Biggest takeaways from the Miami Heat preseason

The start of a new season is just around the corner and your Miami Heat are ready to prove once again that they aren't the kind of team you should underestimate.

Preseason has come and gone, and it's gotten a lot of fans excited about what is in store for this years iteration of our favorite basketball team. A lot of fans and media alike have looked at the Miami Heat's offseason as a failure after losing 37 year old PJ Tucker to the Philadelphia 76ers and bringing back the rest of the roster.

These five preseason games showed us a lot of what we can expect in the regular season and beyond, and I'm going to be talking about the one's that popped out to me the most.

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The connection between Tyler and Bam

Photo Credit: Sun Sentinel

These two have been playing together for three years now and you can see the incredible chemistry they have on the court. In the few moments we got to see them together this preseason and especially in the final game against the Pelicans I saw the potential this duo has on both sides of the court. This is the kind of potential that can set your franchise up for a decade.

Tyler Herro is coming off a 6MOY award winning season and was rewarded with a huge 4 year $130 million contract at the age of 22(!). His handle was looking much improved already which is going to allow him to get to his spots even easier and for a three-level scorer like himself that's key. His three point shooting continues to be elite as he shot 7-for-12 from deep in his two appearances, which is going to be important as he continues to gel with the starting lineup. Plus, the most important thing to mention about Tyler is how improved his defense looks. He's much stronger on the ball and was showing a willingness to scrap and fight for position. His game is really starting to come together.

You combine him with one of the most versatile big men to ever step on a basketball court in Bam Adebayo and he's only getting better. He has proven that he's a perennial All-Defensive Team player with his ability to guard one through five as good as anyone in the league. The no.1 thing we've always wanted from Bam was aggressiveness on the offensive end, and he showed us exactly that every time he was out there. Attacking the basket, hitting the midrange jumper and even hitting a three pointer with no hesitation. I was there to see that three ball go in and the crowd was going absolutely insane because they know what that means for this team moving forward.

The pick and roll between these two was extremely effective in the preseason and it always has been throughout their time playing together. So seeing these two players taking another leap together makes this season even more exciting than it already was.

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Duncan is actually doing more than shooting

Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Coming into this season Duncan Robinson had become an afterthought in a lot of Heat fans minds. Understandable too. He signed the biggest contract in history by an undrafted player (5yr, $90 mil) last offseason, would go on to have an extremely frustrating season that saw his elite three point shooting take a dip going from 40.8% to 37.2% on similar volume. This drop in shooting efficiency exposed the other parts of his game and he would essentially be phased out of the rotation by the All-Star break.

So, coming into this season, expectations were extremely low on what Robinson can deliver to this team. However, after what he showed throughout this preseason, he can become a viable rotation piece. His defense can still use work, but is much improved from a season ago. He's moving his feet much better, which is allowing him to keep his matchup in front of him so he doesn't have to use his hands to stop them. In his five games and 21.2 minutes per game he averaged just 1.6 personal fouls per game. Robinson has always had something you can't teach, length, so he just needs to get to a spot where he can use it.

Another big improvement Robinson has shown is his willingness to drive into the lane and create actions for his team and himself. He showed off a few floaters, pull-up mid-range jumpers and touch around the basket. He was making things happen with the ball in his hands as well as he would orchestrate pick and rolls in order to get to the spot he wanted.

Many will say this is just him raising his trade value and it just may be, but a confident and versatile Duncan Robinson certainly wouldn't hurt the rotation.

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The emergence of Nikola Jovic and Jamal Cain

Photo Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images (Left), Petre Thomas- USA Today (Right)

It seems like every season the Miami Heat and their scouting staff finds a way to bring in an under the radar talent to add to their development program. This year is no different, but it might just be the best of them all with the emergence of Nikola Jovic and Jamal Cain.

Now while Jovic is a first round pick there wasn't a lot of expectations of him early on because many expected him to be a step slow physically. However, if this preseason is any indication, Jovic isn't going to have any issues adjusting to the physicality of the NBA. He's got a solid frame at 6'11'', 223 lbs and he just turned 19. Plus, he's got a fluidity about him that you wouldn't expect from a player his size.

The first skill that got him noticed by NBA scouts was his shooting and for good reason. He's got a beautiful shooting stroke and you can tell he's got the makings of a career elite shooter by just watching how calm he is at the free throw line. What scouts might not have noticed is that he has vision and playmaking abilities that you just can't teach. Just the thought of him and Bam tossing lobs to each other in the future just makes me start losing it.

As for Jamal Cain, he is your typical Miami Heat player. Tough, high motor, but under control. Literally every single time Cain would get an opportunity he would not let it go to waste. He's got great athleticism and extremely high IQ on both ends of the court. His off ball movement was always on point and would create a passing lane for his teammates at the perfect moment. His shooting was surprisingly solid as well as he made 38.5% of his 2.6 triples a game.

There have been players that have come through the Heat developmental system with Cain's similar build and skill set, but there is something about the way he goes about his business that feels different. I knew he would eventually find himself on this Heat roster and I'm glad it's on a two-way contract. We're going to get to see why I believe he's going to be the find of the season for us.

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I can't wait to watch how this season unfolds as we battle our way to the top of the NBA. There may be a lot of people doubting what we can do, but I feel like it is better that way. This group has always thrived with a chip on their shoulder. So get ready for another exciting season of Miami Heat basketball as it starts Wednesday, October 19th at 7:30 PM EST against the Chicago Bulls at the FTX Arena.