MIAMI — Hasn’t anyone learned anything?
“It’s like some people don’t know what this (franchise) is about,” Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier said.
Does everyone suffer from recency blindness?
“We’ve shown what we can do when things work out,’’ center Bam Adebayo said.
The Heat remain a snarling, unyielding organization no matter what the preseason forecasts say. Take the near-universal expectation about them being a non-factor this season due a flubbed finish last spring and return of its un-splashy core for a sixth-straight year.
“When I talk to players around the league, they know what it is,’’ Adebayo said. “I mean, national attention is cool, but when you have the people that you go against respect us — like, ‘Y’all can be a eighth or seventh or fifth seed and make it to the Eastern Conference finals or the (NBA) Finals — that’s what really matters.’”
Every team has hope on the edge of a new season. But here’s a simple question to buy in to the Heat’s chances: Can they win two more regular-season games above last year’s 46-win team that took the eighth-seed and the play-in route?
Two more wins would’ve earned them the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, kept them from the play-in game where Jimmy Butler was hurt and avoided their having to play top seed Boston in a futile opening round.
Four more wins would’ve got them the second seed.
That’s the real question for them — for most NBA teams these days, really. How much will they care about the regular season? Enough to keep the season on track? Enough to play through a regular season’s aches and tedious spots?
“Unless I can’t walk or do something, I’m going to be on the court,’’ said Herro, who played just 42 games last regular season.
Some teams like Philadelphia and the New York Knicks added talent in the offseason to strain the Heat’s playoff chances. But let’s get through the regular season first. Two more wins is nothing if Jimmy Butler plays 70 games, not last year’s 60, or the Butler-Adebayo-Herro core playing 40 games together instead of last season’s 27.
Don’t wonder too hard about how coach Erik Spoelstra will handle everything this season — how after six years of this same core, after two NBA Finals trips, after last season’s self-destruction, if he’s found any new way to squeeze juice from this roster?
Spoelstra popularized the position-less player in the NBA with LeBron James as the prototype. Now he’s introducing a spread offense that looks right off a Big 12 Conference football field. This team will play fast — “really, really fast,’’ as Rozier said — but the offensive concept is modern-game simple: Shoot 3-pointers or layups.
“Honestly, I can’t remember the last person who shot a mid-range shot in a practice or anything,’’ Herro said. “We haven’t shot those all preseason. There’s been a lot of focus on getting to the rim, putting pressure on the paint, creating open 3’s.”
Part of that is Adebayo’s new ability to shoot 3’s that he unveiled in the Olympics. There he was after Tuesday’s practice, draining one 3-pointer after another until finally missing one and shouting in anger. Can he hit them consistently enough in games to affect opponent’s defenses?
Herro’s role is another prime part. Spoelstra wanted him to be a spot-up shooter going back a few years. Herro wanted to handle the ball. Now he sounds like ready to accept Spoelstra’s vision.
“Time goes fast,’’ Herro was saying Tuesday on the eve of his sixth season.
Hovering over everything is Butler. There’s a sense by now the Heat tolerate Butler more than embrace him — and vice versa — that Butler doesn’t fully appreciate the cult-like concept of “Heat Culture.” Each side needs the other, though.
Butler, at 35, faces a decision of an option year in his contract so a good season could lead to multi-year, mega-deal. The Heat needs the Butler who wasn’t around last disinterested season — the one who carried them to the Finals twice in the last five years.
A good, early sign is Butler playing four preseason games after not playing any last season.
All these parts are crucial. They still won’t sway the national view of this harmless Heat team. But the first question about them, the one to consider right up to the playoffs, is if they can stay healthy enough, and focused enough, to win two more games this regular season.