Five Takeaways from Heat’s Shorthanded Win Over Rockets

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The Miami Heat got a win over the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back to back, without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. The entire supporting cast stepped up on the offensive end all the way through, headlined by a pretty impressive night for Kendrick Nunn. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Kendrick Nunn stepping up early as expected, continuing his catch and shoot clinic.

Since Miami was far from complete on Monday night, Kendrick Nunn was one of the few names that stood out when evaluating a possible explosive performance on the ball. And as expected, Miami relied on him heavily whenever he was on the floor, and he produced. He was forced to become even more involved as a passer, as the PnR’s were used over and over with Precious Achiuwa as the sole lob threat. But his offense that has really stood out lately is his shooting from the outside. This was mentioned after yesterday’s game as well, but it really unlocks a lot of things for this team when fully healthy. If he can be utilized as an off-ball threat next to a guy like Duncan Robinson, it makes their offense pretty interesting while Victor Oladipo is out.

#2: Andre Iguodala: The one calming hand.

Andre Iguodala was labeled as questionable before tonight’s game, which seemed as if he would be ruled out on the second night of a back to back. He did end up suiting up though, and it was definitely for the best when looking at Miami’s offense when he was on the floor compared to off of it. Many would expect that drop-off to occur on the defensive end, but it was actually that facilitating presence on offense that kept Miami going. He is actually capable of getting guys different looks other than the normal PnR, and more importantly, everybody just seemed much more comfortable when he was on the floor. Although some of the pull-up jumpers could’ve been eliminated tonight, he gave Miami an offensive element that they obviously missed.

#3: KZ Okpala truly misses those extra reps away from actual NBA games.

A pretty obvious takeaway is the fact that KZ Okpala really could’ve used those extra reps in a Summer League or G-League atmosphere. All of his experience has been him getting thrown into odd situations, which he’s far from being able to fill. One game he doesn’t look at the rim at all, while other games he looks at it a bit too much with the amount of space he’s given when standing beyond the arc. He’s clearly talented, but he just doesn’t seem to know how to use that talent at this stage, which is expected. One thing that is widely known is that he’s not a catch and shoot player, but he always seems to be plugged into that type of role. He won’t truly make a leap in impact until he’s able to play his own game, when playing freely off the dribble and in transition, which once again, will not occur until he gets additional opportunities in other areas.

#4: Dewayne Dedmon playing his role to perfection.

When Erik Spoelstra made the comments about utilizing youth before tonight’s game, it was pretty obvious he was going to insert Precious Achiuwa into that starting role, and keep Dewayne Dedmon as the back-up big. And the same thing stuck out tonight as it did yesterday, which is Dedmon plays his role to perfection, doing what he does well consistently. He truly battles on the boards, but most importantly, the constant effort on the offensive glass creates extra opportunities for the Heat’s offense. He’s also a very good defender in the paint, since he does a good job of contesting attackers without getting off his feet to foul them. There’s zero doubt that Dedmon has that back-up big spot for good with the way he’s been playing lately.

#5: Duncan Robinson showcasing an unfamiliar attribute: Shooting.

Most of these takeaway pieces involving individual player evaluations consists of discussion about the undercover areas of their games. But tonight, the most obvious attribute for Duncan Robinson cannot go without discussing, since he was lighting it up from deep on a night where the defense was expecting it even more. He’s on the top of the scouting reports every night, but when Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler aren’t next to him in the starting lineup, it felt like a lot of those looks generated by Adebayo screens would be out the window. But they weren’t, and in fact, this may be the type of game that gives him a bit more variety moving forward with his scoring abilities.

Breaking Down Miami’s Late Game Execution Against Brooklyn

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After a dramatic finish in Miami against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, all eyes are on Bam Adebayo’s finishing touch to put the game away at the buzzer. Now, although that shot was an incredible boost for this team after the recent losing streak, it’s mostly about the boost in confidence it can give Adebayo. And just plainly, he deserved that moment.

But instead of just focusing on that one shot, let’s take a ride through Miami’s execution under 4 minutes to go, since that final stretch really showed a lot of things about this team’s character in a game without Jimmy Butler.

– Trevor Ariza doing the small things

On this possession, Goran Dragic brings the ball down as Duncan Robinson runs over and slips the screen to allow him to flow into a PnR on the opposite side. They forced a switch as Bruce Brown went under to guard Adebayo, giving Dragic just enough room to pull.

