From best to worst, sublime to ridiculous, 10 Heat nuggets and what to conclude
Ten data-driven nuggets from this past Heat season and what conclusions can be drawn:
▪ Bam Adebayo took the most clutch shots on the team and also the most clutch three-point attempts. And his efficiency was poor in both areas.
Adebayo shot just 27.8% from the field in the clutch, defined by the NBA as the final five minutes of games with a margin of five points or fewer. He shot 10 for 36 in the clutch and 14 of those attempts were threes, of which he made only three.
Takeaway: The fact Adebayo — whose strength is defense — led the Heat in clutch three-point shot attempts is ludicrous, even though he has improved in developing that part of his game. All of this amplifies the Heat’s need for a legitimate No. 1 scorer.
▪ The Heat’s guards allowed some of the highest shooting percentages in the league.
Players guarded by Norman Powell shot 51.6%, the seventh-highest (or worst defensively) among all NBA guards that defended at least 450 shots. Those same players shot 46% against everyone else in the NBA who defended them.
Tyler Herro permitted the player he was guarding to shoot 49.5% – compared to 46.2% shoot overall.
Takeaway: The Herro/Powell backcourt ultimately wasn’t sustainable. The Heat couldn’t overcome those defensive deficiencies and also couldn’t overcome the lack of size and bulk resulting from Andrew Wiggins moving to power forward in that lineup.
▪ When Bam Adebayo and Kel’El Ware played together, the Heat outscored teams by 85 points — the most of any two-man combo that played in that range of minutes (505).
Also, Adebayo and Ware were first and second best on the team in the area of biggest (positive) difference between what players shoot against them compared to what they shoot against everyone else.
Players defended by Adebayo shot 45.6 percent, compared with 48.8 overall.
Players defended by Ware shot 47.1 percent, compared with 50.3 overall.
Takeaway: Yes, the Adebayo/Ware tandem produced poor results some nights, largely because Ware was targeted in pick-and-rolls or late on switches or close outs. On some nights, neither shot particularly well.
But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra should have stuck with that lineup for long stretches, instead of using it for a time and then losing patience with it and then trying it again. Rinse, repeat wasn’t particularly productive.
▪ Davion Mitchell finished sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.2 to 1 and fourth among point guards, behind Tyus Jones, TJ McConnell and Cam Spencer.
He also was second on the team in plus/minus; Miami outscored teams by 202 points when he was on the court. Only Adebayo (plus-338) was better.
Takeaway: Mitchell’s responsible ball-handling — combined with his 39.5% three point shooting and strong on-ball defense -- more than validated the two-year, $24 million contract.
▪ For the first time, the Heat had two players in the top 10 in rebounding.
Adebayo was eighth at 10.0 per game and Ware was 10th at 9.0 per game.
Takeaway: There was no justification for them averaging just 6.1 minutes of court time together per game. On a team with limited talent, the Adebayo/Ware tandem presented Miami with its best chance to reach its ceiling.
▪ Ware finished best in the league, or among the league leaders, in several areas. But he was low in another that makes a difference to his coach.
He led all NBA centers in three-point shooting accuracy at 39.5.
Ware was the Heat’s most efficient player, 44th in the league overall, per ESPN’s complex efficiency ratings. Adebayo was second at 59.
Ware was fifth in rebounds per 36 minutes, at 14.7 (just ahead of Victor Wembanyama). He was 21st in the league in blocks per 36 minutes, at 1.8. That led the team in both categories.
But.... his plus/minus (minus-66) was second worst on the team; Miami was outscored by 66 with Ware in the game, and that matters to Spoelstra. Only Dru Smith was worse; Miami was outscored by 83 with Smith in the game. Herro was third worst at minus-38.
▪ The Heat’s play without Adebayo on the court, compared with Adebayo in the game, was generally atrocious.
In the NBA’s on-court/off-court differential numbers, Adebayo was fifth best in the league among all players at plus-11.4, trailing only Nikola Jokic (plus-16.3), Wembanyama (plus-15.2), Kawhi Leonard (plus-14.4) and Shae Gilgeous-Alexander (plus-11.7).
Adebayo was first in the league for the second year in a row in on-court/off-court rebound differential at plus-7.2, as Heat.com’s Couper Morehead noted.
Takeaway: Though we have thought from time to time that the Heat would be better off trading Adebayo for four or five first-round picks and starting over, the on-court/off-court numbers depict how truly hideous Miami likely would be for sustained periods without him.
▪ Nikola Jovic was the ninth worst three-point shooter in the league.
At 26.9% from the field, Jovic was one of only 22 players to fall below the 30% mark. Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels was worst in the league at 18.8, followed by Utah’s Cody Williams at 21.4 and Houston’s Amen Thompson at 21.6.
Takeaway: The enormous regression in Jovic’s shooting was a major surprise, considering he shot 39% and 37% the previous two seasons. Jovic said there’s nothing he can change in his mechanics, and he believes the poor accuracy results from his occasional confusion operating in the Heat’s up-tempo offense and eagerness to shoot a lot and make an impression during his limited minutes.
▪ Jaime Jaquez Jr. led all NBA reserves in points, field goals made, 20-point games, points in the paint, fast break points and points off turnovers. He was second in assists and fouls drawn, third in free throws made, fourth in defensive rebounds and fifth in total rebounds.
He joined Tyler Herro and Manu Ginobili as the only players in NBA history to start fewer than 30 games and average at least 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists with a true shooting percentage of 55 or higher.
Takeaway: Aside from Adebayo’s 83-point night, Jaquez’s evolution was the highlight of the season. Everyone except Adebayo likely will be made available for a superstar, but the hope here is that Jaquez can remain.
▪ Myron Gardner was fourth in the league in miles run per hour (4.6) when he was on the court.
Takeaway: Perhaps Spoelstra should have given him more minutes when lack of effort and energy were problems in several late season blowout losses.
This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 11:17 AM.
