Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Drop In Latest NBA Power Rankings After Eventful Week

Jake Elman

Nov 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra on the sideline in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra on the sideline in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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This week’s power rankings weren't kind to the Miami Heat.

Then again, a 6-7 start and a viral loss don’t exactly land most teams in the top 10.

ESPN released its latest power rankings Nov. 20. Miami finished 18th of 30 (or 13th-worst, depending on your perspective) after going 1-2 last week. 

Those three games included a memorable last-second Nov. 12 loss to the Pistons. Coach Erik Spoelstra earned a technical foul when he called a timeout with none left late in overtime.

The Pistons sank a winning free throw with 1.1 seconds remaining.

Miami rebounded from the shocking loss with a blowout victory over the Indiana Pacers last Friday. Indiana subsequently defeated Miami 119-110 on Sunday. 

ESPN ranked the Heat 16th in last week’s power rankings. 

Still, ESPN analyst Tim Bontemps tried staying positive. He mentioned Jimmy Butler’s Monday return against the 76ers and praised guard Tyler Herro, who is averaging a career-high 24.2 points.

“If he can keep that up, it changes his and Miami’s ceiling,” Bontemps said of Herro and the Heat.

NBA.com also ranked the Heat 18th this week, a two-spot drop from last week. 

FANS REMAIN CRITICAL OF WARE

When the Miami Heat drafted Kel'el Ware last June, it was met with a few jeers by the fans.

Ware turned those into cheers after a strong showing in the summer league in Las Vegas. A month into the season, they are once again questioning the selection.

It has nothing to do with Ware but more about the players the Heat could have drafted. The players chosen immediately after him were Jared McCain (Philadelphia 76ers) and Dalton Knecht (Los Angeles Lakers).

McCain and Knecht are both having impacts in their rookie season while Ware has yet to make it into the rotation. McCain, who many felt was the perfect fit for the Heat, is averaging 15.3 points, made three starts and played in 13 games.

Ware is averaging 2.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in limited action.

JAQUEZ LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK

Jaime Jaquez is an integral part of the Miami Heat rotation this season, averaging 23 minutes across nine games.

Jaquez sustained a high ankle sprain Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers, forcing him to miss Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. His playing status is day to day.

Jaquez's availability is frustrating to say the least. When asked how difficult this season has been in terms of being able to get on the court, the 2023 first round draft pick had this to say:

"It’s been tough," Jaquez said. "Missing games is never easy, especially when you work so hard in the offseason to get physically and mentally ready. I’m staying focused on my recovery, supporting my teammates from the sidelines, and doing everything I can to get back to 100 percent as soon as possible."

BUTLER CONTINUES CLIMBING SCORING LIST

Butler scored 30 points in Monday’s blowout victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. In the process, he passed former All-Stars Tim Hardaway Sr. and Goran Dragić among the Heat’s leading scorers. 

Butler ended Monday night with 6,363 points in a Heat uniform, good enough for ninth place all-time. He surpassed Hardaway (6,335) and entered the top 10 early in the game. 

Later in the night, Butler moved past Dragić, who scored 6,348 points in his seven seasons with the Heat. 

Butler’s next target is another former teammate. Udonis Haslem has a 223-point lead on Butler for eighth place. 

MORE HEAT NEWS

Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro Jokingly Trade Jabs After Miami Heat’s Blowout Victory

Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Making All-Star Case With One Key Advanced Stat

Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.