Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

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The Miami Heat 1993–94 centered their offense on Glen Rice’s scoring, while Rony Seikaly provided consistent interior production and led the team’s rebounding effort. Bimbo Coles directed the offense as the primary playmaker, and Billy Owens contributed across multiple categories with his versatile all-around game. The statistical profile reflected balanced scoring and dependable rebounding, but a greater reliance on its core players for offensive creation and overall production.

Roster

NO. PLAYER NAME POS HT WT DATE OF BIRTH COLLEGE
2 Keith Askins SF 6-7 197 December 15, 1967 Alabama
3 Steve Smith SG 6-8 200 March 31, 1969 Michigan State
4 Rony Seikaly C 6-11 230 May 10, 1965 Syracuse
10 Manute Bol C 7-7 200 October 16, 1962 University of Bridgeport
12 Bimbo Coles PG 6-0 182 April 22, 1968 Virginia Tech
20 Brian Shaw SG 6-6 190 March 22, 1966 Saint Mary’s, UC Santa Barbara
21 Morlon Wiley PG 6-4 185 September 24, 1966 Cal State Long Beach
22 John Salley PF 6-11 230 May 16, 1964 Georgia Tech
32 Harold Miner SG 6-5 210 May 5, 1971 USC
33 Alec Kessler PF 6-11 230 January 13, 1967 Georgia
34 Willie Burton SF 6-8 210 May 26, 1968 Minnesota
35 Gary Alexander PF 6-7 240 November 1, 1969 South Florida
41 Glen Rice SF 6-8 215 May 28, 1967 Michigan
43 Grant Long PF 6-8 225 March 12, 1966 Eastern Michigan
52 Matt Geiger C 7-0 243 September 10, 1969 Auburn, Georgia Tech

Regular Season Per Game

Player Pos Age GP GS MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Glen Rice SF 26 81 81 37.0 21.1 5.4 2.3 1.4 0.4 1.6 17.5 8.2 .467 4.3 1.6 .382 3.5 3.1 .880
Steve Smith SG 24 78 77 35.6 17.3 4.5 5.1 1.1 0.4 2.6 13.8 6.3 .456 3.4 1.2 .347 4.2 3.5 .835
Rony Seikaly C 28 72 60 33.5 15.1 10.3 1.9 0.8 1.4 2.7 11.2 5.4 .488 0.0 0.0 .000 5.9 4.2 .720
Grant Long PF 27 69 59 31.9 11.4 7.2 2.5 1.3 0.4 1.8 9.7 4.3 .446 0.1 0.0 .167 3.4 2.7 .786
Brian Shaw SG 27 77 52 26.5 9.0 4.5 5.0 0.9 0.3 2.2 8.7 3.6 .417 2.8 0.9 .338 1.2 0.8 .719
Harold Miner SG 22 63 31 21.6 10.5 2.5 1.5 0.5 0.2 1.5 8.4 4.0 .477 0.1 0.1 .667 2.9 2.4 .828
John Salley PF 29 76 45 25.1 7.7 5.4 1.8 0.7 1.0 1.2 5.7 2.7 .477 0.0 0.0 .667 3.0 2.2 .729
Bimbo Coles PG 25 76 4 22.7 7.7 2.1 3.5 1.0 0.2 1.4 6.8 3.1 .449 1.3 0.3 .202 1.7 1.3 .779
Matt Geiger C 24 72 0 16.7 7.2 4.2 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.8 4.9 2.8 .574 0.1 0.0 .200 2.1 1.6 .779
Willie Burton SF 25 53 1 13.2 7.0 2.6 0.7 0.3 0.4 1.0 5.3 2.3 .438 0.3 0.1 .200 3.0 2.3 .759
Keith Askins SF 26 37 0 8.6 2.3 2.2 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.6 2.4 1.0 .409 0.6 0.1 .190 0.3 0.2 .900
Alec Kessler PF 27 15 0 4.4 2.2 0.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 1.7 0.7 .440 0.6 0.3 .556 0.5 0.4 .750
Morlon Wiley PG 27 4 0 8.5 1.8 1.0 1.8 0.5 0.0 1.5 2.0 0.8 .375 1.0 0.3 .250 0.0 0.0 —
Manute Bol C 31 8 0 7.6 0.3 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.6 1.5 0.1 .083 0.4 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 —
Gary Alexander PF 24 4 0 3.0 0.5 0.8 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.5 0.3 .500 0.0 0.0 — 0.5 0.0 .000
Team Totals     82 82 241.5 103.4 44.4 22.6 7.8 4.6 16.0 84.1 39.0 .464 12.2 4.1 .338 27.1 21.3 .785

