South Florida

How did the Miami Heat get to this point? Let's look back at season's start

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

ICYMI: These articles highlight the Miami Heat's current status, emphasizing coaching, roster adjustments and schedule challenges.

The Heat started the season without Tyler Herro, who underwent ankle surgery, leaving a scoring gap. Veteran guard Norman Powell stepped in, while others like Davion Mitchell contributed to the team’s efforts. Coach Erik Spoelstra’s dual role includes leading Team USA, where he shares his excitement for guiding national teams in major competitions.

The Heat also introduced an up-tempo offense, as seen in the season opener against Orlando Magic, but still struggled with retaining fourth-quarter leads, a lingering issue from past seasons. Roster changes continue, with the Heat locking in Nikola Jovic through a four-year extension, showcasing confidence in his potential. Spoelstra faces the challenge of improving late-game performance, aiming for better results as the season progresses.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) and center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. By Brad Penner

NO. 1: FOUR HEAT GAMES REVEALED FOR UPCOMING SEASON, INCLUDING ONE ON NATIONAL PLATFORM

Taking a page from the NFL, the NBA is releasing parts of its schedule in bits and pieces before the full and formal rollout at 3 p.m. | Published August 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Barry Jackson

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and assistant coach Chris Quinn look from the bench during overtime against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center in Miami on April 5, 2025. By David Santiago

NO. 2: HEAT DOESN’T USE WAIVE-AND-STRETCH PROVISION AHEAD OF FRIDAY’S DEADLINE

The Heat opted not to use the waive-and-stretch provision ahead of Friday’s 5 p.m. | Published August 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anthony Chiang

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) bends over in between plays during the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Kaseya Center on April 28, 2025, in Miami. By D.A. Varela

NO. 3: HEAT’S TYLER HERRO UNDERGOES ANKLE SURGERY, EXPECTED TO MISS EIGHT WEEKS. THE LATEST DETAILS

The Miami Heat will begin this upcoming season without one of its best players. | Published September 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anthony Chiang

Nikola Jovic (5) talks to reporters during the Miami Heat Media Day on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami. By Alie Skowronski

NO. 4: NIKOLA JOVIC AGREES TO FOUR-YEAR, $62.4 MILLION EXTENSION WITH HEAT AHEAD OF DEADLINE

The Miami Heat believes in the potential of forward Nikola Jovic. | Published October 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anthony Chiang

USA basketball assistant coach Erik Spoelstra before a game against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. By John David Mercer

NO. 5: SPOELSTRA REACTS TO BEING NAMED U.S. OLYMPIC COACH. AND HEAT SHUFFLES ROSTER

Erik Spoelstra’s expected appointment to the role of Team USA men’s Olympic basketball coach was made official on Wednesday, when the nation’s basketball federation named him Steve Kerr’s successor. | Published October 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Barry Jackson

Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts in the first half of the game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on October 22, 2025 in Orlando. By Julio Aguilar

NO. 6: HEAT’S SPOELSTRA ‘NOT LOOKING FOR MORAL VICTORIES,’ BUT ENCOURAGED AFTER SEASON-OPENING LOSS

So much was different about the Miami Heat in Wednesday’s season opener, but unfortunately so much was also the same. | Published October 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anthony Chiang

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.