Erik Spoelstra reveals the genesis of Heat's league-best offense: "The most embarrassing thing I've ever been a part of"

Desperation often breeds innovation. And for the Miami Heat, they couldn't be any more desperate for change after losing 4-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of last season's playoffs. More than the clean sweep was how the Heat lost: in utterly humiliating fashion.

After they were blown out by 21 points in Game 1, the Heat lost Game 2 by nine. Heading to Game 3 at the Kaseya Center, Heat fans expected the team to fight back. What they witnessed was a letdown of enormous proportions. After the Cavs dominated Game 3, winning by 37 points, 124-87, many believed it couldn't get any worse.

They were sorely mistaken.

In Game 4, the Heat were defeated by a whopping 55 points, marking the most lopsided series loss in NBA playoff history. After that, Miami's head coach, Erik Spoelstra, took time to reflect and consult with the franchise's godfather, Pat Riley, on the direction to take. The solution they settled on has been on display early this season.

Compelled to adapt

In an era that sees teams thrive in a pace-and-space setting, the Heat were a relic that relied on methodical play and defense. As a matter of fact, the team never ranked higher than 12th in the pace metric.

However, Spoeolstra knew he had to adapt to stay relevant in the increasingly fast-paced NBA.

"We were absolutely outclassed and embarrassed in a really bad way in the playoffs. Last time we walked off this floor, we got beat by 55. It was almost like a misprint.  It's the most embarrassing thing I've ever been a part of," he recalled, the pain evident in his tone.

The Heat have always been a proud franchise, one that focused on winning championships. Over the last 24 seasons, they have missed the postseason only six times. So to be so thoroughly dominated and humiliated was a wake-up call for Spoelstra.

"We had plenty of time to re-evaluate things during the offseason. We were we were done in — it wasn't even May and we were done. So we had plenty of time to work on things. And then we just wanted to be open-minded," Spoelstra revealed. "You know, the first day of camp, I said I would just want to embrace, you know, the unknown. And I viewed that as a good thing. You know, there's some possibilities here, but I also want for there to be and continue to be surprises as the season goes along."

Related: Dwyane Wade says the Steph Curry–Under Armour split shows how much the sneaker industry is struggling

A fast-paced, high-scoring offense

With a 12-6 record, the Heat have raised plenty of eyebrows, mainly because of their propensity to score and their lightning-fast pace. Gone are the days of slowly dribbling the ball up the court to get into their sets. Now, the Heat are pushing the ball in transition and attacking early and often.

This change in offensive approach has resulted in the Heat leading the league in pace (105.8), points per game (124.9), assists (30.6) and field goals per game (45.2). And it's not just the numbers; the Heat have become exciting to watch with their quick ball movement, sharp shooting and highlight-worthy dunks.

"We wanted to switch the philosophy of how we played basketball," All-Star big man Bam Adebayo told The Athletic in a separate interview.

"We run less pick-and-rolls, run less screens; there's more five-out, and sharing the wealth," he continued. "And to me, that's the best way to play basketball."

What's more impressive is how the Heat have been able to do this without Tyler Herro. With the 6'5" guard back in action, scoring 24 points in a win against the Dallas Mavericks, it looks like the Heat are set to light up defenses further.

Related: "I didn't know he was gonna do that" - Jimmy Butler was stunned seeing Steph Curry playing in his JB 4s

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.