Although it clanked off the rim, go back and watch Trevor Ariza on this play. When he sees Dragic get into shooting motion, he slowly crashes toward the basket. Most players would immediately bolt there when trying to get an offensive rebound, but Ariza slowly times it.

Knowing Adebayo was waiting under the rim with nobody his size next to him, Ariza taps it over to him, leading to an and-1, which was a very important spark for their offense. As much as people are pointing toward Ariza’s defense on small guards or outstanding shooting stretch, the small things that he does is the real reason for his effectiveness.

– Dragic generating offense down the stretch

One of Miami’s go to sets down the stretch of games with Goran Dragic as a ball-handler looks just like this, except it’s usually Jimmy Butler as the screener. Dragic/Butler PnR’s have been a huge bright spot in Miami’s late game offense, since they have everyone clear out, and allow Butler to catch the ball in stride on the roll where he’s at his best.

But with no Butler, they decided to do something similar yesterday, as Adebayo was the one on the roll. This is a much easier pass for Dragic to make, since they clear out the lane, meaning the only option here is to throw the lob pass.

Although there have been some down moments from Dragic recently, he’s still one of their most trusted decision makers, since his general basketball IQ makes up for that slight lack of quickness. And that was shown yesterday when the 34 year old veteran was the one making plays at the guard spot, instead of their evolving young back-court.

– Bam Adebayo predicting the offenses next move

One area of growth in Adebayo’s game has been his defensive IQ, since he’s reading offenses much quicker. Although different switches are harped on at times, that’s a scheme thing that he is asked to do, and most nights is effective when relying on backside rotations.

On this play, Bruce Brown sets the screen for Kyrie Irving, and Adebayo immediately reacts to cut him off on the roll. Another element to this is Adebayo’s comfort level when Iguodala is on the backside, since when he noticed him on that side, he knew he could roam a bit. This also shows some of Duncan Robinson’s defensive abilities from a team perspective, since he does a good job filling in the empty spots on the rotations.

This leads to a stop, but also take a look at what happens next. Something else that stuck out here is Miami’s offense looking their best when they immediately flow into their sets. It led to a foul call, but it would’ve led to an early shot either way, which shows some of the growth in their late game execution.

– Defensive IQ to offensive grit

There’s a lot to unpack here on this play, and it was by far the most impressive stretch of the game. Much like in the last clip, Ariza and Robinson blitz Irving at the top of the key, while Adebayo slides over for the cut-off. Robinson does a good job of filling in once again, as Adebayo absolutely blankets Landry Shamet, forcing a contested Jeff Green jumper.

Now, on the offensive side of the ball, Miami works the ball into Adebayo halfway through the shot-clock as he’s being fronted by Brown once again. Irving comes over for the double as he catches it, meaning he has somebody open on the opposite side. Dragic’s cut to the basket is the most underrated part of this possession, since that eliminates Green from being able to recover on a kick-out.

Ariza missed the open three, but after Adebayo and Dragic fight for the board down low, Dragic ends up with it and kicks it out to Ariza again. Except this time, he blows by Green and takes the contact to convert on a tough layup to cut the lead to two. Once again, he does the small things, but obviously this time it wasn’t so small. When re-watching this fourth quarter, I was really surprised how active he was on every single play, ultimately becoming a major reason that Miami came out with a win.

– The positive Adebayo switches

There’s a chance the title of this article could be called the Adebayo and Ariza show, since that’s basically what it came down to on most possessions. A major reason the Ariza pick-up was so crucial for Miami to plug into the starting four spot, was for plays like this, where Adebayo is able to switch without worrying about a fellow big struggling with the switch.

As I’ve repeated over and over, Ariza defends guards as good as anybody, meaning late game situations when he’s guarding Irving, leads to the ball-handler searching for a switch that doesn’t get much easier. Adebayo gets put on an island with him, and does what he does best, make shooters uncomfortable.

Irving’s signature behind the back dribble eliminates most players from the play immediately, but not Adebayo. He recovers rather effortlessly, as it clanks off the rim, giving Miami another opportunity. Oh and by the way, Irving was 0 for 8 from the field yesterday when Adebayo was defending him.

– Iguodala clamps to a downhill Dragic

The best intro to this possession would just be listening to what Mark Jones says to begin the play. “Iguodala this time on Irving, last time it was Ariza.” Since that right there is what makes this Heat team so interesting, due to the fact that they can throw a bunch of versatile and veteran wings on star players.

