Last week, we noted some of the missteps along the way that had the Miami Heat pushing for playoff seeding into the final week of the season.
But those, also, largely have been the exceptions. Mostly, the Heat’s regular season has been a story of perseverance, fellowship, unity, bonding.
“It made this one special from a regular-season standpoint, the fact that literally every player in that locker room had their fingerprints on wins at some point during the season,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And it took everybody, everybody on the roster, the full roster, to be able to manage the injuries and missed games and all that and still find ways to win.
“I think that’s something that we can all feel gratification for and all feel that we contributed to it.”
Soon enough, the 2021-22 Miami Heat will be viewed primarily, if not totally, based on what happens in a postseason that opens next Sunday.
For now, though, reflections on a season that has delivered the Heat to the top of the East, surpassing almost all regular-season expectations.
The Culture: It reached a point where even Spoelstra came to appreciate the outside perception of overkill, particularly with the Heat promoting their culture with a capital C.
And yet, how else do you explain finding a way to win even when the contributors were Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Guy and Chris Silva?
Consider this: The Heat won a road game on Dec. 31 amid a team COVID outbreak when the only reserves to see action were Guy, Highsmith, Silva and Nik Stauskas.
Yes, it was against the Houston Rockets, but, again, three players (with Highsmith the exception) that neither started nor ended the season with the Heat.
Omer mania!: And then have been those along for the ride the entire way who have created their own unique, limited-engagement moments along the way.
None of those stories were bigger, literally, than 7-foot rookie Omer Yurtseven, who, at one point during the absence that had Bam Adebayo out for seven weeks with a thumb injury, secured double-digit rebounds in 14 consecutive games. That not only was the longest such streak by a Heat rookie but second longest by any player in the franchise’s 34 seasons, only to a 19-game such run by Hassan Whiteside in 2017.
On Dec. 26, Yurtseven, with his 16 points and 15 rebounds against the Orlando Magic, joined Kurt Thomas as the only Heat players ever to go for a 15-15 in their first start.
And others, too: While not quite as gaudy with their statistics as Yurtseven, what Max Strus, Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent have offered was unexpected consistency with their contributions and reliability.
All three undrafted; all three injecting themselves into the conversation for the playoff rotation, with Strus emerging as late-season starter to help compensate for an uneven season from Duncan Robinson.
Boy wonder: In many ways, this set up as a swing season for Tyler Herro, as he approached his upcoming window in the offseason for a rookie-scale extension.
From a thrilling rookie season to an uneven sophomore follow-up, Herro has found his way to a breakout season when cast as Heat sixth man.
Well before season’s end, Herro passed Dwyane Wade for most points by a Heat reserve in a single season and now stands as the Heat’s all-time leader in career bench points (allow that to marinate: two seasons shortened by the pandemic before this one for Herro, and no other player in the Heat’s 34 seasons has scored more total bench points).
Ultimate leadership: It has been years since a Heat point guard truly reveled in playmaking (Jason Williams) and even longer since one stood as undeniable floor general (Tim Hardaway). And then along came Kyle Lowry.
While the parting with Goran Dragic in the Lowry sign-and-trade transaction with the Toronto Raptors in August was difficult, Lowry arrived to define leadership. And he also has managed to do it in a deferential way, making sure that Herro, Adebayo and Jimmy Butler get their shots first before he indulges in his own offense.
The statistics have proved nominal, but the contribution is overwhelmingly significant on both ends of the floor.
The grinders: As with Lowry, statistics don’t tell the story of the contributions of P.J. Tucker and Dewayne Dedmon. But after the Heat were pushed around in last season’s playoffs by the Bucks, the uptick in Heat toughness has been tangible.
In Tucker, the Heat regained a facsimile of what the team had lost in the 2020 offseason with Jae Crowder.
The expected: As, all the while, Adebayo dominated defensively, and Butler routinely provided relief points with his midrange game and ability to get to the foul line.
Sometimes, team success can be as simple as players being their best versions. Adebayo and Butler have been just that, conceivably overlooked because of the unexpected that orbited around their leadership through the 82-game grind.
IN THE LANE
MIRROR IMAGES: The Heat’s Robinson said it certainly was unique defending Cody Martin, the identical twin brother of the Heat’s Caleb Martin, in Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. “You got to take a couple of glances just to process it every now and then,” Robinson said of the mirror images. “I actually told him during the game, I was like, ‘Man, I feel like I know you,’ and I don’t know him at all. But just knowing Caleb and having him be a part of this this year and moving forward, has been cool. I’m sure they’re very similar in a lot of ways, so in a sense I kind of do know Cody.” The Hornets stand as a potential first-round opponent of the Heat, depending on the results of the play-in round.
INSPIRING EFFORTS: Another potential Heat first-round opponent are the Cleveland Cavaliers. That could afford Kevin Love the opportunity to offer thanks for his increased motivation to draw charges. “I saw a stat on steals and blocks for the Miami Heat — I don’t know if they’re last in the league or towards the bottom — but they lead the league in charges taken,” he told the Akron Beacon Journal. He added, “I thought to myself, ‘Man, if I had really started putting an onus on taking charges at the very beginning of the season, I probably could have been leading the league.’ " Of course, there is an inherent risk. “It’s worked out for me, " Love said, “minus getting dunked on by LeBron.”
DULY IMPRESSED: The Heat’s 4-0 season sweep of the Chicago Bulls left the opposition duly impressed, amid the possibility of the teams meeting again in the playoffs. “The Heat — this season and what they did the last few years — they’re battle-tested in a lot of ways that some of our guys are not battle tested,” coach Billy Donovan said. Said Bulls guard Zach LaVine, “The challenge is playing against their consistency. They do a good job of playing the same way the whole four quarters. They’re really consistent with what they do offensively and defensively.”
BACK AT IT: In an emotional Instagram post, Meyers Leonard detailed debilitating nerve damage in his right leg that derailed an anticipated comeback attempt for a year. But this past week, the former Heat center revealed that the healing has begun. “Over the last few months, I’ve had 10+ MRI’s, countless calls and meetings with doctors to try to understand what was going on. The truth - nerve damage takes time and may never come back,” he posted. “That leads me to now. I’m thankful that NBA teams have been calling, but it’s tough when I have to say that I’m just not ready. I was told 3 months ago that I may never play basketball professionally again because of my health. That it could take 2-3 years for the nerve damage to repair. I just felt like I was never going to get better.” And then the good news. “I’m happy to say that miraculously my nerves are regenerating.” That was followed up in the post only as Leonard could, “While I’ve enjoyed pursuing my country music career . . . It’s time for me to make a comeback.”
NUMBER
5. Times since 1975-76 a player has recorded at least 20 games with 25 or more points off the bench in a single season. With the Heat’s Herro this past week joining Rickey Pierce (who did it with 24 such games in both 1989-90 and 1990-91, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics), Thurl Bailey (with 22 such games in 1987-88, with the Utah Jazz) and Eddie Johnson (with 20 such games in 1988-89, with the Phoenix Sun).