Playoff Per Game

Player Pos Age GP GS MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Steve Smith SG 24 5 5 38.4 19.2 6.0 2.2 0.8 0.4 2.0 16.0 6.6 .413 4.4 1.8 .409 5.0 4.2 .840
Bimbo Coles PG 25 5 0 28.0 13.8 2.8 3.4 1.4 0.2 2.2 9.4 5.0 .532 0.8 0.2 .250 4.6 3.6 .783
Glen Rice SF 26 5 5 39.0 13.0 7.2 2.0 2.2 0.4 2.8 13.6 5.2 .382 4.6 1.4 .304 1.6 1.2 .750
Grant Long PF 27 4 2 27.5 12.3 4.5 1.8 0.8 0.5 2.5 9.0 3.5 .389 0.0 0.0 — 6.8 5.3 .778
John Salley PF 29 5 5 40.2 11.0 8.0 1.6 0.4 1.0 1.2 11.4 4.4 .386 0.0 0.0 — 3.2 2.2 .688
Rony Seikaly C 28 5 3 33.0 8.2 9.4 1.6 0.8 1.4 2.2 6.4 2.8 .438 0.0 0.0 — 4.6 2.6 .565
Harold Miner SG 22 4 0 14.3 8.0 2.0 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.5 6.5 3.0 .462 0.0 0.0 — 2.8 2.0 .727
Brian Shaw SG 27 5 5 22.4 7.8 4.0 1.8 0.8 0.2 2.6 8.2 3.2 .390 2.6 0.0 .000 2.4 1.4 .583
Willie Burton SF 25 2 0 5.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.0 0.5 .250 1.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 —
Matt Geiger C 24 2 0 5.5 0.5 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 — 1.0 0.5 .500
Keith Askins SF 26 1 0 6.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 — 0.0 0.0 —
Team Totals     5 5 240.0 89.8 43.6 14.4 7.2 4.0 16.4 78.8 32.6 .414 12.8 3.4 .266 29.4 21.2 .721

Regular Season Per 36 Mins

Player Pos Age GP GS Min PTS TRB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Glen Rice SF 26 81 81 2999 20.5 5.2 2.2 1.3 0.4 1.6 17.1 8.0 .467 4.2 1.6 .382 3.4 3.0 .880
Steve Smith SG 24 78 77 2776 17.5 4.6 5.1 1.1 0.5 2.6 14.0 6.4 .456 3.4 1.2 .347 4.2 3.5 .835
Rony Seikaly C 28 72 60 2410 16.3 11.1 2.0 0.9 1.5 2.9 12.0 5.9 .488 0.0 0.0 .000 6.3 4.5 .720
Grant Long PF 27 69 59 2201 12.9 8.1 2.8 1.5 0.4 2.0 11.0 4.9 .446 0.1 0.0 .167 3.9 3.1 .786
Brian Shaw SG 27 77 52 2037 12.2 6.2 6.8 1.3 0.4 3.1 11.8 4.9 .417 3.8 1.3 .338 1.6 1.1 .719
Harold Miner SG 22 63 31 1358 17.5 4.1 2.5 0.8 0.3 2.5 14.1 6.7 .477 0.2 0.1 .667 4.8 3.9 .828
Bimbo Coles PG 25 76 4 1726 12.3 3.3 5.5 1.6 0.3 2.2 10.8 4.9 .449 2.1 0.4 .202 2.7 2.1 .779
Matt Geiger C 24 72 0 1199 15.6 9.1 1.0 1.1 0.9 1.8 10.6 6.1 .574 0.2 0.0 .200 4.5 3.5 .779
Willie Burton SF 25 53 1 697 19.2 7.0 2.0 0.9 1.0 2.8 14.6 6.4 .438 0.8 0.2 .200 8.2 6.2 .759
Keith Askins SF 26 37 0 319 9.6 9.3 1.5 1.2 0.1 2.4 9.9 4.1 .409 2.4 0.5 .190 1.1 1.0 .900
Alec Kessler PF 27 15 0 66 18.0 5.5 1.1 0.5 0.5 2.7 13.6 6.0 .440 4.9 2.7 .556 4.4 3.3 .750
Morlon Wiley PG 27 4 0 34 7.4 4.2 7.4 2.1 0.0 6.4 8.5 3.2 .375 4.2 1.1 .250 0.0 0.0 —
Manute Bol C 31 8 0 61 1.2 6.5 0.0 0.0 3.5 3.0 7.1 0.6 .083 1.8 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 —
Gary Alexander PF 24 4 0 12 6.0 9.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 6.0 3.0 .500 0.0 0.0 — 6.0 0.0 .000

