The Miami Heat finished last season 53-29, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since the 2012-13 season. They went to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing in seven games to the Boston Celtics. To say expectations were high coming into this 2022-23 season would be an understatement. However, the Heat have not met those expectations, starting 2-5 with losses to Sacramento, Toronto, Golden State, Chicago, and Boston.

So what’s going wrong? Well, the Heat are at the bottom of the league in multiple key stats. For starters, the Heat have struggled to score, as they are 26th in the league in points per game (PPG). They average 108 PPG, 10 points lower than the top-scoring team. Kyle Lowry has contributed to that immensely, as he is shooting 35 percent from the field and 34 percent from three. Miami is shooting just 45 percent from the field as a team, the sixth-worst mark in the NBA. The Heat need to start shooting better, which starts with getting better overall shots.

The other, bigger problem with the Heat is their lack of effort on the defensive end. Opponents are shooting 38 percent from three against Miami, the fifth-highest mark in the league. The Heat are closing out on the perimeter poorly, hurting them tremendously. Miami needs to put a greater emphasis on getting out to shooters and effectively closing out.

The only positive defensively is that the Heat force 17.6 turnovers per game, which is fourth-best in the league. Do I think the Heat will continue to struggle offensively and defensively? No. It is very early, and guys are playing different roles. Once Miami starts to play better defense, the offense will come. Ask me again if I am worried about the Miami Heat when we are halfway through the season.

The Heat will be fine.