With the Miami Heat’s lone 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro sidelined to start the 2025-26 season, it would’ve been understandable if the team struggled out of the gate and stacked up some losses. But the exact opposite has happened — the Heat are 3-1 on the season and in a tie for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the undefeated Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls in the standings.
Miami is not just weathering the storm sans its offensive hub from last season; it’s thriving. There wasn’t a whole lot of external excitement around the Heat heading into the season, but considering they’re playing at a very high level, fans are already starting to have fun.
Heat fans could be in store for an incredibly enjoyable campaign for several reasons. Let’s take a gander at some promising developments from the team thus far this season and break down what makes them so encouraging.
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it
Historically, Heat teams led by head coach Erik Spoelstra haven’t played all that fast. But with the Heat ranking in the bottom 10 of the league in offensive rating in each of the last three seasons, it seems as if Spoelstra realized their offensive attack needed a new dynamic.
There were whispers in the offseason that the Heat were going to do something to make their offense look “very different,” and the offense sure looks altered, but for the better. Through their first four games of the season, the Heat have upped their tempo noticeably over years past. They’re leading the league right now with a pace of 109.1.
This fast pace has paid dividends in the scoring column for the Heat. They have scored at least 115 points in every one of their opening four contests and are the only team in basketball that’s already dropped more than 140 points on multiple occasions. Miami scored 146 points (the most of any team in a game this season) against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 24 and just recently tallied 144 (the second-most of any team in a game this season) against the Charlotte Hornets.
Points have been far easier to come by for the Heat compared to even a few months ago, when they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. If they can sustain this breakneck pace for the rest of the campaign and continue to reap the benefits of it, they could end up with one of the better offenses in the league throughout the whole season.
Getting it done in every aspect
For as great as the Heat have looked offensively this campaign, that wouldn’t matter too much if they couldn’t get stops, but fortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Miami has been almost about as effective on the defensive end as it’s been scoring the ball.
The Heat currently rank fourth in the NBA in defensive rating at 106.4, putting them behind only three undefeated teams in that statistic. In layman’s terms, that indicates they are allowing fewer than 108 points per 100 possessions.
Miami’s lockdown defense probably deserves as much credit for its scorching start as its dynamic offense. The Heat currently rank in the top seven in offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating. All signs point to them enjoying an incredibly successful season if they can stay near the top in those metrics, as the best teams in the league are often great on both ends.
Miami has had a reputation as a gritty defensive team for a long time. Now, the squad could start to get noticed as one of the more well-rounded teams in terms of identity.
No Herro, no problem?
Miami has managed to boast an elite offense even with Herro on the shelf because it has scored the ball by committee. Amazingly, seven Heat players in total are averaging double digits in points per game this season. While that likely won’t last, it’s an indictment of the great team basketball they’re playing.
Newcomer Norman Powell, who the Heat acquired in an offseason trade, has led the charge on offense. He’s already proven to be a fantastic addition, as he’s averaging a team-high 24.0 points per game and has been red-hot from 3-point range. Powell is converting his 3s at a 50.0 percent clip so far in his maiden season with the Heat.
Powell has probably been Miami’s best offensive player this season, but forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. takes the cake as the biggest positive surprise on that end. After a sophomore slump plagued his 2024-25 campaign, he’s playing with a new level of confidence as a third-year player.
Jaquez has yet to start a game for Miami, but hasn’t stopped him from being the team’s third-leading scorer at 18.8 points per game. He’s functioned as an elite spark plug, and he has turned heads with his passing chops as well.
The youngster has been racking up the assists of late. He’s accumulated five-plus assists in each of his last three games and looks like he has the skill set to be a capable secondary playmaker. That would be a big development after he averaged 2.6 assists per game across his first two seasons.
We haven’t even mentioned guys like Bam Adebayo (who is nearly averaging a 21-point double-double), Davion Mitchell (who has been good for 8.3 assists per game), Simone Fontecchio (who is playing well above expectations) and multiple other rising contributors.
All in all, Miami’s offensive attack has been a well-oiled machine even with Herro unable to suit up, so the possibility of its offense going to another level when he returns should be a terrifying thought for the rest of the league.
It’s early, but the vibes are way up around this team. The 2025-26 Heat appear to be fun.