Iguodala doesn’t budge one bit when sticking with Irving, which may have a bit to do with him guarding him time and time again in past Finals match-ups. He finally falls for the ball-fake in the corner, but well, somehow stays with it to alter Irving’s shot again.

As Dragic grabs the ball off the rim, it’s pretty clear that there wasn’t any additional thoughts about what he was going to do on this play. It doesn’t matter if it’s Dragic in his rookie season or his 13th season, he’s still pretty close to unstoppable when he gets that type of momentum on a fast-break. He converts on the layup to tie this thing up for Miami.

– The shot

And finally, the play that doesn’t stop popping up on every social media platform you click on, and rightfully so. Before diving into that play, let’s rewind a few seconds prior, since honestly, that part is the most impressive.

One more time of Ariza guarding Irving, leading right into a swarming switch, and I don’t think there’s a better way to contest that jumper from Irving. That’s a shot he’s knocked down plenty of times in his career, and Adebayo especially does a good job of not fouling and giving Miami a final opportunity.

Then, the ball finds Adebayo’s hands with 11 seconds on the clock. If you take a close look, he looks over at the sideline by Erik Spoelstra, since he wanted to make sure that they weren’t going to call a timeout. Dragic sets a screen for Robinson, as he clears to the corner to eliminate any help from the weak-side.

As Dragic pops out to the perimeter, Adebayo motions his hand to basically say: I got this. And well, he did have it. He sizes up Green, takes three dribble to his left, and leans back into a smooth jumper that rolls in the basket as time expires.

That ladies and gentleman, is Adebayo’s first time in that type of situation, and I can comfortably say that it will most definitely not be his last.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Brooklyn

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The Miami Heat take down the Brooklyn Nets on a game winning jumper from Bam Adebayo. That one shot basically washed away everyone of these takeaways in terms of importance, but take a look at five takeaways from this game….

#1: Early Dewayne Dedmon minutes, effective Dewayne Dedmon minutes.

Something that wasn’t originally expected today was to see an abundance of Dewayne Dedmon throughout, especially immediately when Bam Adebayo exited. For starters, he gave Miami something that they’ve continually missed in a back-up big, which is consistency. Not consistency over a period of games, but consistency in his role. Precious Achiuwa has been a guy that you didn’t know what you were going to get on any given night, but Dedmon’s role was clear as soon as he checked in. A very smart rebounder, meaning he knows how to box out correctly and knows how to use his length to his advantage. The offensive boards was a particular area of strength, giving Miami extra opportunities, but he also showcased an ability to alter shots at the rim, which is quite the attribute for their back-up big spot.

#2: Trevor Ariza giving Miami the same thing every single game.

Not to harp on the adjective consistency too much, but that’s probably Trevor Ariza’s most unexpected attribute this early in his insertion. He is now giving Miami the same thing every game on the offensive end, since the defensive side of the ball was a given from the first game on. He’s shooting the ball very well, filling in the one thing Andre Iguodala minutes have missed at times, trusting the corner three kick-out. He’s also a pretty underrated passer, which is just a proponent of his IQ, which is something Jimmy Butler harped on recently when I asked him about Ariza’s defensive presence. And if the supporting cast elevates back into their usual offensive selves while Ariza keeps this up, it makes them a different team.

#3: Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn stepping up early…..in the game together.

Trevor Ariza wasn’t the only one to score 11 points in the first half, since Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn put up that exact stat-line. Dragic really needed this type of scoring stretch early, so he can get back into his usual trust levels in his jumper, since that’s the element he will have to rely on while age increases by the day. Nunn also looked good early, particularly as a deep threat as well, which is an interesting topic with Nunn. He’s been plugged into a starting point guard role for some time, running PnR’s, pulling up from mid-range, and getting to the basket, but he actually looks most comfortable when he can shoot on spot-ups when others attack. The surprising element with these two as well is that they’re doing it on the floor together, since that duo tandem struggled a lot last season. And due to Erik Spoelstra’s sudden urge to roll out 3 guard lineups, Dragic and Nunn clicking is crucial.

#4: The obvious observation: Miami’s offense clicking, but missing one thing….Jimmy Butler.

