(Photo via Bleacher Report)
With the start of the 2025-26 NBA season officially underway, Miami Heat basketball is back.
Although the Heat played well in their season opener against the Orlando Magic, especially at the start, their encouraging outing did not result in a win. In fact, Miami has lost 11 games in a row dating back to their first round sweep in the 2025 postseason.
Miami came out aggressive on offense. They were controlling the pace early on and shots were falling. However, Orlando kept up with them throughout.
Whenever the Heat went on a run, the Magic were right there to respond. That notion led both teams into a tight final quarter, until late game execution haunted Miami in the final minutes. Ultimately, they were unable to close it out and lost by a final score of 125-121.
The squad will look to bounce back Friday evening against the Memphis Grizzlies. But there are already some way-too-early takeaways to dive into just one game into the new Heat campaign.
Positive: Norman Powell looks like the elite scorer that the Heat have desperately needed
When the Heat traded for Norman Powell this past offseason, they were expecting a proven veteran bucket getter. It may still be early, but that’s exactly what it looked like Miami had in the season opener.
Powell led the team with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. He also shot 4 of 8 from 3-point range (50%) and displayed a legitimate three-level scoring ability. For now, he is filling in as the featured backcourt scoring role that Tyler Herro held a year ago.
That eventual pairing of both stars once Herro returns to the lineup will give coach Erik Spoelstra some real offensive firepower to utilize.
Positive: Davion Mitchell continues to be a great fit
Fan favorite Davion Mitchell re-signed with the Heat over the summer, and he is poised to make his $12 million salary look like a bargain.
Mitchell put up career-high numbers once he was traded to Miami as part of the final Jimmy Butler package. And he picked up right where he left off. The gritty defensive minded guard became the first player in franchise history to drop at least 15/10/5 in a season opener.
Starting in place of Herro in the backcourt, Mitchell dominated in Orlando with 16 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. Some improved playmaking that he had on display can only make him an even more versatile option in the Heat rotation.
Positive: Offense looks sharp and fast
For years now, the Heat have been near the bottom in the league at offensive pace and efficiency. That did not look like the case in game one.
Miami’s offense came out swinging, and they dropped 39 points in the first quarter against the Magic alone. The tempo looks much faster, despite a clearly small sample size. Still, that increased pace will make scoring come easier for everybody— if they can keep it up.
Negative: No clear roles defined yet for Nikola Jovic and Kel’el Ware
Nikola Jovic wound up earning the start on opening night alongside Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt— putting Kel’el Ware, who finished last season as the starter, into a bench role.
That move didn’t benefit either player. Jovic started the game looking impressive, but it looked like fatigue played a factor quickly. As for Ware, he was limited to only 14 minutes on the night— clearly not enough playing time for one of the most talented players on the roster. Not to mention, Ware’s size was needed down the stretch against the Magic’s crucial offensive rebounding.
Jovic played only 23 minutes himself. For two guys that are capable of being true X-factors, Spoelstra needs to let both players play through mistakes and give them more opportunities to prove their impact.
Negative: The same late-game bad habits are still haunting the Heat
As mentioned, the Heat failed to execute properly down the stretch. It was still an encouraging loss with lots of positives to build on, but Miami still showed they can’t be trusted late in games.
They had a nine-point lead at one point in that final quarter against the Magic, only to see it quickly vanish. Once they start cleaning up the turnovers and defensive lapses in crunch time, they can finally turn the corner.
Miami was ranked 28th in “clutch games” last season, sporting an abysmal 14-28 record. They can’t let these games continue to slip away.
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Spo needs to decide what his rotation will be. Whether Ware starts or not, he should be playing more than 14 minutes per game (more like 28-32 mpg).
If Spo insists on continuing to bring Ware off the bench, Jaquez should start instead of Jovic.
Jaquez looks better than Jovic who appears to be attempting to play “hero ball.” He needs to learn to play within his natural game rather than trying to have every possession make the highlight reel.
Riley needs to bring in another quality front court big rotation player via trade or free agency and groom Jovic and Jaquez for the SF position in the event Wiggins is traded or not extended.
Note: With the signing of DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans now has 5 bigs (Jordan, Looney, Queen, Missi and Matkovic) and should be able to spare one in a trade (even Matlovic looks good).
P.S. I forgot to mention Zion Williamson (PF) and 7’1″ rookie Hunter Dickinson.