Miami
Heat

This late-season stretch was defined by an utterly surreal offensive metamorphosis that temporarily turned a defensive anchor into a high-volume gunner. The absolute peak of this fever dream arrived on 03/10 vs WAS. Adebayo hijacked the offense to drop a staggering 83 points on 43 shot attempts, earning a massive +72.6 Impact score through sheer scoring volume and an absurd willingness to launch 22 three-pointers. Yet, even when his newfound jumper violently abandoned him, he found ways to dominate the margins. On 03/27 vs CLE, he shot a miserable 3-for-14 from the floor but still posted a +16.0 Impact score by vacuuming up 16 rebounds and strangling the opposition with relentless defensive effort. His insistence on playing like a perimeter guard did occasionally punish the team. During a dismal outing on 04/07 vs TOR, Adebayo forced seven awful looks from beyond the arc to finish with just 7 points, and that horrific shot selection ultimately dragged his Impact down to -0.3 for the night.

Norman Powell’s late-season stretch was defined by a jarring transition from a high-volume starter into an unpredictable sparkplug off the bench. His nightly value frequently divorced itself from his raw shooting percentages. This bizarre dynamic was obvious on 01/26 vs PHX. Despite clanking his way to 16 points on an abysmal 5-for-21 from the floor, Powell still managed a +5.7 impact score by crashing the glass for 10 rebounds and grinding out suffocating perimeter defense. Conversely, his scoring binges occasionally masked deep underlying flaws. During the 03/23 vs SAS tilt, he poured in 21 points but posted a -4.1 impact, bleeding value through inefficient 7-for-18 shooting and terrible defensive lapses. Yet when his shot selection normalized, he remained a lethal two-way weapon, erupting for 24 points on crisp 9-for-15 shooting on 02/06 vs BOS to generate a massive +19.6 impact score.

Tyler Herro spent this late-season stretch oscillating wildly between carrying the offense and actively shooting his team out of games. When his jumper was falling, he looked like an unstoppable primary option. He erupted for 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting during the 03/29 vs IND matchup, generating a massive +24.9 impact score through sheer shot-making. But that offensive brilliance vanished quickly when his touch abandoned him. During the 04/01 vs BOS contest, Herro forced up heavily contested looks, needing 15 field goal attempts to score 18 points, which resulted in a brutal -10.1 impact score. He tried to pivot into a facilitator role during the 04/12 vs ATL game, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 8 assists. Despite that well-rounded effort, his broken jumper—yielding just 5 points on 2-for-9 shooting—carried hidden offensive costs that dragged his overall impact down to -9.6. He remains a dangerous weapon, but his overall effectiveness is still entirely hostage to his shot selection.

This late-season stretch defined Kel'el Ware as a volatile, high-ceiling glass-cleaner who swung wildly between game-wrecking dominance and utter invisibility. When fully engaged, he was an absolute menace around the rim. Look no further than his monstrous +29.8 Impact score on 03/05 vs BKN, where he bullied the interior for 11 rebounds and converted a highly efficient 7-of-9 from the floor. Yet, head-scratching lapses in effort constantly threatened his rotation spot. On 04/01 vs BOS, he scored an efficient 8 points on perfect perimeter shooting, but a meager two rebounds and a complete lack of defensive resistance dragged him down to a brutal -6.4 Impact. Fortunately, sheer volume usually salvaged his rougher offensive nights. He endured a grueling 42-minute start on 04/14 vs CHA, overcoming a miserable 5-for-12 shooting performance by outworking everyone for 19 rebounds to post a +17.5 Impact. The physical tools are glaringly obvious, but his mental motor still dictates whether he plays like a franchise pillar or a bench afterthought.

