The Miami Heat are a team that fans can look forward to playing in every season, but there’s a lot to like in their roster this season.
First of all, the Heat have been able to add some key pieces to the roster this off-season, and it’s a sign of how much the Heat value this year’s young core of Hassan Whiteside, James Ennis and Justise Winslow.
They’ve also added a new coach, Wade, and have a veteran leader on their roster in Erik Spoelstra, who is looking to put his stamp on the team.
Winslow has been the star of the Heat this season, scoring 28.9 points per game this season on 50% shooting, but is averaging only 9.7 points per contest on 47% shooting from the field.
The Miami Heat have had a great season so far, but how much of it can they be proud of this off season?
The Heat have shown flashes of promise and some of their young players have been good, but it’s clear that Miami needs to continue to improve on this season and look forward in the future.
Here’s how the Miami Heat can be proud this off year: 1.
With the acquisition of Hassan White, the Miami Hurricanes have added a lot of young talent to their roster.
In his first season with the Hurricanes, White led Miami to a 13-2 record, including a pair of Elite Eight appearances and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
He was also the starting point guard for Miami in the FIBA World Cup, earning a gold medal.
White’s impact on the Miami program was immediate, and he led the team in scoring and assists in each of his first two seasons.
After a slow start in his first year, White started to show some flashes of his potential this past season, averaging 20.3 points per outing and 11.4 rebounds per contest.
While he’s still only 26 years old, he’s already shown flashes that are worth watching this off offseason.
2.
For the second consecutive season, the Chicago Bulls are headed for the playoffs.
Last year, the Bulls won the Eastern Conference championship with a record of 32-18.
This season, they’ve won just two of their last nine games, losing six of their final nine contests to fall just short of the playoffs for the first time in their history.
Chicago is entering their first full off-year with coach Tom Thibodeau and a young core.
Their offense is trending up and they’ve been able in the last two years to win their own conference, but they need to do better in order to have a chance in the postseason.
3.
There’s no doubt that the Miami Marlins are in great shape heading into the off-seasons.
Before the NBA lockout ended last season, Miami was expected to make some roster moves, but the team came out strong in free agency, signing Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Correa and Christian Yelich.
It was expected that they’d look to rebuild their team and add some young talent in the process, but this off and on-season showed that Miami’s focus has been on the future, and they’re going to continue that philosophy this off off-summer.
4.
Miami Heat fans should feel pretty good about their chances this off, because the Miami-Dade County skyline is expected to get even brighter this year.
Since the NBA announced the end of the season, a number of new construction projects are planned in Miami.
One of the new projects is a $1 billion Miami Gardens hotel that will be built on land once owned by the city of Miami.
The hotel will feature a five-star hotel and restaurants, a convention center, a restaurant and a casino, and will be the tallest building in Miami, and the biggest in Florida.
The new hotel is expected for completion in 2020.
5.
Another new construction project is expected next year.
It’s expected to be the largest new construction in the United States this year, and that’s thanks to a $50 million deal with American Airlines.
According to the Miami Herald, American Airlines will pay for the construction of a new international terminal and an adjacent hotel on Miami’s waterfront, which will be located at the site of the former Miami International Airport.
6.
Finally, the New Orleans Pelicans have a new arena in the works for next season.
The Pelicans announced the project is a “new NBA arena with a state-of-the-art basketball experience for New Orleans fans.”
The arena will be designed by the architect of the New York Knicks arena, Frank Gehry, and has been built in partnership with the New Mexico Tourism Infrastructure Authority.
7.
Just like Miami, the Orlando Magic have had an off-and