Commentary

Inside the Miami Heat offense

Miami's sets and actions might not seem complex, but they're a nightmare to defend

Updated: November 5, 2010, 12:35 PM ET

By David Thorpe | Scouts Inc.

Most sports fans would agree that the toughest league for a coach to prepare his team in is the NFL. The combination of multiple personnel packages, formations and talents on the field keeps defensive coordinators awake most of the night before they play talented teams.

While its individual sets and actions might not seem complex on the surface, the Miami Heat offense will give NBA coaches some insight into those game plan anxieties. Miami's offense is both tough to prepare for in theory and in practice. The Heat hit teams with a full arsenal of sets and actions and attack defenses both in the interior and on the perimeter. It's clear that the coaching staff spent a lot of time this summer devising a game plan for Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh to excel as both primary and secondary options.

It's still early in the season, and chemistry issues may be holding them back from their fullest potential as of today, but here's what Miami is looking to do on offense right now:

To read David Thorpe's analysis of the Miami Heat offense, you must be an ESPN Insider.