Court Context

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Editable research draft — not published copy

Scaffolded from the research packet. Replace every [EDIT] marker, then promote into the curated registry when ready.

Edit: content/preseason/2026/MIA.preview.draft.json

2026–27

Miami Heat

Preseason Preview

[EDIT] One-line dek for Miami Heat (2026–27). Prior RS: 43–39 regular-season (82 GP).

The Big Picture

[EDIT] Miami Heat — opening framing. Prior season public snapshot: 43–39 regular-season (82 GP). Replace this paragraph with your big-picture thesis.

[EDIT] Optional second paragraph: continuity vs change, vacated minutes, or usage questions from the research packet.

[EDIT] High-impact moves flagged for human review: Jaime Jaquez Jr. [DEPARTED]→MIL; Norman Powell [DEPARTED]→CHI; Tyler Herro [DEPARTED]→MIL; Giannis Antetokounmpo [ADDED]→MIL; Tim Hardaway Jr. [ADDED]→DEN. Verify against open-roster sources before publishing.

What Changed

Key roster moves and draft picks — editorial framing

Key Additions

  • Bobby Portis

    F

    ↔ MIL · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo

    F

    ↔ MIL · review: HIGH_USAGE_CONFIRMED_ADDITION · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • J'Vonne Hadley

    [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Klay Thompson

    G

    ↔ DAL · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Nick Richards

    C

    ↔ CHI · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Ryan Conwell

    G

    [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Tim Hardaway Jr.

    G-F

    ↔ DEN · review: TOP_MINUTES_CONFIRMED_ADDITION · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Tre Donaldson

    G

    [EDIT] add role/impact context

Key Departures

  • Jaime Jaquez Jr.

    G

    ↔ MIL · review: TOP_MINUTES_CONFIRMED_DEPARTURE · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Kasparas Jakučionis

    G

    ↔ MIL · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Kel'el Ware

    C

    ↔ MIL · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Norman Powell

    G

    ↔ CHI · review: HIGH_USAGE_CONFIRMED_DEPARTURE · [EDIT] add role/impact context

  • Tyler Herro

    G

    ↔ MIL · review: HIGH_USAGE_CONFIRMED_DEPARTURE · [EDIT] add role/impact context

Team Snapshot

Prior season · 2025–26

2025–26 Record
43–40
Offensive Rating
114.6
Defensive Rating
112.5
Pace
105.5

Projected Depth Chart

Not an official lineup

Projected rotation will be updated as preseason approaches.

Key Questions

Context entering the season

  1. Who absorbs minutes previously associated with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Norman Powell?

    [EDIT] Expand using evidence: contextSignals.VACATED_MINUTES.6ae7e393-1734-5f88-9a14-b38274e58df9 · contextSignals.VACATED_MINUTES.a1471d6d-f111-54d7-9935-2fbf7cbb7795 · contextSignals.VACATED_MINUTES.741166f5-fcad-5c25-9c31-aa4bdd08cbb6.

  2. Does Bam Adebayo's usage profile change without Jaime Jaquez Jr.?

    [EDIT] Expand using evidence: contextSignals.HIGH_USAGE_RETURNER.effb4905-0042-5fd9-a822-d5ec580364f9 · roster.departures.6ae7e393-1734-5f88-9a14-b38274e58df9.

  3. Which confirmed addition most changes spacing or rotation packing among Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, J'Vonne Hadley, Klay Thompson?

    [EDIT] Expand using evidence: roster.additions.4685f10a-d52c-549a-8c78-e6f8bd8f1d70 · roster.additions.134eb3b2-3bb3-5deb-9ce5-f8fa59f206e4 · roster.additions.e60e5adf-2fb3-5dd5-8750-66fd780cd9f6 · roster.additions.dbf85ec5-351d-530a-8cc8-504fb1a0821f.

  4. Which recent-competitive minutes increases among Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell, Bobby Portis hold once the regular season compresses roles?

    [EDIT] Expand using evidence: contextSignals.RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE.3ceff087-d5c9-516d-8dbb-3d5821ef6837 · contextSignals.RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE.1dc23762-f8eb-527e-a0af-c78c25c57462 · contextSignals.RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE.4685f10a-d52c-549a-8c78-e6f8bd8f1d70 · contextSignals.RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE.333a3190-2bba-5820-82e7-b745d99d6822.

