Andrew Wiggins Needs To Reach Austin Reaves Level For Miami Heat To Succeed

Tony Mejia | Mar 19, 2025

Miami Heat small forward Andrew Wiggins has been dealing with a leg contusion and missed Monday's loss to the Knicks, but his productivity since joining the team has already made him an invaluable piece moving forward. / Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

Although life for the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler has been a disaster, the biggest piece who came over in return for the former face of the franchise has actually been a bright spot.

Andrew Wiggins, who missed Monday’s loss in New York and was listed as questionable (leg contusion) for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, has actually fit in nicely with his new team.

Despite the difficult task of learning a new system and new teammates upon leaving a group he won a championship with a few years ago for one currently in the midst of the franchise’s longest losing streak in 17 years, Wiggins has flourished. The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick (2014) scored more points in his first 10 games with Miami than anyone except LeBron James, who averaged 22.3 points to Wiggins’ 19.3 when he came on board in 2010.

James joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to create what was the most formidable Big Three of its era, following in the footsteps of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston. Throughout time, NBA champions have had three standouts, with Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman taking turns filling out the top trios Chicago fielded in its dynasty seasons led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The reigning champion Celtics have multiple guys who can be considered third banana next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, although Derrick White has been more consistent than Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this season.

The importance of the Big Three has again become a prevailing theme in the NBA this week since Luka Doncic lauded Austin Reaves as an “amazing player” after “scoring 30 in his fourth game in five days.” James remains a few games away from returning from a groin injury, but the fact is that having three reliable scorers is a must if you’re going to realistically compete for championships in the NBA.

One of the reasons Miami struggled as much as it did early in the season even with a disgruntled Butler on board is that Bam Adebayo didn’t pull his weight as a reliable scorer. The three-time All-Star was being counted on to be more assertive and was unable to find an offensive groove until recently, averaging a shade under 21 points since Jan. 27, a span of 23 games.

Herro has been Miami’s leading scorer all season and should continue to serve as the first option barring another major roster shift. His 23.5 points per game ranks 21st in the NBA. Wiggins has scored 19 or more points in seven of his 11 games with Miami. 

Even though the hope is that Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic will continue to blossom and Davion Mitchell will grow more comfortable, the Heat’s “Big Three” from a scoring standpoint are likely to be Herro, Adebayo and Wiggins. Getting them on the same page flourishing as the Miami makes its playoff push and hopefully solidifies a spot in the Eastern Conference’s top eight is going to be crucial to the team’s future since all three are under contract through next season, set to make over a combined $96 million next season.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com