Amid the rhythm of the season, it can be difficult to take stock, particularly with each game creating its own drama, particularly with the games coming in such rapid succession.--Ira Winderman

So true. I lament the lack of stock taking. But what is even a veteran beat writer to do? There is a pause now.

But with the NBA at rest for a week, there is time for evaluation beyond the scores and stats of the hour, the ability to change the lens to a wider view than living in the moment.

With the Miami Heat, such pause and such context allows for perspective of a bigger picture than the 30-25 record or No. 7 seed.

...

 Change is afoot: You can see it and you can sense it, a youth movement refusing to be denied.

For all the talk of an older, veteran roster, the departure of Kyle Lowry in favor of Terry Rozier already has altered the dynamic, as have the games that Jimmy Butler has missed.

True, there.

...

The transition is real, and promising, not only with the growing maturity of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, but with the supporting youth of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic, as well as Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith still in their 20s.

...

It’s almost as if the eight-year extension announced for Erik Spoelstra last month was a bridge to coaching the team’s next iteration, as well.

And that could make it particularly intriguing when Jimmy Butler, weeks ahead of his 35th birthday, comes to the table this summer seeking a two-year extension that would take him to 38.

For the Heat, a transition game seemingly already is playing out beyond the court.

...

Jovic still is just 20 and still is plenty raw. Yes, he fits in the starting lineup when other playmakers are out, as was the case with the starts this past week in the absence of Butler.

But when the Heat have Butler, Herro and Adebayo on the court, it mitigates much of what Jovic does best with his bust-out dribbles in transition. 

...further tweaking to the roster, or at least the rotation, likely will be required for the Heat to maximize Jovic’s intriguing potential at 6 feet 10.

As for Jaquez, and the recent dropoff in his numbers, context also is needed there, with his best play coming when Herro and then Butler were sidelined.

As with Jovic, it is the next iteration of the Heat roster that could unlock something closer to the complete Jaquez that was on display the season’s first two months.

I think Ira is pretty clear but if I overstate what he says, then these are mine: Erik Spoelstra has wanted his teams to play faster, literally for a decade. I googled "Heat faster" earlier in the week and saw entries from 2014. The reality is Jimmy Butler slows the team down. He is so intelligent, reads game flow and is deliberate. The reality also is that this iteration of the "Heat", when Jimmy, Tyler, and Bam play together, is under water, under .500. It is not only the young components who play better when faster, when without the "Big Three", it is that the team wins more games. Something has to give if this team is to reach its goals. This reality was in the back of my mind like a bad dream when I made my "judgment" that the "Heat" would win 51 games this season. When Jimmy, Tyler, and Bam play together, cruel, hard facts say no way. In the end I considered "playoff Jimmy" and his large heart determinative. His will can carry this team, and I adjudged that his will will over the last twenty-seven games of the regular season.