Players to Watch

Why each player matters entering preseason

Bam Adebayo

Prior ~28.6 MPG · 17.8 PPG

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: HIGH_USAGE_RETURNER, RETURNING_HIGH_MINUTE_PLAYER, VACATED_TEAMMATE_MINUTES. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

View Player

Pelle Larsson

Prior ~22.5 MPG · 9.7 PPG

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE, VACATED_TEAMMATE_MINUTES. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

View Player

Davion Mitchell

Prior ~24.7 MPG · 8.2 PPG

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE, VACATED_TEAMMATE_MINUTES. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

View Player

Andrew Wiggins

Prior ~25.4 MPG · 12.9 PPG

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE, VACATED_TEAMMATE_MINUTES. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

View Player

Bobby Portis

Prior ~19.7 MPG · 11.2 PPG

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: RECENT_COMPETITIVE_MINUTES_INCREASE. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

View Player

J'Vonne Hadley

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: NEW_ROSTER_ADDITION. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

Ryan Conwell

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: NEW_ROSTER_ADDITION. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

Tre Donaldson

What we're watching

[EDIT] Candidate reasons: NEW_ROSTER_ADDITION. Rewrite as 2–3 sentences of what Court Context is watching — not a projection.

Usage & Role Watch

Editorial observations — not model predictions

PlayerPrevious Role2026–27 Watch
Bam AdebayoBam Adebayo is a returning player with prior-season high usage under mean_usage_pct_played_games_v1 — a candidate for continued high-usage monitoring.Stable
Pelle LarssonPelle Larsson is a candidate whose recent competitive minutes exceeded prior baseline (window may include postseason).Minutes ↑
Davion MitchellDavion Mitchell is a candidate whose recent competitive minutes exceeded prior baseline (window may include postseason).Minutes ↑
Bobby PortisBobby Portis is a candidate whose recent competitive minutes exceeded prior baseline (window may include postseason).Minutes ↑
Andrew WigginsAndrew Wiggins is a candidate whose recent competitive minutes exceeded prior baseline (window may include postseason).Minutes ↑
Bam AdebayoBam Adebayo is a returning high-minute player (prior MPG >= 28).Stable
Jaime Jaquez Jr.Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a confirmed departure who averaged meaningful prior minutes — a candidate source of vacated minutes (not a projection of who absorbs them).Opportunity ↑
Kel'el WareKel'el Ware is a confirmed departure who averaged meaningful prior minutes — a candidate source of vacated minutes (not a projection of who absorbs them).Opportunity ↑
Norman PowellNorman Powell is a confirmed departure who averaged meaningful prior minutes — a candidate source of vacated minutes (not a projection of who absorbs them).Opportunity ↑
Nikola JovicNikola Jovic ranks among returning prior-season usage leaders on this roster (descriptive ranking, not a role projection).Stable

Upcoming Schedule

Secondary to context — shown when available

View full schedule

Context to Watch

Historical with/without framing — not a causal model

  • Bam Adebayo with/without Jaime Jaquez Jr.

    [EDIT] Candidate for review only — Returning high-usage/minute player paired with a confirmed departed high-minute teammate — worth inspecting historically; no WOWY result computed here.. Do not invent possession splits.

  • Bam Adebayo with/without Kel'el Ware

    [EDIT] Candidate for review only — Returning high-usage/minute player paired with a confirmed departed high-minute teammate — worth inspecting historically; no WOWY result computed here.. Do not invent possession splits.

  • Bam Adebayo with/without Norman Powell

    [EDIT] Candidate for review only — Returning high-usage/minute player paired with a confirmed departed high-minute teammate — worth inspecting historically; no WOWY result computed here.. Do not invent possession splits.

  • Bam Adebayo with/without Jaime Jaquez Jr.

    [EDIT] Candidate for review only — Returning high-usage/minute player paired with a confirmed departed high-minute teammate — worth inspecting historically; no WOWY result computed here.. Do not invent possession splits.

  • Bam Adebayo with/without Kel'el Ware

    [EDIT] Candidate for review only — Returning high-usage/minute player paired with a confirmed departed high-minute teammate — worth inspecting historically; no WOWY result computed here.. Do not invent possession splits.

  • Bam Adebayo with/without Norman Powell

    [EDIT] Candidate for review only — Returning high-usage/minute player paired with a confirmed departed high-minute teammate — worth inspecting historically; no WOWY result computed here.. Do not invent possession splits.

Historical with/without results describe what occurred in previous games and do not guarantee the same effect in a new lineup.

Open WOWY explorer

Court Context Outlook

[EDIT] Outlook draft seed from notable stats (Previous regular-season record: 43–39 (82 GP); Previous regular-season ORTG: 114.5; Previous regular-season DRTG: 112.4; Returning minutes leader — Bam Adebayo: 28.6 MPG). Rewrite as qualitative outlook — not a prediction.

Editorial analysis — not a numerical prediction or model output.

Miami Heat Preseason Preview | Court Context