Playoff Per 36 Mins

Player Pos Age GP GS Min PTS TRB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Steve Smith SG 24 5 5 192 18.0 5.6 2.1 0.7 0.4 1.9 15.0 6.2 .413 4.1 1.7 .409 4.7 3.9 .840
Bimbo Coles PG 25 5 0 140 17.7 3.6 4.4 1.8 0.3 2.8 12.1 6.4 .532 1.0 0.3 .250 5.9 4.6 .783
Harold Miner SG 22 4 0 57 20.2 5.1 1.3 0.6 0.0 1.3 16.4 7.6 .462 0.0 0.0 — 6.9 5.1 .727
Grant Long PF 27 4 2 110 16.0 5.9 2.3 1.0 0.7 3.3 11.8 4.6 .389 0.0 0.0 — 8.8 6.9 .778
Brian Shaw SG 27 5 5 112 12.5 6.4 2.9 1.3 0.3 4.2 13.2 5.1 .390 4.2 0.0 .000 3.9 2.3 .583
Glen Rice SF 26 5 5 195 12.0 6.6 1.8 2.0 0.4 2.6 12.6 4.8 .382 4.2 1.3 .304 1.5 1.1 .750
John Salley PF 29 5 5 201 9.9 7.2 1.4 0.4 0.9 1.1 10.2 3.9 .386 0.0 0.0 — 2.9 2.0 .688
Rony Seikaly C 28 5 3 165 8.9 10.3 1.7 0.9 1.5 2.4 7.0 3.1 .438 0.0 0.0 — 5.0 2.8 .565
Willie Burton SF 25 2 0 11 6.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.3 13.1 3.3 .250 6.5 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 —
Matt Geiger C 24 2 0 11 3.3 13.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.5 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 — 6.5 3.3 .500
Keith Askins SF 26 1 0 6 0.0 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 6.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 — 0.0 0.0 —

Regular Season Totals

Player Pos Age GP GS Min PTS TRB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Glen Rice SF 26 81 81 2999 1708 434 184 110 32 130 1421 663 .467 346 132 .382 284 250 .880
Steve Smith SG 24 78 77 2776 1346 352 394 84 35 202 1076 491 .456 262 91 .347 327 273 .835
Rony Seikaly C 28 72 60 2410 1088 740 136 59 100 195 803 392 .488 2 0 .000 422 304 .720
Grant Long PF 27 69 59 2201 788 495 170 89 26 125 672 300 .446 6 1 .167 238 187 .786
Brian Shaw SG 27 77 52 2037 693 350 385 71 21 173 667 278 .417 216 73 .338 89 64 .719
Harold Miner SG 22 63 31 1358 661 156 95 31 13 95 532 254 .477 6 4 .667 180 149 .828
Bimbo Coles PG 25 76 4 1726 588 159 263 75 12 107 519 233 .449 99 20 .202 131 102 .779
John Salley PF 29 76 45 1910 582 407 135 56 78 94 436 208 .477 3 2 .667 225 164 .729
Matt Geiger C 24 72 0 1199 521 303 32 36 29 61 352 202 .574 5 1 .200 149 116 .779
Willie Burton SF 25 53 1 697 371 136 39 18 20 54 283 124 .438 15 3 .200 158 120 .759
Keith Askins SF 26 37 0 319 85 82 13 11 1 21 88 36 .409 21 4 .190 10 9 .900
Alec Kessler PF 27 15 0 66 33 10 2 1 1 5 25 11 .440 9 5 .556 8 6 .750
Morlon Wiley PG 27 4 0 34 7 4 7 2 0 6 8 3 .375 4 1 .250 0 0 —
Gary Alexander PF 24 4 0 12 2 3 1 0 0 1 2 1 .500 0 0 — 2 0 .000
Manute Bol C 31 8 0 61 0 11 0 0 6 5 12 1 .083 3 0 .000 0 0 —
Team Totals     82 82 19805 8475 3642 1856 643 374 1274 6896 3197 .464 997 337 .338 2223 1744 .785