Andrew Wiggins defined this late-season stretch with a maddening volatility, swinging wildly between hyper-efficient dominance and complete disappearing acts. When fully engaged, he looked utterly unstoppable. On 02/21 vs MEM, he poured in 28 points on near-perfect 9-for-10 shooting to generate a massive +30.2 Impact score. That elite rating stemmed directly from flawless shot selection and punishing perimeter execution, as he hit all four of his three-point attempts while actively crashing the glass for seven rebounds. Even when his jumper went cold, he occasionally found ways to drive winning basketball. He ground out a +8.4 Impact score on 02/28 vs HOU despite scoring just 12 points because he committed to hard defensive rotations and steady playmaking. Sadly, that reliable effort completely evaporated by April. He bottomed out on 04/12 vs ATL with a dismal -8.3 Impact score, dragging his team down through forced, contested jumpers that resulted in an ugly 1-for-9 shooting line and a total lack of rebounding urgency.

This late-season stretch was defined by Jaquez embracing a high-wire act as a primary bench scorer, oscillating wildly between carrying the second unit and stalling the offense. Even when his shot fell, hidden costs sometimes dragged him down. Despite an efficient 14 points on 7-for-12 shooting, he posted a -3.7 Impact during the 02/28 vs HOU game because his sloppy defensive rotations and lack of rebounding bled points on the other end. Conversely, he learned to salvage his value on brutal shooting nights. He shot an ugly 6-for-18 during the 03/08 vs DET matchup, yet still engineered a +10.0 Impact by generating vital non-scoring value through relentless hustle and seven crucial assists. His absolute ceiling emerged in the 04/04 vs WAS contest. Jaquez torched the nets for 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting, producing a massive +21.2 Impact by ruthlessly punishing mismatches without hesitating. He is no longer just a gritty rotation piece, but a fearless offensive engine.

Pelle Larsson's late-season stretch was a dizzying pendulum swing between brilliant two-way wing play and frustratingly hollow minutes. He reached his absolute ceiling during a massive 03/12 vs MIL performance. Pouring in 28 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing six assists on 9-for-14 shooting, his relentless offensive creation drove a towering +21.8 Impact score. Yet, he frequently struggled to translate sheer volume into actual winning basketball, a flaw glaringly obvious on 02/28 vs HOU. Despite logging 20 points, his clunky 1-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc and overall defensive apathy dragged his Impact score down to a flat -0.2. Conversely, he is often at his best when letting the game come to him, as seen during a bench shift on 03/25 vs CLE. He only attempted five shots to score 14 points, but his crucial five rebounds and mistake-free execution earned him a +4.6 Impact score.

Davion Mitchell’s late-season stretch was defined by erratic offensive output, oscillating wildly between offensive invisibility and sudden bursts of primary-creator volume. He bottomed out completely on 03/27 vs CLE. During that dud, he posted an Impact of -19.7 because he bricked five of his six field goals and completely failed to connect from deep. Even when his raw box score numbers looked robust, like his 15-point, nine-assist outing on 03/21 vs HOU, his overall value still dipped into the red with an Impact of -0.3. That slightly negative rating stemmed directly from the hidden cost of chucking ten three-pointers and only sinking three, wasting valuable offensive possessions. Yet, Mitchell flipped a switch in April. He played all 48 minutes on 04/14 vs CHA, pouring in 28 points on 24 shot attempts to generate a staggering Impact of +19.9. When he actually hits his perimeter looks and commands the floor with aggressive volume, his ceiling remains incredibly high.

Simone Fontecchio’s late-season stretch was defined by maddening inconsistency, oscillating wildly between lethal floor-spacer and unplayable liability. When his jumper abandoned him, the results were catastrophic. On 02/28 vs HOU, he dragged the second unit into the mud with a brutal -15.7 Impact score, bricking all five of his shot attempts and wasting crucial offensive possessions. Yet he occasionally salvaged his utility without needing a scoring barrage. During the 02/08 vs WAS matchup, Fontecchio posted a stellar +10.5 Impact score despite recording just 12 points. He generated that hidden value through active rebounding and timely defensive rotations to keep the bench unit afloat. When his outside stroke finally caught fire, however, he became a genuine game-wrecker. He absolutely torched the nets on 04/10 vs WAS for 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting, earning a massive +17.8 Impact score purely through elite, highly efficient shotmaking.

