At the 25-game checkpoint of the Miami Heat’s 2025-26 season, there’s been a little bit of everything - flashes of promise, stretches of inconsistency, and a few moments that flat-out missed the mark. Sitting at 14-11, the Heat currently hold the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.
They’re just half a game ahead of the Hawks and half a game behind a crowded middle tier that includes the Sixers, Magic, Raptors, and Cavs. In other words, the East is tight, and every possession matters.
We’ve already looked at individual player performances, but basketball is a five-man game, and the Heat’s success - or lack thereof - often comes down to how well certain lineups click. So let’s dive into what the numbers are telling us about Miami’s best lineup combinations so far this season.
Which Heat Lineups Are Getting It Done?
We’re still dealing with relatively small sample sizes - only four lineups have logged more than 50 minutes together, seven have crossed the 40-minute mark, 12 have played 30-plus, and 15 have spent at least 20 minutes on the floor. But even in limited action, some trends are starting to form.
Let’s break it down by offensive firepower, defensive grit, and overall net impact.
Top Offensive Lineups
Here’s where the Heat have found their groove on the scoring end:
- Davion Mitchell - Norman Powell - Pelle Larsson - Andrew Wiggins - Bam Adebayo: 141.3 Offensive Rating This group has been an offensive juggernaut in limited minutes.
Mitchell’s pace and playmaking, Powell’s scoring punch, and Wiggins’ slashing all complement Adebayo’s versatility. Larsson adds just enough floor spacing and connective passing to keep things flowing.
- Dru Smith - Simone Fontecchio - Jaime Jaquez Jr. - Nikola Jovic - Adebayo: 136.3 ORTG This is a more unorthodox unit, but the ball movement and spacing are excellent. Jovic and Fontecchio stretch the floor, Jaquez brings the hustle, and Smith has quietly been a steady hand at the point.
- Mitchell - Larsson - Jaquez - Wiggins - Adebayo: 130.9 ORTG A more balanced lineup that plays fast, defends well, and gets buckets. Mitchell and Jaquez push the tempo, while Wiggins and Adebayo feast in the midrange and paint.
- Mitchell - Tyler Herro - Powell - Wiggins - Adebayo: 122.0 ORTG This one’s got some real scoring juice.
Herro and Powell can both create off the dribble, while Wiggins and Adebayo handle the interior. It’s not the most defensively stout group, but it can light it up.
- Mitchell - Larsson - Powell - Wiggins - Kel’el Ware: 118.5 ORTG A younger, more experimental lineup that still finds ways to put points on the board. Ware’s size opens up different looks offensively.
Best Defensive Lineups
Now let’s flip it. Who’s locking down?
- Smith - Fontecchio - Jaquez - Jovic - Adebayo: 79.2 Defensive Rating That’s elite territory. This group’s size and communication have been on point, with Adebayo anchoring things as usual.
- Smith - Fontecchio - Jaquez - Wiggins - Ware: 88.6 DRTG Another strong defensive unit with plenty of switchability and rim protection. Wiggins and Jaquez are both capable of guarding up or down.
- Mitchell - Powell - Larsson - Jaquez - Ware: 88.9 DRTG Mitchell and Jaquez are relentless on the perimeter, and Ware’s length helps clean up mistakes on the back end.
- Mitchell - Larsson - Jaquez - Wiggins - Adebayo: 100.0 DRTG This group is balanced - not elite defensively, but solid, with enough offensive upside to make it dangerous.
- Mitchell - Powell - Larsson - Wiggins - Adebayo: 103.8 DRTG A bit more vulnerable defensively, but still good enough to win games when the offense is humming.
Top Net Rating Lineups
If you’re looking for total impact - the difference between offensive and defensive efficiency - these are the lineups that have delivered:
- Smith - Fontecchio - Jaquez - Jovic - Adebayo: +57.0 Net Rating (33 MIN) Small sample, but the results are eye-popping.
This unit is absolutely dominating on both ends. The question is whether this can hold up with more minutes.
- Mitchell - Powell - Larsson - Wiggins - Adebayo: +37.5 NET (51 MIN) This group has played the fourth-most minutes of any Heat lineup and ranks 2nd in the NBA (among lineups with 50+ minutes) in offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, and true shooting.
Defensively, they’re 13th. That’s a legit two-way unit.
- Mitchell - Larsson - Jaquez - Wiggins - Adebayo: +30.9 NET Balanced, athletic, and tough - this lineup might not dominate one end, but it wins the margin consistently.
- Mitchell - Herro - Powell - Wiggins - Adebayo: +12.5 NET Heavy on scoring, light on defense, but still a net positive. This is the kind of group you can run late in games when you need buckets.
- Mitchell - Powell - Larsson - Jaquez - Ware: +12.4 NET A younger lineup that’s still figuring things out, but shows promise on both ends.
What Does It All Mean?
The standout lineup - Smith, Fontecchio, Jaquez, Jovic, and Adebayo - has been the most efficient, but it’s only logged 33 minutes. That’s a tiny sample, and while the chemistry is there, it’s tough to project that level of dominance over a larger stretch.
The more telling lineup might be Mitchell, Powell, Larsson, Wiggins, and Adebayo. With 51 minutes under their belt, they’ve been elite offensively and solid enough defensively to be one of the most effective five-man groups in the league.
The only real concern is rebounding - they’ve struggled on the glass, which can drag down defensive efficiency. But when you’ve got four plus-defenders and one of the league’s most versatile bigs in Adebayo, you can live with some of that.
Norman Powell, in particular, has been a fascinating piece. He’s not perfect - his off-ball defense can be shaky - but his ability to hit tough shots and create offense makes him a key part of Miami’s most explosive lineups.
The Core Five?
Here’s the big takeaway: Davion Mitchell and Bam Adebayo are the common thread in four of the Heat’s five best lineups. That tracks with what we’ve seen - Mitchell’s defensive intensity and improving offensive control have made him a glue guy, while Adebayo continues to be the foundation on both ends.
Larsson, Powell, and Wiggins each appear in three of the top five lineups. That trio brings a blend of spacing, shot creation, and defensive versatility that fits well alongside Adebayo and Mitchell.
As the season unfolds and rotations tighten, expect Erik Spoelstra to lean more heavily on these combinations - especially in close games. The numbers will normalize a bit, as they always do, but the early signs are clear: the Heat have found some lineups that work. Now it’s about getting them more minutes and seeing if the chemistry holds under pressure.