National Basketball Association

What each Miami Heat starter has to prove

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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This season the Miami Heat will feature three new regular starters. Here we take a look at what each starter has to prove.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

To say that it will be a new-look Miami Heat outfit this season would be an understatement. The Heat have not only lost starters, they have lost some all-time players. All-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh alone have combined for 23 all-star appearances on top of their two NBA championships. They depart along with forwards Luol Deng and Joe Johnson. Whilst Johnson played just a part of last season and is past his prime, he departs with seven all-star appearances under his belt. The loss of these players represents an unprecedented amount of experience walking out the door simultaneously.

The upshot is that Miami will feature three new starters for the 2016-17 season.

Next: What each starter has to prove

Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Hassan Whiteside

With Bosh departing, Whiteside is now the standout big man on the Heat’s roster. Coming off a breakout season and a subsequent $98 million contract, much of the teams success is going to rest on his shoulders. And despite his impressive showings since arriving in South Beach, Whiteside has played just 140 career games.

Therefore, Whiteside now has to prove to both the Heat and the rest of the league that he is worth the huge investment made in him this past summer. The Heat made him their priority, completing his signing before they had even started negotiations for Wade. It is imperative that Whiteside backs up their faith.

Granted it’s just a pre-season game, but Whiteside looked in mid-season form in the Heat’s first game against the Washington Wizards. He posted 20 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in just 23 minutes on the floor. This included 16 points on 7-of-8 from the field in the first quarter. If this is any indication for this seasons offerings,

Attitude and discipline were the main reasons Whiteside bounced around the league and the world before settling in Miami. Therefore, having just signed a maximum contract, many people would be worried that Whiteside would revert to his old habits. But this game alone indicates a sense of purpose, and a real sense of trying to prove his standing.

If Whiteside can continue to improve at a similar rate as the last couple of seasons, his contract value won’t be a talking point. The discussion will instead center around his all-star selection and his ranking amongst the leagues dominant big-men.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Richardson

As the 40th pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Josh Richardson has certainly made great strides in a short period of time. He has gone from being sent to the D-league early in his rookie season to now being the favourite to replace Wade as the Heat’s shooting guard. His transformation during the second half of last season was quite remarkable.

Over the last 29 games of the regular season, Richardson averaged 10.3 points per game in 29 minutes per game. He shot an astounding 52.7 percent from three-point range whilst having a very low usage rate of 13.8 per game. This small sample size certainly gave a glimpse into what Richardson could produce in the future. And as outstanding as this stretch was, Richardson’s calling card when entering the league was his defence.

The timing of Richardson’s emergence has come at great time for the Heat. With Wade departing, Richardson represents a terrific selection as his replacement. His combination of high level defence, outstanding athleticism and an ever improving offensive game will perfectly compliment the direction in which the Heat are heading. Miami are clearly looking to push the ball and run, fitting Richardson’s game to a tee. He is shown he can excel off the ball, which will be a great compliment with the ball in Dragic’s hands.

Richardson’s recent knee injury was an untimely hiccup which may see him missing a short part of the regular season. However, Richardson is going to be very determined with much to prove on a number of fronts. Firstly, he will be unwavering in proving that his emergence late last season was no fluke. Richardson played just 52 games last season, so he still has much to prove over a longer stretch of time.

Furthermore, the Heat have brought in a number of players (Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington, matched Tyler Johnson) who could also play as the starting shooting guard. This will challenge Richardson to prove not only to himself, but the Heat’s coaching staff, that he is the best man for the role.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Goran Dragic

With the Wade and Big 3-era over, this is now Dragic’s team. This is the opportunity he was looking for when he sought and was granted a trade from Phoenix to Miami. His last season and a half, however, have been spent playing second-fiddle in the backcourt to Wade. The last time he was in charge of a team, he was named in the all-NBA third team and won the NBA’s most improved player award.

Therefore, his most recent track record when in a similar position is outstanding. That season he led a lowly-rated Suns team to 48 wins and the brink of the playoffs. When comparing that team to current Heat outfit, it could be easily argued the Heat have a more talented and versatile team.

So having been rewarded in the summer of 2015 with an $85 million contract, Dragic will be highly motivated to not only live up to the Heat’s investment, but to also repeat his career-season with the Suns. Without an all-star currently on the Heat roster, Dragic will certainly be keen to prove that he is capable of reaching that level of play.

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Justise Winslow

Going from good to great will certainly be the mantra this season for Justise Winslow. In his debut season, Winslow demonstrated he has the ability to be rated as one of the top defensive wing players in the game. It’s the other end of the floor in which Winslow will be striving to reach the next level. Averaging just 6.4 points per game as a rookie including 27.6 percent from downtown indicates he certainly has some work to do.

Now entrenched as the Heat’s starting small forward for years to come, Winslow showed promising signs in the team’s first pre-season game. In 23 minutes of play, Winslow contributed 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range. The off-season work with a shooting coach has reportedly seen major improvements in his stroke. Pat Riley certainly has his back, as he stated here months ago. Riley noted, “He’s capable of starting in this league…I feel very comfortable with it.”

Now Winslow has to prove to the Heat that their faith in him is warranted. By letting Wade, Deng and Johnson depart this off-season, they clearly feel Winslow is up to the challenge. We will soon see to what level he has progressed.

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The 4 Spot

This is the one spot that definitely is not set in stone. And it could most certainly take longer than the pre-season to determine its status. As many as four Heat forwards could take the mantle. Luke Babbitt, Josh McRoberts, Derrick Williams and James Johnson are all in the running. Each brings a different skill-set to the table, and the manner in which they mesh and contribute with the remaining starters will likely determine who takes the spot.

Babbitt impressed in his debut start, scoring 14 points including 4-of-5 from three-point range. With perimeter shooting an achilles heel last season, the Heat could certainly use his ability. His defence and rebounding, however are a different matter, and is a big reason why he yet to establish himself after six season in the league.

McRoberts has several advantages to nail the position. He has two years in the Heat system under his belt, is a solid defender and rebounder and is also very smart at the moving the ball and helping his teammates score. His ability to stay on the floor, however, has been his biggest hindrance. He has played just 59 games in his two seasons in Miami, therefore deflating the confidence of the coaching staff in terms of his reliability and durability.

Williams and Johnson are another two newcomers, who have each struggled to find a niche for themselves since being drafted. With Williams being just 25 years of age and a former No.2 overall pick, he would seem a logical talent to invest in and hence determine whether he could play alongside Whiteside and Winslow in the future. Luol Deng excelled through the back-half of last season as a ‘small-ball- four. If Williams can improve the quality of his spot up shooting, he certainly has the capabilities to replicate Deng’s contributions.

Johnson on the other hand certainly has the size and toughness to play the four. However, he has a very inconsistent outside game and may not mesh particularly well alongside Whiteside as a result. All four players clearly have plenty to prove, and it will certainly be interesting which players excel the most this coming season in Miami.