Heat Hit Rock Bottom: Miami Matches Disappointing Record Last Seen in Worst Season Ever, Pat Riley is Responsible for Both
The Miami Heat’s season continues to disappoint in the aftermath of the Jimmy Butler trade.
The Miami Heat have been an utter disappointment since trading Jimmy Butler. The franchise has gone 5-15 since trading their superstar.
And last night, they were humiliated by the New York Knicks, losing 116-95. The result became a formality very early on, and the Heat were just trying to stay afloat.
The gravity of their poor form hasn’t been lost on the players. Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson spoke candidly about the blame that rests on the Heat’s shoulders.
Their form has been abysmal. But their loss last night allowed them to match a disappointing record not seen since their worst season ever.
Miami Heat match shameful record
The Miami Heat’s loss to the New York Knick marked their eighth consecutive loss. With an eight-game losing streak, the Heat are experiencing their worst losing streak under Erik Spoelstra.
They haven’t had an eight-game losing streak since the 2007-08 season.
It was the last season the Heat had Pat Riley as a head coach, and to this date, it is their worst season in history, finishing with a 15-67 record.
This is the worst run of form the Heat have ever experienced with Erik Spoelstra. The legendary head coach has always been able to steady the ship, regardless of the quality of the roster.
But this losing streak has deeper ramifications for the Heat, not just for this season, but for their long-term rebuild plan.
Heat jeopardy of losing draft pick
The Miami Heat owe their 2025 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, that pick is protected from should it turn into a top-14 pick.
That would be good news for Miami, if not for the fact that the protection comes with a condition. Should the Heat’s pick go top-14 in the lottery, they owe the Thunder their unprotected 2026 first-round pick.
This would be disastrous for the Heat, as they are in the nascent stages of a rebuild. And as we all know, draft picks are very valuable in any rebuild plan.
If the Heat continue losing games, they could lose their ninth seed in the East and miss the playoffs, thus bolstering their odds of getting a high draft pick.
It would be in Miami’s best interest to start turning its form around and making sure that it secures the highest seed possible, to give themselves the best odds of keeping their 2026 draft pick.
