Through a week of the preseason, it has been pace without payoff for the Heat, creating question of whether it ultimately might be a pursuit without purpose.
The Heat exited the third of their six exhibitions on Wednesday night against the Spurs ranked No. 7 in the NBA in pace this preseason, heights the Heat haven’t reached during the regular season for decades.
So doing things speedier, swifter.
But better?
Not so quick, even as the ball has been buzzing for Erik Spoelstra’s team.
The Heat also exited that game against the Spurs, their most recent action, No. 24 in the league this preseason in shots per game and No. 25 in offensive rating.
Granted, this hardly has been the complete Heat, with players such as Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jakucionis and Simone Fontecchio all missing time, with many of the rotation regulars playing limited minutes.
But even what has been on display at the midpoint of this Heat exhibition schedule creates pause as to whether pace will lead to something better in the playoff race (or, in the Heat case, play-in race?).
A case could be made for Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell all being better suited to deliberate, measured halfcourt offense.
As in three of the most significant, highest-paid players on the roster.
In fact, a case could be made for dual approaches, measured with the starters, manic with the reserves, with a second unit that could feature the likes of Kel’el Ware, Jakucionis, Mitchell and even perhaps Keshad Johnson and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
To his credit, Spoelstra attempted to tone down the talk of the pace race, with a measured approach of his own ahead of the Oct. 22 season opener in Orlando.
“I know it’s a hot topic right now with this team,” Spoelstra said after practice this week. “We’re trying to create something that makes the most sense for this roster. Where that eventually lands? We’ll find out.
“It also has to be efficient. But I’ve said it before: We have youth, we have speed, we have quickness. We want to try to maximize that.”
And want to make it work on the scoreboard, which already has proven challenging.
“It’s not all about the ‘pace’ metric by itself,” Spoelstra said. “It’s about how fast you do things. That could be in the halfcourt, as well. And sometimes that’s how fast you can get to a screen, how fast you can get to the rim, how fast you can cut to create an advantage for somebody else. That all falls into our category of pace.”
So no, not off to the races.
“I’m not necessarily looking of that goal of like transition or fastbreaks,” Spoelstra said. “We’re trying to maximize the speed and quickness of the roster. So that’s in a lot of different ways. That is one bucket and that is one way. But I have not set a goal for our team of how many fastbreak points.
“I do like some of the things I’m seeing. But we have to clean up the efficiency and the decision making with the pace.”
All against a ticking clock.
“We changed the way we play, so there’s going to be some mistakes,” said Mitchell, who has yet to see action this preseason. “We’re kind of learning from these preseason games, just trying to play fast, knowing how to also play fast but play smart, try to get the right shots, try to move the ball. But also just try to play together.
“It’s going to take some time, but we’re learning from it. We got better a lot through training camp and these preseason games.”
So, to recap: A faster pace so far, but at low efficiency, with not enough shots (particularly 3-point attempts, where the Heat shockingly rank No. 32 in the preseason, when accounting for three international teams playing NBA exhibitions).
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“We’ll find out what makes the most sense for this team,” Spoelstra said. “We’re getting some good attacks in the paint. Those numbers have been going up, drive numbers have been going up. The aggressive metrics have been going up, and teams will adjust to that. It will probably open up the three-ball more.
“I think we’ll get there. We’ll find a better balance.”
The reality is that any offense, whether at speed or something more measured, works best with a pure point guard, a pure playmaker.
At the moment, this roster lacks that again, as it has for most of the past decade outside of the best of times with Kyle Lowry.
So Spoelstra will push and prod, perhaps accepting a degree of the randomness required to play at pace. But what already is clear is that it will have to be about more than just pace — or else it will be more of the same.
IN THE LANE
CURIOUS, INDEED: As Spotrac noted in its latest posting of salaries, Nikola Jovic‘s extension with the Heat features a pair of curious dips, with Jovic now set to earn $16.2 million in 2026-27, $14.9 million in 2027-28, $15.1 million in 2028-29 and $16.2 million in 2029-30. As in: 2027 being the year a potential Tyler Herro extension would kick in, and 2028-29 when Kel’el Ware potentially would be extended off the rookie scale. The reality is that amid the team’s uncertain future, the Heat both locked in a player who, at the least, can be an economical rotation component going forward, while also creating flexibility for players who could turn into (or not turn into) leading men of the future. As a matter of perspective with Jovic’s numbers, consider that the mid-level exception is expected over coming seasons to run at an estimated $15.1 million in 2026-27, $16 million in 2027-28, $17.1 million in 2028-29 and $18.2 million 2029-30.
INTERESTED OBSERVER: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had an interest in Victor Oladipo‘s cameo with a Chinese team during the preseason beyond Oladipo’s attempted comeback from the knee injury sustained with the Heat in the 2023 playoffs. Oladipo scored 20 points for the Guangzhou Loong-Lions against the Spurs in the exhibition before San Antonio played the Heat. “It’s been really inspiring,” Spoelstra said of Oladipo’s comeback bid. “I know the guys who have been working him out this summer, they actually worked out my nephew. So I spent a lot of time with his workout guys, and they were giving me updates all summer long. They’ve really been making a lot of progress.” Oladipo, 33, remains in search of an NBA return. “Not only is he healthy, it looks like he’s having fun,” Spoelstra said. “It looks like he has a joy for being healthy again. It looks like he’s moving very well. It’s really a beautiful thing to see.” Oladipo followed up his performance against the Spurs with 24 points and five assists Thursday night in an exhibition against the Clippers.
POP CULTURE: Wednesday night’s exhibition marked the first time Spoelstra faced a Spurs team with Gregg Popovich formally retired as San Antonio coach, in the wake of last year’s stroke. “Last year, you expected him to come back,” Spoelstra said. “He did it in a way that earned the respect of everybody, even when you competed against him. It was such an amazing experience to be able to face them two years in a row in the Finals. And I think it was fitting that each organization was able to come away with a championship. I know he’s still involved with the organization (as president of Spurs basketball operations), which is great, great to see.”
GOING GONE: Among the more interesting offseason moves to consider is the Los Angeles Clippers’ belief that Bradley Beal can pick up some of the slack from the trade of Norman Powell to the Heat. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged there will be tradeoffs. “I think he’s a three-level scorer, midrange, can finish at the basket, three-point shooter,” Lue told The Underground Lounge podcast of former NBA player Lou Williams. “He’s a secondary ball handler but also makes plays, can pass, make (Ivica Zubac) and our bigs better. I think he’ll fit right in. We’re going to miss Norm a lot, getting downhill, getting to the line. He was one of my favorite guys. Norm reminded me a lot of you, could score in a lot of ways. But Brad’s going to be pretty good for us.” The Heat play at the Clippers on Nov. 3.
NUMBER
1. Heat players drafted out of the University of Illinois. Despite six former Illinois players having been on Heat rosters over the franchise’s 38 seasons, only Kasparas Jakucionis, No. 20 last June, was drafted by the Heat out of Illinois. The others who have played at one time for Illinois and then the Heat were Scott Haffner. Kendall Gill, Luther Head, Meyers Leonard and Kendrick Nunn.