Playoff Totals

Player Pos Age GP GS Min PTS TRB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Steve Smith SG 24 5 5 192 96 30 11 4 2 10 80 33 .413 22 9 .409 25 21 .840
Bimbo Coles PG 25 5 0 140 69 14 17 7 1 11 47 25 .532 4 1 .250 23 18 .783
Glen Rice SF 26 5 5 195 65 36 10 11 2 14 68 26 .382 23 7 .304 8 6 .750
John Salley PF 29 5 5 201 55 40 8 2 5 6 57 22 .386 0 0 — 16 11 .688
Grant Long PF 27 4 2 110 49 18 7 3 2 10 36 14 .389 0 0 — 27 21 .778
Rony Seikaly C 28 5 3 165 41 47 8 4 7 11 32 14 .438 0 0 — 23 13 .565
Brian Shaw SG 27 5 5 112 39 20 9 4 1 13 41 16 .390 13 0 .000 12 7 .583
Harold Miner SG 22 4 0 57 32 8 2 1 0 2 26 12 .462 0 0 — 11 8 .727
Willie Burton SF 25 2 0 11 2 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 .250 2 0 .000 0 0 —
Matt Geiger C 24 2 0 11 1 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 .000 0 0 — 2 1 .500
Keith Askins SF 26 1 0 6 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 .000 0 0 — 0 0 —
Team Totals     5 5 1200 449 218 72 36 20 80 394 163 .414 64 17 .266 147 106 .721

