norm was a nice pickup, there are some young guys with potential, Bam is a metronome, and they’ve barely noticed the absence of Tyler Herro.
From an organizational standpoint, i gotta give this team a D-. They’re constantly in rumors for all-star players, and they never land the big fish. I can’t understand why they didn’t go after Durant. They put out their “10 Commandments” about how they refuse to rebuild, but they’re acting like they haven’t been a play-in team for 4 straight years. There is the theoretical possibility of cap space in the future, but they’ve been saying that for years, and it keeps getting pushed back. And with Norm and Tyler expiring, I can’t even guess what they’re next step is going to be. Resign those guys to keep this play-in team together? Or let them walk for nothing while Bam is in his prime? I dunno, maybe a D- is generous.
Grade D. Jovic continues to impersonate a NBA basketball player. His game resembles an incompetent bumbling slapstick comedy routine complete with a flashing horror emoji 😱. His value based on contract vs production has to rank as one of the all time worst returns on investment in the history of sports. It’s also mind blowing to whoever in the Heat brass felt so compelled to think Jovic deserved this exorbitant contract extension. I sincerely hope that dumpster fire makes me eat my words!
whats just as bad as shnozzy play is dumbot giving him minutes.i personally think no jovic means few more wins this year.i said few games ago hes the worse player ive ever seen for the heat who gets minutes.the worst.i have nothing against him he just suks ars for an nba player.
Things are looking up. After a series of terrible, horrific, worst NBA player ever games last night can be assessed with inert, bloodless, but didnt harm the team much.
Thats a half way to bellow average.
I want to give it an F, because in the NBA either you are competitive, tanking or stuck in the middle, and Miami is stuck. Being stuck in the middle might be worse than tanking. You have little hope to improve in the future and know you are likely getting swept or a gentleman’s sweep in round one.
That said – this season is the definition of mid. So I guess, I’ll rate it a C. I do enjoy watching the team more this year, than last year. The offensive change is at least at times exciting. But there are still far too many slogs. Far too many just shoot 100 threes. Far too many defensive lapses resulting in the return to the ugly half court team.