Heat's young hierarchy has taken a shockingly unexpected turn

"For better or worse, the Miami Heat's 2025-26 NBA season always figured to be determined by their young core. And in a lot of ways, it has been-just not how anyone expected. The big leap forward Nikola Jovic was expected to take has yet to materialize. Kel'el Ware, another prime breakout candidate, might be staring at a role reduction. Meanwhile, Jaime Jaquez Jr., the forgotten member of this group, has used Miami's new offensive approach to turn his career around."

"Exactly none of this aligns with preseason expectations, but that's that we they play the games, we suppose. The question now is whether all of these surprises should encourage the fanbase or dishearten it. Miami's young core will still set the ceiling for this season. Assuming we're still considering the Heat's start to this campaign as promising-the last two outings have not been great-there are ways to spin the slow starts of Jovic and Ware as positives."

"If Miami can be competitive without them at their best, how good could this club be if they can turn things around? And that's not just some crossed-fingers blind hope saying that. Given the way they play, they should be fits within the Heat's egalitarian approach on offense. Jovic is still a jumbo-sized net-shredder and ball-handler. An up-tempo, movement-based offense should (at least in theory) be perfect for his game."

"Taking things a step further, a wide-open floor might be the exact thing that Jaquez, who continues to struggle as an outside shooter, needs to hide his biggest weakness. For the glass-three-quarters-empty crowd, though, this type of thinking would be glossing over major worries. Development is never linear, after all, so the breakouts everyone hoped to see from Jovic and Ware were never guaranteed."

Miami's season depends on the development of its young core, but outcomes have diverged from expectations. Nikola Jovic has not produced the anticipated leap, and Kel'el Ware may face a reduced role. Jaime Jaquez Jr. has improved within the team's movement-based, up-tempo offense despite ongoing outside-shooting issues. The Heat's egalitarian offensive approach could amplify Jovic and Ware if they progress, creating spacing and scoring chances. If their development stalls, the team's ceiling will be constrained, and Jaquez's shooting sustainability remains an open question that could affect long-term impact.

Read at All U Can Heat