Can the Miami Heat actually compete for a championship this upcoming season? My answer is yes, but is contingent on a few factors. The Miami Heat traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, so that automatically makes this team a lot better than the year prior. Giannis and Bam Adebayo are going to lead this team, and if Miami is going to compete for a championship, those two will have to play at an elite level.
The Heat will be very competitive in a tough Eastern Conference, but if they want a shot at winning the whole thing, one player has to step up his game. That player is Andrew Wiggins. I don’t think Giannis and Bam can carry this team to a championship by themselves. They're going to need somebody else to consistently step up, especially when the playoffs arrive, and I believe that player has to be Wiggins.
Wiggins is the third-best player on this roster, and Miami's championship ceiling could depend on how well he plays this season.
Miami Needs More From Wiggins This Season
Wiggins was solid last season with the Heat, he averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three, which is solid production from a player who also takes on difficult defensive assignments.
Those numbers were fine, but the Heat are now contenders in the East and Wiggins needs to take a step forward to help this team succeed.
Ideally, I'd love to see him average somewhere between 17 and 20 points per game while maintaining efficiency. I don't think that's asking too much, especially when you consider how much easier Giannis should make things for everybody around him.
Giannis will be the center of attention and he will create spacing for Wiggins unlike he had last year. If defenses close out on Wiggins he is athletic enough to attack the close outs and put pressure on the rim.
There were times last season when I felt like Wiggins could have looked for his own offense a little more, and with this roster, I don't want him settling into a role where he's just standing in the corner waiting for a pass.
Wiggins can get to the basket, he's comfortable shooting from the midrange, and he's capable of creating his own offense when Miami needs a bucket. He doesn't have to dominate the ball, but he does need to recognize when it's his turn to be aggressive.
His Defense Might Be Even More Important
Miami has a chance to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and when you look at a potential lineup featuring Davion Mitchell, Wiggins, Bam, and Giannis, it's hard not to get excited about what Erik Spoelstra can do with that group.
Wiggins is one of the better 3-and-D wings in the league because he has the size and athleticism to defend multiple positions while still being a legitimate threat from beyond the arc.
When the Heat get into the playoffs and start facing teams with elite shooting guards and wings, Wiggins is going to draw some of the toughest assignments. You can't expect Giannis and Bam to handle everything defensively, especially with their offensive responsibilities
The one thing Miami absolutely needs is for him to stay healthy. Losing Wiggins during a playoff run would leave a significant hole on the perimeter, and there really isn't another player on this roster who offers quite the same combination of size, defense, and scoring ability.
We've Already Seen Wiggins Deliver on a Championship Team
One of the reasons I have confidence in Wiggins is because we've already seen what he can do when he's playing meaningful basketball in June.
People sometimes forget just how good he was during the Golden State Warriors' championship run in 2022, and I'd argue he was their second-most important player during that postseason behind Stephen Curry.
He was outstanding defensively, particularly against Jayson Tatum in the NBA Finals, and he gave Golden State reliable scoring while doing a lot of the dirty work that doesn't always show up in the box score.
The Playoffs Are Where Wiggins Could Make the Difference
I think Miami is going to win plenty of regular-season games because of its talent and depth, but I'm much more interested in what this team looks like when the playoffs start.
Teams start taking away your favorite offensive actions, defenses become more physical, and the stars don't always get the same easy opportunities they were getting during the regular season.
There are going to be games when opponents load up on Giannis and force somebody else to beat them. Bam will have his opportunities, but Miami is also going to need perimeter scoring, and that's where Wiggins can make his presence felt.
I also think Wiggins needs to be more assertive on the glass. One of the things that made him so valuable during Golden State's championship run was his rebounding, particularly when the Warriors needed to finish defensive possessions against bigger teams.
Wiggins Could Determine Miami's Championship Ceiling
I've said it before, but I really like this Heat team. I think Giannis and Bam have a chance to become one of the best duos in basketball, and with Spoelstra coaching this group, Miami has the potential to be a legitimate championship contender.
Still, I keep coming back to Wiggins because I think he's the player who can take this team from being really good to being great.
If Miami gets the same Wiggins we saw last season, that's still a valuable player who can help them win a lot of games. But if he takes another step offensively, stays healthy, and maintains his defensive impact, the Heat become a much more difficult team to
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