The Miami Heat secured a vital win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena, a result that moves them forward in the 2024-25 NBA season. Andrew Wiggins played a pivotal role in the victory, and head coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to acknowledge his performance.
“Yeah, it was really important,” Spoelstra explained about Wiggins’ performance in the closing minutes. “They were draped all over Tyler (Herro), and we actually were able to get some pretty good mileage on the two-man action between Tyler and Bam (Adebayo). But then they were loading up, so we were just, you know, throwing the ball to Wiggs and letting him make some plays.”
The coach went on to highlight the forward’s skills in the post, adding: “He had two really good post-ups going down the stretch. It shows you his skill level, and that’s something that we need, another guy that can just throw the ball to and he can go make something happen.”
Wiggins made his biggest contribution yet in just his third game with the Heat. Playing 42 minutes against the Raptors, the forward scored 25 points—second only to Herro’s 28—while also grabbing eight rebounds and adding an assist.
“That drive he had down stretch going to his left, great finish, and then the two-way basketball on the other side really had some key defensive stops,” Spoelstra said, appreciating Andrew’s all-around effort. “He was able to get some good stops without fouling, making the shots tough.”
The Heat are building a new identity
The Miami Heat are looking significantly different than earlier in the season. Previously, much of the team’s expectations were centered around Jimmy Butler, with larger roles for players like Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic, both of whom have since seen reduced prominence.
With Herro now confirmed as the new on-court leader, and Wiggins added to the mix, the Heat are working to establish a new team dynamic. “We’re excited, now we’re able to see a little bit of what this can look like,” Spoelstra explained. “Defensively, I thought we were pretty good all the way through, and then offensively, even though, you know, we didn’t put up a lot of points in that fourth quarter, there was more intention and we’ll get better with that.”
Wiggins adjusting to his new role in Miami
Following the win over the Raptors, Andrew Wiggins expressed his excitement about his early experiences with the Heat. “It’s an amazing feeling. My first dub with the Heat. You know, many more to come. So we’ve got to keep going, keep playing together, keep going, keep playing Heat basketball. And you know, we’re gonna be good,” he said in an interview shared by reporter Naveen Ganglani on X.
Discussing his transition to playing alongside established stars like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, Wiggins noted: “Tyler and Bam, they’re a special duo that can do a lot, especially on both sides of the floor. I’m just trying to get included, and situated, find my spots on the floor, and keep building that chemistry. Keep building it up.”