Heal Is Not Just a Number
In D&D 5e, Heal costs an action, reaches 60 feet, and touches one creature. It returns 70 hit points and ends the Blinded, Deafened, and Poisoned conditions. That last clause is the part most tables ignore, because 70 is a big enough number to hypnotize everyone into thinking the spell is a bucket of water.
The misplay is treating Heal as a panic button. Someone drops, you dump 70 into them, combat continues. Fine. But conditions are the expensive problem, not the hit point total. A Poisoned fighter is swinging at disadvantage every round. A Blinded ally is missing and being hit with advantage. Clearing those by hand can cost multiple actions or a Lesser Restoration slot you would rather keep. Heal wipes all three at once, as a rider on damage you were already going to undo.
The optimization is timing, not target. Save it for the moment when the number and the condition removal both matter, not the first friendly corpse you see.
At the table: Your paladin is at 12 hit points and Poisoned by a green dragon’s breath. Cast Heal: 70 hit points and the Poisoned condition gone in one action, instead of Lesser Restoration this turn and a heal next turn.
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