It’s been an interesting preseason for the Miami Heat. After going to the NBA Finals in 2014, the team missed the playoffs entirely in 2015. Notable injuries to Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts, to name a few, can be attributed to the fall off, but what can fans expect from a newly revamped Heat roster.
Pat Riley has gone out and stacked the starting lineup with notable names, but the Heat bench is showing marked improvement during the preseason. The addition of Gerald Green is one of the most poignant differences on the bench roster. Green has shown his offensive prowess during the preason, and the matchup against the Wizards Wednesday night was no different. Green finished with the team high of 28 pts. Erik Spoelstra certainly knows Green’s value to the team as he told Heat Nation:
“He’s ignitable. We need some of those types of guys. He can put points on the board in a hurry.”
In addition, lesser known players, like Tyler Johnson, are stepping up on the hardwood.
Johnson spent his first professional year in the D-league with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and the Heat eventually signed him. Preseason Johnson is showing that he may just what the team needs to keep the guards rested. In addition, after throwing down a monster dunk on Drew Gooden Wednesday night, it’s clear Johnson has no fear of taking it to the house.
Another notable change to the roster is that Mario Chalmers will now be coming off the bench. Truthfully speaking this should’ve happened a long time ago, but Spoelstra could only work with what he had. Chalmers is much better coming off the bench than he is as a starter. Chalmers posted 13 points and 4 assists against the Wizards, along with 2 steals. That’s pretty impressive for just 23 minutes of time on the court.
The good thing for the Heat is that it appears that team is overall healthy. The starting lineup of Dragic, Wade, Deng, Bosh and Whiteside shows more promise than the experts give them credit for. Why the Heat is so grossly underestimated can’t be understood. The Heat bench is clicking on cylinders that hasn’t been seen since before LeBron James brought his talents to South Beach. They may have just figured out the formula to keep the east crown heir apparent Cavs at bey.
