​HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 21: Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat in action during the game between the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) GettyMiami Heat center Bam Adebayo celebrates in a game. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Miami Heat center Giannis Antetokounmpo plays defense in a game. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images)The Miami Heat are hoping that a new roster will yield some better results than the last few years. In each of the last three seasons, the Heat have been relegated to the play-in. They have been stuck in the middle, so they made a big change.Miami decided to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the trade, Antetokounmpo cost them a lot of their depth, which could hurt them down the stretch. In fact, that is one of the main reasons why the Heat are predicted to be a play-in team again this season.GettyMiami Heat center Bam Adebayo celebrates in a game. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Heat Predicted to be a Play-In Team Again This YearDavid Aldridge of The Athletic predicts that Miami will be a play-in team again this year. His case is centered around the fact that Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo will have to carry too high a load on offense.“But … how do the Freak and Bam both get going offensively every night? Each could have huge games because of the other’s presence, but where does Erik Spoelstra find the spacing to make them both dangerous in the half-court? Miami’s rarely been a pace-and-space team since the Heatles days, and they’ll have to find ways to get Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. open looks. The Play-In is likely; top six will be a harder lift,” Aldridge writes.Adebayo did score 83 points in a game last season, so his ceiling offensively is high. However, having both Antetokounmpo and Adebayo be on every night will be tough. Antetokounmpo has injury concerns as well. Last year, he played just 36 games.Adebayo has some history of being a competent 3-point shooter. He shot 35.7 percent from deep in back-to-back seasons before regressing a bit last season. A jump in his efficiency from deep will be necessary for the Heat to make it into the top six with Antetokounmpo on the roster.GettyMiami Heat center Giannis Antetokounmpo plays defense in a game. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images)
Miami Has a Tough Road to Make the Playoffs Perhaps the biggest obstacle to making the top six is the rest of the East. The entire conference got much better in the offseason. Indiana, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, and Toronto all got better. The Knicks are the defending champs and didn’t lose much, either.Detroit stayed the same and were the number-one seed last season. Boston got a little worse, but they should s