Welcome to the Morning Shootaround, where every weekday you’ll get a fresh, topical column from one of SI.com’s NBA writers: Howard Beck on Mondays, Chris Mannix on Tuesdays, Michael Pina on Wednesdays, Chris Herring on Thursdays and Rohan Nadkarni on Fridays.
It’s been a rough season for the Miami Heat. They’re under .500, spinning their wheels in the Eastern Conference’s middle class one year after they were an eyelash away from winning the championship. Before they beat the Knicks on Monday night, the Heat found themselves skidding through a six-game losing streak, a drought they haven’t felt since 2017.