Miami Heat coach Spoelstra shuts down East Conference predictions: ‘Loser’s mentality’

The goal for the Miami Heat in the 2025–26 NBA season is to return as serious title contenders. They fell short of expectations last year, dealing with internal turmoil and the midseason departure of their top player, Jimmy Butler. Now, coach Erik Spoelstra is optimistic about the team’s chances in the Eastern Conference.

Late in the 2024–25 campaign, several teams lost key stars to injury. The Indiana Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton for an extended period, and the same will suffer the Boston Celtics with Jayson Tatum. Damian Lillard, already set for a lengthy absence, was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks and returned to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Asked whether these changes improved Miami’s chances in the East, Spoelstra was direct. “You can’t think that just because there have been some changes in rosters or some injuries that, ‘Oh, now we have a chance.’ That’s kind of a loser’s mentality,” he said in a recent interview with The Miami Herald.

“We want to compete at the highest level regardless of who’s out there. That’s been our mindset. We’re not ducking any kind of competition,” the coach added. “If you want to accomplish something great, you’re going to have to beat great teams anyway.”

The Heat have lessons to learn from last year

During the 2024–25 season, the Miami Heat made headlines more for their conflicts with Jimmy Butler and his eventual departure to the Golden State Warriors than for their performance on the court. That clearly affected the team’s results, as they finished eighth in the standings with a 37–45 record and were quickly eliminated in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers after qualifying through the play-in tournament.

Spoelstra pointed out that one key to the team’s struggles was their performance in close games and blown double-digit leads. “That can change the trajectory of your season if you handle those moments of truth better,” he said. “You change that dynamic, and then everything looks different.”

A new version of Miami

Now the Heat appear to have a clearer direction. With Bam Adebayo established as the team’s leader and Tyler Herro showing strong form, they have a solid foundation. Add to that the expectations for what Andrew Wiggins can contribute now that he’s fully integrated into the squad, plus the arrival of Norman Powell after a strong season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

“You can feel the energy, you can feel the excitement building,” Spoelstra said optimistically. “It doesn’t have to be all there right now. But look, it’s happening organically. I feel it myself, the staff feels it, the players feel it.”