Heat have tried everything, won nothing - what that actually means for opening night

"Erik Spoesltra has tried to mix and match all preseason long, and none of it has resulted in a preseason win. With the loss to Atlanta on Monday night, the Heat are now 0-5 in preseason play. It's the first time since 2007 that Miami has started a preseason 0-5, and just the second time since 2015 that Miami will have a losing record in the preseason."

"In one breath, it is just preseason, and none of this matters. In another breath, if Monday was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for next week, there are some major flashing red flags ahead for this team. Miami loses to Atlanta in overtime The fact that Miami blew an overtime lead isn't really cause for concern since none of the players who were on the floor for that would be on the floor during a real overtime game. What is concerning is that Monday night had to go to overtime in the first place."

"Miami dressed 3/5ths of their guaranteed starting lineup (Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell, and Andrew Wiggins) and continued to mix and match with some of their other options. This time around, Erik Spoesltra elected to start Kel'el Ware and Dru Smith. But despite playing an Atlanta B squad that sat out Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Kristaps Porzingis, among others, Miami trailed after the first quarter 35-24. The main problems that emerged are that Ware and Adebayo looked clunky when they were together on the floor, Smith isn't the answer for Miami's lack of a true playmaking guard (3 points and one assist in 17 minutes), and Miami shot 5-34 from three."

Erik Spoelstra experimented with different lineups throughout the preseason, and Miami failed to secure a win in five games. The Heat started 0-5 for the first time since 2007 and will record a losing preseason for only the second time since 2015. The loss to Atlanta required overtime despite several Hawks regulars sitting out. Miami fielded three of five projected starters while starting Kel'el Ware and Dru Smith at times. On-court issues included clunky center pairings, an absent playmaking guard, and a 5-for-34 performance from three, while injuries and an unfulfilled uptempo plan remain concerns.

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