Miami’s shooting was off the charts for a good portion of this game, and that’s been something that hasn’t been a strength of theirs to this point. Now, it’s great when it is clicking, but when a dry spell occurs, it becomes a lot of looking around for an attacker that they don’t have, leading to Andre Iguodala pull-ups. It goes unsaid, but that’s where Jimmy Butler comes into play, or better yet, Victor Oladipo. There have been some pieces of reporting that have pointed toward Oladipo returning sometime this season, and when that type of attacking gets inserted into this type of shooting, that elevates Miami to an Eastern Conference threat. But for now, it’s all about awaiting the occasional Dragic drive-by or Herro open layup off of a cut.

#5: Miami doesn’t have that one player takeover, but playing incredible team ball through passing.

When the team is without Butler, it’s pretty clear that they were going to have to play team basketball to compete, or Bam Adebayo fully stepping up like he did against Brooklyn earlier in the season. They went the team ball route, assisting on a good portion of their field goal makes throughout. To that point, the unselfishness of this team automatically means ball flow is fluid throughout, sometimes too much. But that is what basically sustained that type of offense, that usually completely falls off of a cliff as the game progresses. The Heat were in need of a game like this that they can build off of, and most importantly, instill confidence in Butler that this team is capable of battling with the best of them.

The Miami Heat’s Season Riding on the Next Decision of Bam Adebayo

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Through a lot of the Miami Heat’s struggles, Bam Adebayo has become a type of scapegoat. Usually that means a player isn’t performing to the level many expected, or possibly doing too much to ruin the team’s chances of winning.

The interesting part about this situation though, is that it’s the complete opposite of that, since he’s playing well, but not on high volume. He has the defensive attributes, the passing abilities, the offensive focal point status, and much more. But there’s only one issue, he does all of that and treats his scoring technique as if he is a role player.

And well, even if you’ve had certain doubts about that being all he is capable of, just take some time out of your day to scan through some highlights when he played the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the season. It’s in there. We know it. Jimmy Butler knows it. Erik Spoelstra knows it. But does Adebayo know it?

A very underrated part of his game up to this point has been his level of efficiency on a night to night basis, especially since he’s not a traditional big who only scores at the rim. The only downfall of that element of his game at this stage is that it honestly does not help this team win basketball games.

He has shot over 65% from the field in 14 games this season, which the initial observation would be that’s a pretty impressive thing to do. But then as you drag your finger across the box score to the win column, you’d notice the Heat are 3-11 in those games.

This team is not in need of an efficient Adebayo, or a facilitating Adebayo, or most importantly an unselfish Adebayo. They’re actually in need of that second go-to guy while Jimmy Butler continues to put the team on his back against teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, still not translating to wins.

Butler notices this as well, saying “I want Bam to attack the rim, cause nobody can stay in front of him…I like the mid-range jumper, but he lets people off the hook. I like bully ball.”

When many people first heard or read this quote, they immediately picked out the first and last line due to the tone he said it in, and necessity for Adebayo to hear it. But the middle sentence is actually the most important. Even when Adebayo scored 41 points against the Nets, my primary takeaway was that he must attack the basket more than he relies on the jumper. That mid-range is a small percentage of his game that can tie everything together, but the off the dribble stuff is his foundation and strong base.

So, all of this is fairly clear. Attempts must increase instead of field goal percentage. His unselfish needs to fade away at times. He needs to take Butler’s advice. But what is next from this point?

Well, a favorable match-up against the Brooklyn Nets would be a good start on Sunday afternoon, since it’s the team he recently dominated. Now, I’m not so sure if that makes it more or less likely, due to the fact that even if Adebayo is up for it, the Nets may be more prepared to stop it. But let’s just say they are fully ready for an aggressive Adebayo, as Butler said, nobody can stay in front of him. It doesn’t matter who they throw on him, he is capable of getting to the rim with ease.

The current traffic stop for Adebayo right now is much more mental than physical. He’s clearly got people in his head about it, especially after a disappointing night from him against Phoenix, he came out the following night with an aggressive mindset, while still trying to play his same game as a facilitator.

And ladies and gentleman, that’s the next leap. That current choice to either sit back and wait for the puzzle pieces to fall into place, or step up like the star player that he is more than capable of being right this moment.

Also, this shouldn’t be much of a pressured decision, since frankly, this team has nothing to lose as they sit at the seventh seed in the East, looking around for some type of boost. That boost was Victor Oladipo for a short period of time, but due to the continued uncertainties with his injury, that can’t be harped on.