HeatingUp Impact Index: Regular Season Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG + BPG) Impact Index Notes Awards
Glen Rice Primary Wing Scorer (1.1) 37.0 High 21.1 5.4 2.3 1.8 80.78 As Miami’s primary wing scorer, Rice carried a large share of the offense while also stretching defenses with his developing three-point shot. His 32-point performance during Miami’s seven-game winning streak helped push the Heat to seven games over .500, with contemporary coverage describing the run as a breakthrough for the young team. Los Angeles Times coverage —
Steve Smith Secondary Offensive Creator (1.05) 35.6 High 17.3 4.5 5.1 1.5 71.57 Smith functioned as Miami’s secondary creator alongside Rice, providing more than scoring through his ability to organize possessions and make plays for others. The 1993-94 season was his most productive in Miami, and his importance was especially apparent when the Heat reached the playoffs and he led them in scoring in several games against Atlanta. The Sporting News-style season reporting via contemporary archive coverage —
Rony Seikaly Low-Post Offensive Anchor (1.05) 33.5 High 15.1 10.3 1.9 2.2 68.15 Seikaly remained Miami’s interior offensive anchor, combining low-post scoring with heavy rebounding responsibility and genuine rim protection. His presence gave the perimeter-heavy Heat a dependable interior option, while his 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks reflected how much of the frontcourt burden he carried. Los Angeles Times archive —
Grant Long Physical Frontcourt Stabilizer (1.05) 31.9 Medium 11.4 7.2 2.5 1.7 52.67 Long provided the physical balance to Miami’s perimeter scoring, working as a rugged forward who rebounded, defended and absorbed difficult interior assignments. His value was particularly evident in a young lineup that needed toughness around Rice and Smith; that physical edge remained obvious when Long became involved in Miami’s heated playoff series with Atlanta. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage —
Brian Shaw Veteran Backcourt Organizer (1.05) 26.5 Medium 9.0 4.5 5.0 1.2 45.51 Shaw was a connective backcourt piece rather than a pure scorer, helping Miami move the ball and organize possessions while also supplying size at the guard positions. His 5.0 assists complemented Smith’s creation, and his ability to handle secondary playmaking helped keep the offense functional when the primary scorers were pressured. Washington Post season coverage —
John Salley Defensive Frontcourt Specialist (1.05) 25.1 Low 7.7 5.4 1.8 1.7 36.60 Salley gave Miami an experienced defensive presence in the frontcourt, with his length and mobility allowing him to defend away from the basket more comfortably than a conventional power center. His offensive workload was modest, but the combination of 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 block illustrates the complementary defensive role he filled. Contemporary New York Times coverage referenced in season archives —
Harold Miner Instant-Offense Reserve (1.0) 21.6 Medium 10.5 2.5 1.5 0.7 33.44 Miner supplied explosive scoring from the reserve group, with his attacking style giving Miami a different look when the offense stalled. Contemporary reporting showed how dangerous that scoring burst could be: against Indiana, he scored 11 fourth-quarter points and helped trigger a decisive 13-2 run during a victory that ended Miami’s six-game losing streak. The Straits Times archive —
Bimbo Coles Starting Point-of-Attack Guard (1.0) 22.7 Low 7.7 2.1 3.5 1.2 29.00 Coles developed into a steadier point guard after earlier criticism that he played too much like a gunner. Contemporary reporting specifically noted his transition toward controlled point-guard play and his increased standing within Miami’s rotation, making him more of an organizer and transition initiator than the reckless scorer he had initially been perceived as. Roanoke Times archive —
Matt Geiger Efficient Backup Center (1.0) 16.7 Low 7.2 4.2 0.4 0.9 25.40 Geiger’s role was built around efficient interior minutes rather than high usage, giving Miami a reliable backup center behind Seikaly. His .574 field-goal percentage is consistent with a player who largely operated around the basket and finished the opportunities created by Miami’s perimeter-oriented offense. Contemporary preseason reporting even identified Geiger, rather than Manute Bol, as the Heat’s preferred backup-center option. Sun Sentinel coverage referenced in contemporary archives —
Willie Burton Reserve Wing Scorer (1.0) 13.2 Low 7.0 2.6 0.7 0.7 22.00 Burton’s role was reduced to limited reserve minutes, but he remained a scoring option when available. His season was interrupted by injuries, which restricted his opportunity to establish a consistent rotation role and left him behind Rice in the wing hierarchy. Deseret News contemporary coverage —
Keith Askins Defensive Utility Wing (1.0) 8.6 Low 2.3 2.2 0.4 0.3 10.40 Askins was primarily a defensive utility piece whose value came from physical wing play and willingness to handle difficult assignments rather than offensive production. His limited 8.6 minutes per game kept his statistical footprint small, but his role was more specialized than the scoring numbers suggest. Contemporary Miami coverage referenced in archived season reporting —
Morlon Wiley Emergency Point Guard (1.0) 8.5 Low 1.8 1.0 1.8 0.5 10.20 Wiley saw only four games, functioning essentially as emergency backcourt depth rather than a regular rotation piece. His 1.8 assists in limited minutes suggest a pass-first approach, but the tiny sample makes broader conclusions about his season role difficult. Limited contemporary coverage was available. —
Alec Kessler Deep Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) 4.4 Low 2.2 0.7 0.1 0.2 6.40 Kessler’s season was almost entirely peripheral, with only 15 appearances and 4.4 minutes per game. He was primarily used as deep frontcourt insurance rather than a regular rotation player, and the limited playing time makes his statistical production a poor indicator of a larger on-court role. Contemporary independent coverage of his 1993-94 role is limited. —
Manute Bol Situational Rim Protector (1.0) 7.6 Low 0.3 1.4 0.0 0.8 5.00 Bol’s enormous defensive value was highly situational by this stage of his career, with Miami using him sparingly rather than building a regular rotation role around his shot-blocking. He appeared in only eight games before being released, and contemporary reporting noted that Geiger—not Bol—was viewed as the more dependable backup-center option. New York Times archive reference —
Gary Alexander End-of-Rotation Big (1.0) 3.0 Low 0.5 0.8 0.3 0.0 3.20 Alexander was strictly an end-of-rotation frontcourt option, appearing in only four games and averaging three minutes. The sample is too small for meaningful stylistic conclusions beyond his use as emergency depth. Limited independent season-specific coverage was available. —
Team Totals — 241.5 — 103.4 44.4 22.6 12.4 496.41 1993-94 Miami finished 42-40 and returned to the playoffs, establishing the franchise’s first winning regular-season record. The team combined Rice’s perimeter scoring, Smith’s creation and Seikaly’s interior presence with a deep collection of complementary guards and forwards. Contemporary reporting captured the team’s seven-game winning streak as a significant turning point before Miami ultimately pushed top-seeded Atlanta to five games. Los Angeles Times season coverage —

