An Offseason of Questions for the Miami Heat

As the Miami Heat’s season comes to a close, the main word that comes to mind to describe this team’s season is inconsistent.

They were hot, they were cold. They had great wins, they had bad losses. Excitement was high when Dwyane Wade was brought back to South Florida, and then they squeaked into the playoffs thanks to a poor bottom half of the Eastern Conference.

With the return of Joel Embiid to a young and talented Sixers team that includes Ben Simmons, the Heat were up to a tall task to push through to the second round of the playoffs. Those who “trusted the process” have been rewarded thus far. The Heat certainly had their chances. but let too many leads slip away and have to watch the rest of the playoffs from home.

And there are more questions than answers as the Heat head into the offseason.

Will Dwyane Wade be back?

South Florida rejoiced as the Heat brought back Dwyane Wade right before the trade deadline. Wade will no doubt go down as one of the greatest Heat players in the team’s history, and despite a stint with his hometown Chicago Bulls, Wade considers the Heat and Miami his home.

In the playoff series with Sixers alone the Heat were plus five with Wade on the court and minus 39 without him…he’s still a playmaker. He rejuvenated the team in the middle of the season when it was really unclear as to how the second half would turn out. And while this season Wade showed flashes of brilliance fans remember from years past and those championship runs, he is 36 years old. Basketball is a taxing game that requires a lot of strength and stamina, especially if you play for Erik Spoelstra, who is known for his strict conditioning program.

After the team’s elimination, Wade said he’s not ready to make a decision about retirement. While that is probably true, the Heat need to come to terms and prepare for a future without him.

What to do with Hassan Whiteside?

Heat fans were concerned for the beginning of the season when Hassan Whiteside was out with an injury and missed 28 games, but ever since he returned, he was never quite the big man everyone was expecting. As a result, his minutes were limited and he seemed to…well, whine quite a bit about his lack of playing time. He didn’t really seem like a team player.

Fellow big man Kelly Olynyk was proving more effective and in turn earning those minutes and the opportunity to play in crucial, late-game moments. The Heat had another big man in rookie Bam Adebayo, who played well and showed lots of potential, leading Erik Spoelstra to play these two more than Whiteside, a decision that didn’t seem to sit well with him.

The Heat owe Whiteside over $25 million next year, but wouldn’t get much in return via a trade thanks to his lackluster performance this season. So it will be interesting to see what the team decides to do about him.

Can Pat Riley bring in a playmaker?

Before the return of Dwyane Wade, the Heat were looking like they wouldn’t have an all-star this season, since there wasn’t one guy on the roster who was a star. In fact, none of them were really even household names. Thanks to injuries, Goran Dragic represented the team at the All-Star Game, but really as a last resort. The Heat are known to have big names and superstars. Remember that Big 3 that brought titles to Wade County? Besides LeBron James and Chris Bosh, players like Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning donned the red and white.

But it’s been awhile since the Heat had their big star. One has to think Pat Riley will try and work his magic and bring in a big name guy for next season. It will be a struggle thanks to the salary cap and the massive salaries the Heat are on the hook for, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they do it.

One name that has been bounced around is Kawhi Leonard. He sat out most of this season with injury for the Spurs, who saw their season end at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. He’s expected to meet with the Spurs over the summer to try and repair the relationship, but a trade may be on the horizon. He is a superstar, and his defensive prowess could be very appealing to Pat Riley.