There’s only one other thing that can fully propel this team into Eastern Conference contention, and that’s the upcoming decision of Bam Adebayo.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Minnesota

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Well, the Miami Heat get handed an unexpected loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently hold the worst record in the league. All of the issues that are continually mentioned can be thrown around again, but after a loss like this, it’s truly tough to pinpoint the small stuff. Anyway, let’s take a look at five takeaways from this game specifically…

#1: An inconsistent first half strikes again.

There’s been a common theme for the Miami Heat over this past stretch, which is a super explosive first quarter, followed by a tough start to the second quarter. Now, they did turn it around to finish the second quarter, but the defense just never seems to turn it on at that point. A big reason for that is the personnel being so one sided in the rotation, due to the bench having some defensive liabilities, which is noticed even more with Andre Iguodala out. But they also need offensive consistency, which falls on the back-up back-court with Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro. One seems to be getting held back due to lack of burst, while the other is just holding himself back. When they aren’t being selfish with the ball in their hands, no offense is generated, while the starters get into their offense much quicker.

#2: The evolving offensive fit of Trevor Ariza.

Trevor Ariza has been one of the five takeaways over the past three games, and everyone of these quick evaluations are getting better and better. The first time just talked about his continued defensive fit, since he was effective on that end immediately with instinctive doubles and ability to hit passing lanes at an elite level. He led the way for Miami at the half with 16 points, showcasing that 3 and D label in an advanced way. Although we’ve basically expected that shot to fall eventually, the part that must be harped on is his growing fit in the scheme. That was headlined tonight by the off-ball cutting throughout, leading to easy layups or open kick-outs. They’ve missed that ability at the four spot for some time, but now they have somebody who can give them just about everything.

#3: Max Strus in, Max Strus producing.

Well, Max Strus got some run tonight, which may have had something to do with Iguodala being out, or possibly to spark the offense. And that’s the part that I’ve been harping on for some time, since if nobody can spark offense, why not throw in that type of shooting who produces every time he gets an opportunity? When I say immediately produce, I mean just that, since he knocked down a corner three in a matter of seconds of being checked in. They’re getting to a point where he must be utilized more, and possibly in a variety of ways. When having a shooter like Duncan Robinson on the roster, it’s not just about interchanging the two, but more importantly using them together to possibly generate more looks for Robinson, or get even more looks for Strus due to the amount of attention Robinson gets.

#4: Stating the obvious: Jimmy Butler the continued engine.

Not mentioning Jimmy Butler following this game would be offensive to post-game analysis. He is the engine of this team on both ends of the floor, which is an obvious statement, but the fact that he is the sole reason they stayed in a game against the worst team in the league is an interesting statement. For starters, the continued discussion with this team is that he is their only downhill threat, but he’s a pretty good one to have. He can collapse the entire defense by just one slight decline in his shoulder, which is quite the ability to have. He also becomes the forever moving defender when Adebayo is on the sideline, as he doubles, picks up bigs in the post, and wrecks havoc on the perimeter to clog passing lanes and create transition offense. And when discussing transition offense, Butler is the only guy who can consistently take it up strong on the fast-break.

#5: Another rough night for Tyler Herro, so what is next?

Tyler Herro struggled once again tonight, with a low point performance, but more importantly a low efficiency night. As I’ve discussed many times, this team can’t afford this type of production from Herro, since the bench drop-off has shown to be quite the issue up until this point. This refers back to guys like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent being inserted, due to the continued search for any type of spark. But what is next for Herro? Well, a Miami Heat coach/player answer will be that it will fall into place eventually, just like the Duncan Robinson slump, but I’m not so sure it’s that simple. They moved him to the bench so he can thrive in a comfortable role, but the issue is that he hasn’t looked comfortable at all lately. It doesn’t mean his role in the rotation should change, but I do believe there can be certain places to insert him in the offense to push him back in the right direction.

Could Kendrick Nunn Actually Benefit from a Victor Oladipo Return?

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When Victor Oladipo rose up to the rim and came down grabbing that knee, there was only one guy who saw a glimmer of hope and opportunity. Kendrick Nunn.

When talking about a player that has gone through a tremendous amount of ups and downs, Nunn would have to be pretty high on that list. G-League player to immediate NBA starter. NBA starter to non-rotation player come playoff time. Out of the rotation to NBA starter again. Then starter to out of the rotation for yet another brief period, before returning to that starting point guard spot after the unfortunate Oladipo injury.

