The Miami Heat didn’t need long to answer the noise around their shooting.
In just one first half of preseason basketball against the Toronto Raptors, Miami went 11-for-23 from 3-point range, a strong early sign after all the talk that followed the move for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Andrew Wiggins was right in the middle of it, knocking down 4 of his 6 attempts from deep.
It’s still only preseason, and it’s still only one half, but the first look was hard to ignore. The Heat spent the summer hearing the same refrain: not enough shooting, not enough playmaking, not enough depth. For one half, at least, the group looked capable of pushing back on that narrative.
That was especially true with the additions of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson as perimeter weapons around Giannis and Bam. Hardaway Jr. gave Miami exactly the kind of early jolt it was hoping for, finishing the half with 11 points and a perfect 3-for-3 mark from beyond the arc.
Thompson’s first run in the Heat offense was quieter. He finished the half with zero points and went 0-for-2 from the field, still working through the early adjustment period.
There were rough edges, no question. Miami looked like a team learning each other in real time. But the early flashes were there, and Erik Spoelstra appeared to have enough pieces to start building something interesting.
The most encouraging part wasn’t just the shooting. Giannis and Bam also looked further along than many might have expected this early. That, combined with the perimeter production, gave Miami a first preseason half worth noticing.
The Heat still have a lot to sort out before anything really matters, but the first impression was clear: the concerns about the shooting might not be as severe as they were made out to be.
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