LeBron James breaks down Heat's new offense: "That's why Spo will be one of the greatest coaches ever"

The Miami Heat have been impressive to start the season, compiling a 13-7 win-loss record to stand fourth in the Eastern Conference. More than the win total, how they have overhauled their offense to become the most efficient scoring team in the league has been extraordinary, given their methodical approach in their half-court sets.

One man who has been at the forefront of this offensive revolution is head coach Erik Spoelstra. A protege of Pat Riley, Spoelstra has been an assistant coach since 1997, working his way up to becoming the team's head coach in 2008. During his tenure as the Heat's head coach, the team has appeared in the NBA Finals five times, winning the championship twice.

Despite his impressive resume, Spoelstra is often overlooked in discussions of the league's greatest coaches. However, LeBron James disagrees with this notion and believes that Spoelstra will go down as one of the best coaches of all time.

A brand-new offense

One thing that has raised eyebrows around the league is the Heat's new offense.

One offensive play in every NBA team's playbook is the pick-and-roll, a staple of modern basketball. However, the Heat have eschewed that pet action, using it on only 4.5 percent of their possessions, the lowest usage rate in the league.

"Memphis last year was setting 42 screens per 100 possessions. Miami is only setting 17," Steve Nash noted on the "Mind The Game" podcast. "Forty-two was by far the lowest. 17 is exceptionally low for screens in a league that is pick-and-roll heavy. Almost every possession has a pick-and-roll or a DHO, which we consider a screen."

James remarked that going up against a team that doesn't rely on the pick-and-roll is a little jarring and takes some time to get used to.

"It takes a while to get adjusted to it," he said. "I got to see it firsthand — how fast they are playing and the pick-and-roll-less style of basketball they are playing. To scout that for one game, or they come to your building and you have one game to scout for, maybe not even a full day, it's hard to catch up to. It's hard to catch up to. And I think it's working in their favor."

To date, the Heat lead the league in pace and are second in points per game at 122.9, an impressive feat considering they have played most of the season without Tyler Herro, who returned to the lineup only recently after undergoing foot surgery.

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More freedom of movement

With Herro sidelined, the Heat have leaned on an offensive scheme that relies on speed, space and off-the-ball movement. With versatile players like Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell, they have personnel that can excel in this type of system.

"Without Tyler Herro, who is a very good pick-and-roll player, they've switched off of it and allowed more freedom of movement — get off the ball, if you don't have it, drive, get everything into the wheel, this wheel action," LeBron shared.

"Bam has had a couple games this year where he's had multiple 3-pointers made, and that is helping him as well. They don't have to have anybody in the paint. And when you have a lob threat like the kid Ware, you have those guys. You have Jaime Jaquez, who's very fast with the ball, Wiggins, very good downhill, Davion Mitchell, very good downhill, Norman Powell, very good downhill. It fits their demographic. It fits their personnel," he added.

James asserted that much of the credit must go to Spoelstra, who coached him in Miami for four seasons. A team can have plenty of talented players, but without a coach employing a system that maximizes their skills, they won't reach their full potential.

"That's why Spo is one of the greatest coaches, will be one of the greatest coaches ever," LeBron said. "Because he continues to have a growth mindset and continues to change offensive things to fit his scheme and his personnel. And they've been playing good ball to start."

The Heat have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA, having made the NBA Finals twice since 2020. And with this new, high-octane offense and Spoelstra leading from the sidelines, they have a chance to make another deep postseason run.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.