Oh, and this has all occurred in a matter of months.

Even when hearing the traditional and unoriginal quotes about his work behind the scenes and ability to stay ready, that is not an overstatement, since going through that type of roller coaster is not easy to continually come right back and produce. But he has, and it’s important to discuss what could be next for him barring a returning Oladipo.

Although there is still so much uncertainty around Oladipo’s injury status, let’s just take a brief moment to picture as if he will return at some point this season. Miami’s in a first round match-up as their returning two-way acquisition plugs back into the starting lineup. Where does Kendrick Nunn go?

Well, that answer is as clear as ever at the current stage. One of Miami’s issues lately has been bench production, since Goran Dragic has struggled, Tyler Herro hasn’t been the initiator many envisioned, and guys like Andre Iguodala and Precious Achiuwa are offensively limited. If anything has become blatantly obvious, it’s that Nunn could actually be the perfect piece in the area that Miami is lacking right now with that second unit.

Another element to this being possible is the fact that they’ve been willing to go to these 3 guard lineups night in and night out, some even including Nunn, Dragic, and Herro, which I’m not so sure is the right answer. The point is that they are capable of working them all in, especially since Nunn is probably their most consistent guard when referring to these three guys.

Obviously it’s hard to truly project on rotations and lineups when there is still so much unknown about the health of Oladipo. But if he somehow makes a return this season, the reason for Miami turning it around won’t be due to Oladipo’s two-way play. It’ll be the puzzle pieces falling perfectly into place, inserting guys into roles that’ll allow them to play to their ultimate strengths.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Denver

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The Miami Heat had a similar outcome on the second night of this back to back against the Denver Nuggets, since some issues led to yet another loss. Although Bam Adebayo was aggressive to start and their defense was there for stretches, the overall consistency is the real issue. So, let’s take a look at five takeaways from this game…

#1: Bam Adebayo begins the game with an offensive purpose.

After Bam Adebayo had 6 shot attempts in a loss against the Phoenix Suns one night ago, he came out in the first half tonight with 12 points on 13 attempts. When discussing the reason for this exactly, I’d bet it has a lot to do with Adebayo realizing himself that he must takeover at times as the second best player on the team. And as I’ve mentioned, that doesn’t mean he has to take that open mid-range jumper every play, but instead it’s necessary to move downhill on a nightly basis. Centers like Adebayo are not a common thing in this league, which is why he must utilize those strengths any chance he gets, and attacking off the dribble is a good start.

#2: The interesting sides of Jimmy Butler as a defender.

Instead of discussing some of the all-around defensive issues that were shown tonight at times, it’s important to take a second to focus in on the elite abilities of Jimmy Butler on that end of the floor. For starters, it really is interesting that he’s so good at guarding guys in the post. I don’t know if it’s something he’s always been good at, or if it has developed over time, but either way that attribute no matter the post player’s size is pretty impressive. The other element to his defensive skill-set is the continued ability to hit the passing lanes. Once again, while I’m not going to focus in on some of the soft switching occurring throughout, Butler’s backside rotations to hit passing lanes basically saves that constant blitzing, highlighting his effectiveness even more.

#3: Trevor Ariza really finding himself in the offense.

I’ve harped on Trevor Ariza’s immediate fit on defense, by guarding opposing guards or getting deflections, but the offensive fit this quickly really wasn’t expected. After he kept Miami going in the first half a night ago, he was the leading scorer at the half as well tonight with 13 points. The most impressive stat at that point was the fact that he was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, since that was the one thing we noted that Miami missed early in the season. The only issue is that he shouldn’t be the leading scorer for this team, which just furthers the inconsistencies of this Heat team. Once Miami gets clicking on the offensive end regularly, the effectiveness of Ariza as an offensive threat will become even more apparent.

#4: The two-way guys both one-way sparks.

When a takeaway is about the team’s two-way players, that basically sums up how this game went. Gabe Vincent was obviously going to step up into the role of Goran Dragic, but clearly doing just the opposite of what Dragic does. Even though shots falling from deep hasn’t been the staple for Vincent that we once thought, he really competes on the defensive end. Miami even began going into a 2-2-1 press at one point in the season just due to his aggression. But the other two-way guy is the real interesting piece. Max Strus is an outstanding shooter that never seems to really get a full opportunity. There may not be a consistent role for him on this team, but when the team has their moments of offensive struggles, why not throw in Strus to try and spark some things from the outside.

