Heat's New-Look Core Gets a Preseason Road Test in Orlando

Miami's retooled roster should have enough star power and bench depth to edge a Magic team with its own questions.

MIA @ ORL Oct 16, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC

Preseason box scores rarely settle anything, but this one offers a useful look at how much Miami has changed. Four of last season's top seven scorers are gone. Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware have been replaced by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bobby Portis and Klay Thompson. The projected starting group looks nothing like the one that missed the playoffs last season.

That miss is the real storyline. Miami overhauled its offense last year without nearly enough chemistry. Erik Spoelstra, entering his 19th season, says the team feels aligned early this time. His tenure is the longest of any current NBA coach, and that steadiness matters when so many pieces are new. Miami also showed some fight in its last outing, a 125-124 loss to Minnesota after trailing by as many as 14. Conwell and Goldin provided useful bench scoring in that game.

Availability is the catch. Bam Adebayo (groin), Smith and Larsson were all listed as questionable in one preview, and Smith and Larsson were also listed out for the Brooklyn game. If they sit, Miami's rotation gets thin, and the bench scoring from Conwell and Goldin becomes more important.

Orlando has its own uncertainty. Nikola Vučević (rest), Jonathan Isaac (knee) and Black (ankle) are all questionable, which could change the Magic's lineup and minutes distribution at home.

If both teams are short-handed, I trust the side with Giannis and a coach who has had the same job for 19 years. Miami's bench scoring and star power should be enough in a game that may turn into a rotation-heavy scramble. I expect a close finish, with Miami getting the better of it.

Prediction: Heat 113, Magic 109.

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