Dwyane Wade on Heat's ceiling: 'We aren't there yet'
The Heat have had a cushy schedule to start the season. Still, at just 12-8 and with a big game against the Pacers coming up Friday night, Miami would like to be in a better position than it currently finds itself.
The Heat have loads of talent on the roster, but they haven't quite been able to put it all together, especially on the offensive end. The Heat are coming off a performance in Charlotte during which they scored just 81 points, and during which things looked really murky. There just wasn't any fluidity inside the offensive attack.
Even though the Heat D has been dominant, Miami ranks just 18th in points per possession. Dwyane Wade is starting to get a little frustrated. From ESPN's Michael Wallace:
The Heat are still figuring things out 20 games into the season. Chris Bosh agrees, too. More from Wallace:
Figuring out who you are a quarter of the way into the season seems like a bad sign. In most years, it probably is...But this hasn't been a normal season for most teams across the board. Miami is far from the only team in the East trying to decipher its own identity.
The Cavaliers have dealt with injuries and are playing players like Matthew Dellavedova major minutes. The Pacers are still working on their newly implemented offense. The Bulls can't score to save their lives. The Raptors are inconsistent. The Pistons and Magic are young teams trying to create identities on the fly. The Hawks and Bucks have fallen off from a season ago.
Everyone—seriously, everyone—is still learning about themselves. So, it's far from the time to panic in Miami. Everything will likely be alright down the line.
"We need more time," star guard Dwyane Wade insisted. "We aren't there yet."
Yet, there is more potential danger ahead.
After opening the season with 14 of their first 19 games at home, the Heat have started a stretch in which they will play 21 of their next 32 on the road. To this point, no team has had more rest and fewer road games than Miami, but it hasn't completely capitalized on the opportunity for momentum.
Sitting at 12-8 a quarter of the way through the season and possessing the league's second-best defense would normally indicate the Heat are trending in a productive direction -- especially considering they already have endured a key trade, a six-game absence of their most productive reserve and the loss of their best perimeter defender for two weeks due to injury.
"I think by now we should know our game. We should know what we want to get to, especially on the road. We talk about things, but we don't do it. We've had enough conversations."
