Why the Heat isn’t surprised by its 4-1 start. And how the new additions have helped
As Heat rookie Kendrick Nunn picked up his hoodie for the team’s flight back to Miami following Thursday’s win over the Hawks, he made sure to let those around him know how he felt about that particular article of clothing.
“Let me put on my favorite hoodie,” Nunn said, as reporters waited around his locker to ask him questions following his 28-point performance in Atlanta.
With different messages stitched into the hoodie, one read: “Can’t believe you doubted me.”
“That’s why it’s my favorite sweater because there were a lot of doubters,” said Nunn, whose 112 points to begin the season is the most through five games by an undrafted player in NBA history. “But I don’t dwell too much on it. I just continue to get better.”
As a team, the Heat is taking the same approach.
Las Vegas sports books set the Heat’s win total at 43.5 entering the season, predicting Miami to finish sixth or seventh in the Eastern Conference based on other teams’ win totals behind the Bucks (57.5), 76ers (54.5), Celtics (48.5), Raptors (47.5), Pacers (46.5) and tied with the Nets (43.5).
The NBA’s preseason annual survey of general managers released just before the start of the season predicted the Heat to finish seventh in the East behind the No. 1 Bucks, No. 2 76ers, No. 3 Celtics, No. 4 Nets, No. 5 Raptors and No. 6 Pacers.
But after a 4-1 start — Miami’s best five-game start to a season since the Big 3 era when it began 2012-13 at 4-1 — the Heat insists it isn’t surprised by its early success. Miami has bigger aspirations than finishing seventh in the East.
“I ain’t surprised,” Heat wing Jimmy Butler said. “I know how good we can be as long as we don’t turn the ball over. ... We’re locked in on defense, we got guys that can score the ball and we stick together.”
Las Vegas has responded to the Heat’s strong start, with Miami’s championship odds from the start of the season to now improving from 66-to-1 to 33-to-1 , according to odds BetOnline released Friday. The Heat’s odds to win the East has also improved, going from 20-to-1 to 14-to-1 to win the conference.
The new additions to the Heat’s roster have provided an immediate boost.
Butler, the Heat’s new leading man who was acquired in free agency this past summer, has averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in the two games he has played in. Miami has outscored its opponent by 36 points with Butler on the court.
Center Meyers Leonard, who the Heat picked up as part of the sign-and-trade deal that brought Butler to Miami, finished Thursday’s win over the Hawks with 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
And rookie guards Tyler Herro and Nunn have turned into two of the Heat’s best offensive weapons. The 29 points Herro scored in Tuesday’s win over the Hawks are the most points in a game for a Heat rookie since Dwyane Wade scored 31 against the Jazz on Feb. 17, 2004, and Nunn is averaging a team-high 22.4 points on 51.8 percent shooting through the first five games.
“Everything,” veteran guard Goran Dragic said when asked what the new additions have brought to the Heat. “Energy, leadership, just chemistry. I think the chemistry is the most important thing. We’re really deep as a team, and everybody wants to play as a team and share the ball. I feel like that’s the main thing.”
The Heat’s schedule gets a little tougher now, with a Sunday matchup against the Rockets at AmericanAirlines Arena up next and then a looming three-game West Coast trip next week.
“It’s better than getting off to a poor start,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Heat’s strong start. “It is a small sample size, but we know what’s coming ahead. We have a pretty good team coming into Miami on Sunday, and then we go out West right after that. So it’s important we took care of business early on.”
