Player-by-player guide: What to expect from Miami Heat’s roster entering the 2022-23 season

Just like that, the start of the 2022-23 NBA season is only days away.

The first game of the NBA season is Tuesday night and the Miami Heat opens its schedule on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls at FTX Arena.

The Heat will begin the season with 14 players signed to standard contracts — one below the NBA limit in part to avoid crossing the luxury tax threshold. Among the group of 14 players, 13 are returning from last season’s season-ending roster that finished just one win short of reaching the NBA Finals.

The Heat’s two two-way contract spots are currently occupied by forward Jamal Cain and guard Dru Smith.

Here’s a closer look at the Heat’s 14-man roster entering opening night:

BAM ADEBAYO, center: Within the organization, Adebayo has earned the nickname of “No Ceiling.” For the Heat to take a step forward despite returning much of last season’s roster, the 25-year-old Adebayo will again have to take another leap in his sixth NBA season. The Heat’s starting center is already considered one of the NBA’s top defenders, but continued growth on the offensive end will be expected as the team pushes for Adebayo to take on a bigger scoring role this season.

JIMMY BUTLER, wing: Already considered the Heat’s best player, he again proved last postseason that he’s elite. Butler is one of the few players in the league who is special enough to be the best player on a championship team. But the clock is ticking. Butler, who is an essential part of the Heat’s starting lineup, is now 33 years old and it’s fair to question how long he can produce at this high of a level.

DEWAYNE DEDMON, center: Since joining the Heat as a free agent late in the 2020-21 season, Dedmon has been used as the Heat’s backup center. Even as the 33-year-old veteran competes with the younger Omer Yurtseven to hold on to that role, it appears that Dedmon remains the front-runner to play as Adebayo’s backup to open the season after Yurtseven missed most of the preseason with an ankle injury.

UDONIS HASLEM, forward: Entering his 20th and final season, Haslem will become just the third player in NBA history to spend an entire career lasting at least 20 seasons with one team. That list also includes Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, and Haslem will be the only one to do it in his hometown. Haslem’s playing career will be celebrated this season, but he won’t play much at 42 years old as he has appeared in just 28 games since the start of the 2018-19 season. His value is felt off the court as a team leader.

TYLER HERRO, guard: The offseason featured plenty of trade speculation involving his name, but Herro enters his fourth NBA season with a sense of long-term security after signing a four-year extension with the Heat earlier this month that could be worth as much as $130 million. But with that big contract comes even bigger expectations, as Herro is expected to be promoted to a starting role after winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award last season. Herro, 22, is arguably the Heat’s most natural scorer and he’s aiming to make his first All-Star Game this season.

HAYWOOD HIGHSMITH, forward: Despite only appearing in 24 regular-season games during his NBA career after going undrafted out of Wheeling University in 2018, there are some expectation for the 25-year-old Highsmith to contribute at some point this season following a strong showing at summer league. He fits the mold the Heat usually looks for in power forwards as a two-way player who can space the floor with three-point shooting while also serving as a versatile defender. At 6-7 and 215 pounds, Highsmith will represent much-needed depth at power forward if he proves to be a reliable option this season.

NIKOLA JOVIC, forward: The assumption entering training camp was that this would just be a developmental year for Jovic, who was selected with the No. 27 pick in this year’s draft out of Serbia. But the 19-year-old Jovic was a preseason revelation because of his intriguing combination of skill and size at 6-11 and 225 pounds. It would still be a little surprising if Jovic finds himself as a consistent member of the Heat’s rotation early on. But after what Jovic showed in the preseason, playing time at some point during his rookie season seems inevitable.

KYLE LOWRY, guard: Entering his second season with the Heat, Lowry is an important part of the Heat’s formula as the starting point guard. Lowry made the Heat better last regular season, taking some of the ball-handling and facilitating pressure off of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. But a strained hamstring derailed Lowry’s postseason, when the Heat needed the veteran the most. With Lowry turning 37 in the middle of this season, his best days are very likely behind him. But Lowry is still one of the Heat’s most important and best players. If he can stay healthy, he has already proven that he can lift Miami to a higher level.

CALEB MARTIN, wing: Fresh off his best NBA season, Martin signed the most lucrative contract of his career this past summer to stay with the Heat. Now after losing P.J. Tucker in free agency, it appears that the Heat will open the season with Martin as its starting power forward. While a bit undersized for the position at 6-5 and 205 pounds, the hope is Martin can make up for it with his combination of defensive versatility, improved outside shooting and elite athleticism.

VICTOR OLADIPO, guard: As a Heat wild card, Oladipo could represent the internal improvement needed for the team take another step forward this season. The two-time All-Star is coming off of his first full healthy offseason since 2018 after undergoing two major knee surgeries in less than three years. But the Heat has made clear it will continue to take a cautious and patient approach with Oladipo, who has played in just 60 regular-season games over the last three seasons. Still, Oladipo is expected to open the season as part of the Heat’s rotation. He’s also one of the top candidates to take over as the leader of the bench unit, with Tyler Herro expected to be moved into the starting lineup.

DUNCAN ROBINSON, forward: After losing his spot in the starting lineup late in the regular season and then completely falling out of the rotation at one point during the Heat’s playoff run, Robinson is ready for the fresh start that a new season brings. While Robinson isn’t expected to open this season as a starter, he’s still a very realistic option to be used in a consistent role off the bench because of his elite three-point shooting. Robinson used this past offseason to become less one-dimensional, working on his ball-handling and defensive agility.

MAX STRUS, forward: Despite playing as a starter throughout the Heat’s playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference finals last season, Strus is expected to return to a bench role this season. Known for his ability to make threes, he also proved to be a solid defender and skilled enough to attack defenses off the dribble last season. Strus, 26, will still play important minutes for the Heat even if he returns to a reserve role, as expected.

GABE VINCENT, guard: Last season was the best season of Vincent’s young NBA career. A product of the Heat’s developmental program, he has improved as a point guard who can be relied on to run the offense but can also play off the ball when needed. He can space the floor with his solid three-point stroke and has developed into a pesky perimeter defender. With Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Vincent Oladipo expected to be in the rotation, Vincent is the fourth guard in the mix for consistent minutes. Vincent will play off the bench unless there’s an injury to one of the Heat’s starting guards.

OMER YURTSEVEN, center: Even in his limited playing time last season, Yurtseven flashed elite rebounding skills and the potential to be an above average scorer at the position. As a 24-year-old with little NBA experience, Yurtseven is viewed as one of the Heat’s most intriguing developmental prospects. But with Adebayo locked into the starting center role, Yurtseven’s best path to consistent playing time is to beat out Dedmon for the backup center job. While the Heat experimented with a frontcourt pairing of Adebayo and Yurtseven in the preseason, the duo has not yet produced positive results together.