HeatingUp Impact Index: Playoff Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG + BPG) Impact Index Notes Awards
Steve Smith Lead Playmaking Guard (1.1) 38.4 High 19.2 6.0 2.2 1.2 75.50 Smith was Miami’s main perimeter initiator in the series, combining shot creation with secondary playmaking while regularly carrying the offense late in games. He scored 25 in Game 3 and hit three free throws in the final 18 seconds to preserve Miami’s 2-1 series lead. His ability to create without needing a traditional high-volume point guard was central to the Heat’s offensive attack. UPI Archives —
Glen Rice Primary Wing Scorer (1.1) 39.0 High 13.0 7.2 2.0 2.6 65.47 Rice remained Miami’s principal scoring wing and one of the team’s most important spacing threats, although Atlanta’s physical defense made his perimeter efficiency uneven. He was decisive in Game 1, using a John Salley screen to get free for the late tip-in that gave Miami its first playoff victory in franchise history. Sports Illustrated retrospective —
Bimbo Coles Sixth Man Shot Creator (1.05) 28.0 High 13.8 2.8 3.4 1.6 54.43 Coles gave Miami an attacking option away from the starting lineup and repeatedly changed the pace of the offense with penetration and quick scoring bursts. He led the Heat with 18 points in Game 4 while also handing out seven assists and recording four steals, illustrating how his reserve role involved considerably more creation than a conventional backup guard. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage —
John Salley Defensive Matchup Anchor (1.05) 40.2 High 11.0 8.0 1.6 1.4 50.82 Salley became Miami’s primary defensive matchup against Kevin Willis and was trusted with enormous minutes because his mobility allowed the Heat to crowd Atlanta’s interior attack without sacrificing frontcourt versatility. He played all 48 minutes in Game 3 while taking the primary responsibility for Willis as Miami repeatedly sent help from different angles. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage —
Rony Seikaly Starting Interior Anchor (1.05) 33.0 High 8.2 9.4 1.6 2.2 49.43 Seikaly was Miami’s interior rebounder and rim-protection anchor, with his defensive presence becoming particularly important against Atlanta’s physical front line. After returning to the starting lineup in Game 3, he grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked two shots, giving Miami the extra-possession advantage it needed to take a 2-1 series lead. Sports Illustrated analysis of Seikaly’s Miami impact —
Grant Long Physical Frontcourt Enforcer (1.05) 27.5 Medium 12.3 4.5 1.8 1.3 45.97 Long supplied the physical edge Miami wanted from its power-forward rotation, but his playoff role became complicated by the Game 2 confrontation with Duane Ferrell. He was suspended for Game 3 after initiating the incident, then returned to the floor for Game 4 and came off the bench for 22 points and 10 rebounds in the deciding Game 5. Deseret News Game 5 coverage —
Brian Shaw Veteran Two-Way Organizer (1.05) 22.4 Medium 7.8 4.0 1.8 1.1 33.96 Shaw’s value was less about creating a large scoring load and more about providing a steady veteran presence in Miami’s backcourt and enough size to defend multiple perimeter positions. His role fluctuated during the series, but he remained a trusted starter and responded with 17 points in Game 5, shooting 8-for-12 from the field. —
Harold Miner Explosive Scoring Reserve (1.0) 14.3 Medium 8.0 2.0 0.5 0.3 23.76 Miner was Miami’s change-of-pace scorer, entering the series as an athletic reserve capable of attacking the basket when the half-court offense became stagnant. He scored 17 points in Game 2, a playoff career high at the time, but his minutes were tightly controlled as Atlanta’s physical defense exposed the limitations of his developing perimeter game. —
Matt Geiger Backup Interior Body (1.0) 5.5 Low 0.5 2.0 0.0 0.0 5.00 Geiger was essentially emergency frontcourt depth during the series, appearing in only two games for 11 total minutes. His presence was largely insurance behind Seikaly and Salley rather than a planned part of Miami’s primary playoff rotation. Contemporary coverage of his specific postseason role is limited. —
Keith Askins Defensive Energy Specialist (1.0) 6.0 Low 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 Askins had almost no offensive responsibility in the series, but his value was tied to defensive energy and physical play. His most notable postseason involvement came away from the box score when he left the bench during the Game 2 altercation with Atlanta, resulting in a three-game suspension and fine. Contemporary AP reporting documented the disciplinary fallout. —
Willie Burton End-of-Rotation Wing (1.0) 5.5 Low 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.00 Burton was a deep reserve whose opportunity largely disappeared once Miami shortened its rotation for the Atlanta matchup. He appeared in only two games and 11 total minutes, while contemporary reporting from the Game 2 incident also identified him among the Heat players fined for leaving the bench. His playoff role was therefore almost entirely situational. —
Team Totals — 240.0 — 89.8 43.6 14.4 11.2 408.34 Miami pushed the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks to a deciding Game 5 after taking a 2-1 lead, coming within two victories of becoming the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed. The series highlighted a Heat identity built around perimeter creation from Smith and Rice, mobile frontcourt defense from Salley, and Seikaly’s rebounding and rim protection. Atlanta ultimately won Game 5, 102-91, ending Miami’s postseason run. —