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Rookie Class:

The Miami Heat will bring in many rookies to the 2019–20 season, seven of them to be exact. I’ll list them all here, but there are only a couple that I really want to discuss. The rookies are Kendrick Nunn, KZ Ozpala, Tyler Herro, Chris Silva, Jeremiah Martin, Kyle Alexander, and Mychal Mulder. Out of all 7 of these players, only 2 were drafted at all and really one selected directly by the Miami Heat. KZ Okpala was a part of a 3-team trade with Indiana and Phoenix that sent TJ Warren to the Pacers. He was taken with the 32nd overall pick. He put up decent numbers at Stanford and will look to further expand upon that in Miami. Kendrick Nunn probably isn’t worth too much of a mention, but since he played at the University of Illinois I just had to mention him. Last season he was signed by the Golden State Warriors before quickly being released. That is a pretty good indication of how much of a role he might hope to have in Miami. He’s extremely talented, but he has always dealt with other issues. The rookie of note here is Tyler Herro. During Summer League he really showed out, proving that he fully deserved to be a lottery pick. He is built to come in and make a large impact right away. The rookie out of Kentucky can put the ball in the bucket. Even after his impressive performance he somehow did not make the All Summer League Teams. He already has a high skill set, and the only thing I like more than a skilled player is one that has a chip on his shoulder. Tyler Herro will immediately help this team become better.

Most Exciting Player:

Jimmy Butler is no doubt the most exciting player on this team. He brings so many different elements to the table. He is one of the best two-way players in the league, he pushes his teammates to the edge, and he clearly isn’t afraid to make a public showing of it all. Coming to this Miami team he will look to immediately push them into the playoffs and even hope to upset one of the top seeds. Jimmy’s personality is going to fit perfectly in Miami, and it will only embolden him to become an even better player. After spending time in Chicago, Minnesota, and Philly, he finally got to make his own decision about what team to play for. It’s been years since we have all gotten to see a truly, fully motivated version of him. This season I expect to see “Jimmy G Buckets”, the G stands for gets.

Westgate Over/Under: 44.5

Last season Miami went 39–43 and just missed out on the playoffs. They made a strong push towards the end of the season but unfortunately, they fell a little bit short. This season the roster is built even better and I fully expect them to improve. This team lead by Jimmy Butler will be feisty like many of the Miami Heat teams of old. In combination with the Eric Spoelstra and Pat Riley’s Miami Mafia mentality and the Jimmy Butler grind it out attitude they will be competitive in almost every single game of the season. This will not be a team you want to run across on the second night of a back-to-back or late on a long road trip. Miami will push towards and through the 44.5 win mark. Keep an eye out for this team.

Happiness is a Function of Expectations:

Miami is not a franchise that likes to be in limbo for long. Given the chance, I believe Pat Riley will make whatever moves necessary to push this squad into contention sooner than expected. Until a move is made, however, expectations should remain slightly tempered. It is completely reasonable to expect this young and talented group to make the playoffs, and I believe that they will. With a projected lineup of Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, Justise Winslow, James Johnson, and Bam Adebayo they can do some damage in the Eastern Conference. Miami should look to make the playoffs and possibly even do some damage in the first round. Even if they cannot upset one of the top 4 seeds, this will be a matchup those teams will be looking to avoid. Whether it ends up as a 4 game sweep or a 7 game dragged out series, each win will have to be earned.