Dru Smith’s midseason stretch began as a playmaking revelation before completely collapsing into an unplayable slump. He initially thrived as a steadying hand for the second unit, peaking on 02/01 vs CHI with 10 points, four rebounds, and six assists. His +9.2 impact that night stemmed from crisp passing and relentless defensive rotations that kept Chicago entirely off balance. The magic faded fast. Two days later on 02/03 vs ATL, Smith managed just two points on a dismal 1-for-5 shooting night, posting a disastrous -14.6 impact as his erratic shot selection completely stalled the bench offense. By the spring, his brief floor stints were actively hemorrhaging points. He bottomed out on 04/01 vs BOS, logging a staggering -15.8 impact in a mere four minutes of empty cardio. When a rotational guard stops hitting shots and gets hunted defensively the moment he checks in, his minutes simply vanish.

Keshad Johnson spent this ten-game stretch bouncing between invisible garbage-time cameos and sudden flashes of high-volume bench production. Look at his brutal 04/04 vs WAS appearance. He logged a single minute, grabbed one rebound, and posted a disastrous -12.1 Impact score by wandering aimlessly without generating any defensive resistance or offensive flow. Contrast that with his explosive outing on 03/17 vs CHA. Given 20 minutes of run, he erupted for 15 points and five boards. That +12.3 Impact score wasn't just empty calories; he actively hunted his shot, launching nine threes and crashing the glass with relentless hustle. By mid-April, the coaching staff finally trusted him with genuine rotation minutes. During the 04/12 vs ATL matchup, Johnson earned a +7.7 Impact score by cutting out the forced perimeter shots to deliver an efficient 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting alongside three crisp assists.

Kasparas Jakučionis spent the late winter of the 2025-26 season riding a chaotic pendulum between starting-caliber brilliance and deep, bench-warming slumps. Given a spot in the opening lineup on 03/12 vs MIL, he erupted for 18 points and seven rebounds. He buried five three-pointers that night, spacing the floor perfectly to generate a massive +12.3 Impact score. He did not always need a hot shooting hand to swing a game, however. Take his outing on 03/23 vs SAS, where a modest 8-point performance still yielded a +9.0 Impact score because he crashed the glass for six boards and provided relentless defensive effort. Yet, his playmaking occasionally came with crippling hidden costs. During the 04/04 vs WAS matchup, he stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points and nine assists but still posted a dismal -8.2 Impact score, dragged down by sloppy turnovers and poor shot selection. This volatile stretch paints the picture of a guard who can ignite an offense, but whose erratic execution makes him a maddening rotation puzzle.

Myron Gardner’s mid-March stretch was defined by a brief, failed experiment in the starting lineup that quickly devolved into deep bench obscurity. He initially earned a promotion to the first five, peaking with a gritty performance on 03/10 vs WAS. Despite scoring just 4 points in 26 minutes, he managed a +0.8 Impact because he willingly crashed the glass for 8 rebounds and kept the offense flowing with unselfish passing. That blue-collar utility vanished almost immediately once he was relegated back to the second unit. Look at his outing on 03/21 vs HOU, where he scored an efficient 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting but still dragged the team down with a dismal -8.2 Impact. Those empty offensive calories masked hidden costs, as poor defensive rotations and a lack of overall court awareness bled points on the other end. By the time he logged a staggering -16.4 Impact in just three minutes on 04/10 vs WAS, Gardner was barely clinging to an NBA role. He had become a complete liability.

A severe offensive slump and evaporating minutes defined this brutal stretch for Nikola Jović. He briefly flashed his ceiling on 01/25 vs UTA, pouring in 23 points on 6-of-12 shooting to generate a stellar +11.2 Impact score. That rare positive mark stemmed entirely from his aggressive, efficient shot selection rather than his usual erratic chucking. Unfortunately, that rhythm vanished almost immediately. The regression culminated in an abysmal 02/06 vs BOS appearance where he went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in just six minutes. Missing four three-pointers in such a tight window completely torpedoed the offense, resulting in a -12.7 Impact score as his forced attempts actively hurt the team. Things hit rock bottom on 03/21 vs HOU, yielding a disastrous -16.9 Impact score in a mere four minutes of action. When his outside shot abandons him, Jović simply doesn't offer enough secondary playmaking or defensive resistance to survive on an NBA floor.