The Miami Heat are in big trouble right now, and guess what? Jimmy Butler ain’t the whole story. As if things weren’t bad enough, the Heat suffered a real downer of a loss right after Butler went public, stated his frustrations with the team, and news broke showing that he’d be open about leaving Miami. With one of the worst records in the NBA, that is. The Heat’s real problems run deeper than Butler being out.

The Heat played awful basketball last night, and for the first time since December 2020, they were annihilated by a 36-point margin. The Jazz, who came to the game with a 7-25 record, fully dominated Miami in every sense of the game. Utah shot a total of 57 points behind the arch, while Miami was a disaster on both ends, all while losing the rebounding battle 57-32. Second-chance points were particularly damaging for the Heat, who fell behind the Jazz in that category, 21-6. Miami had a disastrous second quarter, getting outscored 40-19, and the loss spiraled from there. Now let us take a look at this in-depth.

Miami’s struggles and missing leadership: Can the Heat overcome the loss of their heart?

Jimmy Butler’s suspension hit the headlines for conduct detrimental to the team, yet it’s evident that Miami has bigger problems to deal with than just that of their star player. Bam Adebayo has endured a long season battling for efficiency. In Saturday’s 36-point drubbing, he killed his team, scoring four points and shooting 0-of-six in his 26 minutes. It was the first time in his career as an NBA player that he didn’t make a field goal after over 25 minutes of play. Given that this is a player who’s made it to three All-Star Games, it’s alarming.

Tyler Herro, meanwhile, couldn’t be a nuisance, just a measly 15 points on 4-of-12 shots and just 1-of-8 from three. The Heat are at a crossroads. Now the question remains, will they be able to count on these two stepping up? Coach Erik Spoelstra made it clear that he’s trying different lineups, but none of the answers aren’t coming easy. The Heat rolled out their sixth different starting lineup of the season, featuring Terry Rozier, Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jovic, and Adebayo, who showed evident signs of lack of chemistry and clean leadership.

The Heat’s frustrations reach a breaking point beyond Butler

The only more recent indications that Miami has reached a tipping point are Butler’s suspension and the imminent prospect of a trade. The 36-point loss to Utah paired with Adebayo and Herro’s struggles reveals that much deeper issues are at play than one player’s discontent. Miami is now set to face a daunting six-game road trip beginning on Monday against the Sacramento Kings where they will need to dig deep to salvage their season.

The future of Butler with the team is still unclear, and while he misses the first game of his seven-game suspension, it will be critical to see if the Heat can bounce back and really grow together without him. The division within the team has reportedly started to show early, with Adebayo and Herro underperforming in times they were really needed. Miami’s failure to dispatch one of the NBA’s bottom-placed teams has turned more than a few heads toward whether or not their championship aspirations are legitimate this season.

With the Heat on the road, some increasingly frustrated fans are beginning to wonder if Butler’s situation is merely a microcosm of the whole team’s underachieving. They are now worried that this could be the beginning of a downward spiral or if the Heat will somehow muster enough courage to wrestle their way back into ways of winning.

Who do you think is to blame for the Heat’s downfall—Pat Riley, the players, or the situation with Butler? With the West Coast trip ahead, do the Heat have what it takes to turn things around?