Nekias kicks off a series of posts grading each Miami HEAT rotation player in five-game increments to get an idea of how everyone is progressing as the season goes on.

With a horrific start for the HEAT, it seemed like comparisons to that 2007-08 team were inevitable. The HEAT were the verge of having a seven-game losing streak, longest since the 2007-08 season and Miami was down as many as 14 in the first quarter. Things looked bleak.

The first HEAT game I ever remember attending in person was on February 26th, 1991. I was nine years old, which now serves as a harsh reminder of how old (and #washed) I am today. The trip to the Miami Arena was a late birthday present from my uncle and I was as excited to attend as I had been to do anything up to that point in my life. Decked out in my Champion Brand size 36 Glen Rice HEAT jersey, I enjoyed my first Miami HEAT experience.

I don’t have #sauces, but I do have time to burn, a trade machine to abuse and an English paper to procrastinate on. With that said, let’s look at five potential Dragic and/or Whiteside deals that could work out.

Alf, our Heat Twitter President, put together a quick guide—a few bullet points to keep in mind—as you pour yourself another cocktail while bracing for the inevitable third quarter meltdown.

The Atlanta Hawks came into Miami and took the game with a final score of 93-90. The game also drops Miami to 1-5 in the American Airlines Arena (2-8 overall), the worst start for a HEAT team since they began the 2007-08 season with a whopping 0-6 record at home. Yet somehow, HEAT fans are smiling after the game, and after the sixth straight loss, it is fitting to have six reasons to smile through the pain.

According to sources, the HEAT are willing to trade Dragic and would prefer to do so in advance of the NBA Trade Deadline. Rumblings also persist that Miami will dangle Whiteside in an effort to explore all options to acquire a franchise centerpiece.

Five game losing streaks are no fun, but for this HEAT team they just might be necessary to the process. Earlier this week, Pat Riley said Justise Winslow “needs more and more failure” and tonight in San Antonio, Winslow and the HEAT got another dose of failure as they fell to the Spurs 94-90.

Some things never change. The third (otherwise know as the turd) quarter once again proved to be the difference for…

Dwyane Wade, for maybe the last time, provided me with an out— a form of escapism. He saved me today because I desperately needed saving, even if it was only for a night. Miami loves you, Dwyane. Thank you forever.

Ugh. That was ugly. The HEAT had their first bad loss of the season last night and I’ve never seen a fan base morph into lowly (Pre-Embiid) Philadelphia 76ers fans so effortlessly. It’s almost like we knew this team wouldn’t reach our expectations.

I’ll be kicking off a series of posts, grading each rotation player in five-game increments just to get an idea of how everyone is progressing as the season goes on.

We are a few weeks into the season. Our expert staff at Miami Heat Beat is here to tell you how to think! Exciting right? We’re borrowing on ESPN’s 5-on-5 idea where we take five of our staff writers (against their will) and ask them all the same questions to hear their differentiating opinions (hot takes) on what’s going on with the HEAT. So without further adieu, let’s get started.

Since then Miami lost [against the Raptors] spectacularly in game seven and have started the season under .500. Life comes at you fast. It all happened so quick too, almost from one week to the next. Miami lost two starters and their most beloved sports figure.

The news of the day is that Josh Richardson will make his season debut tonight and Josh McRoberts is getting closer to an on court return. Giancarlo Navas (@gnavas103) and Alex Toledo (@TropicalBlanket) give us their their breakdown of what to expect out of the two Josh’s.

So here we are four games into the season and Goran Dragic is suddenly a really good shooter again. What gives? We take a look at the shot quality of Goran’s looks and try and figure this out

We are looking to add writers and anyone with multimedia or graphic and web design skills to join our Miami Heat Beat staff.

It is now Day 7, Game 4: We have reached shore. Dion Waiters Island. We don’t really know what to…

As a lifelong HEAT fan who had the pleasure of watching Ray Allen in Miami for two epic runs to the NBA Finals, I think now is as good a time as ever to reflect back on his time in Miami.

Despite Dion Waiters attempting to take joy away from all of us, there were things to be proud of from that game, like Justise Winslow’s offensive versatility and Goran Dragic ripping the Spurs in transition. The biggest takeaway, literally, was the interior dominance of Hassan Whiteside.

If HEAT fans can find a way to embrace the growing pains and relish the opportunity to watch a young inexperienced squad grow together, they may appreciate it all the more when the team grows into something special.

Friday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets was an emotional roller coaster. The good times included a three-point barrage from…

While it may be a struggle to watch the Miami HEAT on some nights this season, Wednesday’s 108-96 win had its fair share of jump-out-of-your-seat-moments. And it was almost poetic how the HEAT’s first regular season game showed you both extremes it could be.

Just in time for tonight’s season opener against the Orlando Magic at , our Miami Heat Beat experts use their collective brainpower to accurately predict the Miami HEAT’s 2016-17 season record. Now, here it is all under one post, so it’s on the record.

“Welp, he certainly paid homage to Dwayne,” I muttered to myself. Not Dwyane, as in Dwyane Wade, the greatest player…

Through four preseason games, we’re already seeing the early dividends of the HEAT’s redesigned identity. Here are four quick notes that have stood out so far.

A preseason game recap . . . so it’s come to this. But in all honesty, this was probably the…

Last night was weird. Dwyane Wade wore a Chicago Bulls jersey and it was sad. But not sad like in…

Life is frail. It’s something we don’t think about often, but we’re constantly reminded of. Two years ago, Chris Bosh…

After losing Dwyane Wade, there’s been a drastic drop-off in who’ll succeed his team-high pick-and-roll usage with a reinvented, fast-paced HEAT offense. Here’s a first glance at how the new-look HEAT might fill Wade’s vacancy with a prognosis on Miami’s pick-and-roll ball handlers, comparing both incoming and outgoing players.

Miami Heat Beat insider, Leif, and #HeatTwitter President, Alf, are here to bring you their hottest takes on every player the Miami HEAT are bringing to training camp this upcoming season. All 19 to be exact.

With so much uncertainty surrounding Chris Bosh, it’s important that the Miami HEAT prepares for a future without him. So here are three potential starting lineups that could be effective in Bosh’s absence.

Training camp is less than three weeks away, so here’s a new 5-on-5 previewing our surprises, disappointments for the new season, Goran Dragic’s foreseeable future and who the next face of the franchise is.