#5: Deja vu?

This game feels pretty similar to a past performance from the Miami Heat, and that may be due to it occurring exactly 24 hours ago. Some really great offensive flow and defensive execution out of the gate, then the team begins to slowly plummet due to a bit of inconsistency. The blame against Phoenix was Adebayo’s aggression and Dragic’s lack of production, but neither of those things can be utilized after this one. The only consistent takeaway is that Miami lacks overall bench production, leading to second quarter fall-offs. Erik Spoelstra clearly notices it as well, since he took Adebayo out six minutes into the game, as he tried to stagger Adebayo and Butler’s minutes as much as possible. And well, that’s when the eyes will turn to Tyler Herro, since that’s the reason he is in that bench role.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Suns

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The Miami Heat lost to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, in a game that three point shots were clearly not their friends. From Bam Adebayo’s lack of aggression to an injury scare with Jimmy Butler, it was a long night for Miami. But they’re going to have to lock back in immediately as they face the Nuggets in Denver less than 24 hours away. Anyways, take a look at five takeaways from this game…

#1: Duncan Robinson knocking down shots in a variety of ways.

Duncan Robinson began the game with an early explosion on the offensive side of the ball, but the shots falling isn’t the key element. The actual important part of it is the different ways that he’s scoring the ball. For one, I mentioned last game that he’s starting a lot of his sets a few feet behind the three-point line, especially being a threat from that range at this stage. That means he gets into high pick and roll sets with Bam Adebayo, leading to pull-up triples instead of straight DHO’s. It’s not all shooting for him as well, since he also is putting the ball on the floor quite regularly, while one hesitation on the wing into an up and under on Jae Crowder comes to mind immediately. If he continues to diversify his ways of scoring, it takes his level of effectiveness to another level.

#2: Trevor Ariza’s comfort levels growing game to game on both ends.

Trevor Ariza had a hot start as well for Miami, scoring a quick 10 points in the first quarter. It’s interesting that it occurred in this game, due to the constant comparison between him and Jae Crowder. This showed that although Crowder had an outstanding run with the team, Ariza is capable of having hot stretches from deep as well, especially since his comfort levels with the team are still growing. But it’s not important to dwell on the offensive side of the ball with him, since his defense continues to stand out. I’ve highlighted his strengths of guarding smaller guards, but the overall consensus is that his length and quickness combination is a terror in the passing lanes. When discussing this Heat team forcing so many turnovers lately, it starts with Ariza’s initial disruption on the perimeter.

#3: Non-Adebayo minutes the real issue for Miami.

When evaluating the box score alone in the first half, the initial takeaway may be that Bam Adebayo didn’t make much of an offensive impact in the first half, due to only scoring 5 points and attempting 2 shots. But if you watched the game, it would tell you something completely different. The drop-off when Adebayo exits the floor is going to occur on the defensive end, since it’s impossible to mirror. But the offensive struggles when he exits has become more and more apparent. Although some of it has to do with his overall impact, Precious Achiuwa’s limitations as the relief guy lead to that as well. Another reason for that could be Robinson usually exiting around the same mark, but those two are a package deal when talking about the team’s offense, and it’s obvious that they must find a way to stay afloat when he takes a breather on the bench. Either way, 2 shot attempts in a half just won’t cut it when facing top tier teams like the Suns.

#4: The pre-Oladipo takeaway: lacking a secondary attacker next to Butler.

When taking a look at Miami’s offense as a whole tonight, other than the shooting struggles from beyond the arc, the overall takeaway that has been discussed for weeks on weeks has made a return. The reason the Victor Oladipo pick-up was so crucial for Miami was due to adding an attacker next to Butler, since they lack secondary downhill guys on this roster who can get there without a screen. Although Kendrick Nunn doesn’t fully fall under that category, he definitely isn’t afraid to attack hard off pick and rolls, as well as fast-break opportunities. But the foul trouble had him sidelined for significant minutes, leading to that hole in the offense being even larger than usual.

#5: The overarching Goran Dragic takeaway.

The Goran Dragic discussion is quite interesting at this stage, since it’s been an extended stretch of time where the same things continue to occur. The things he once gave Miami offensively have slowly faded away. There’s a lack of burst off the dribble, not enough lift on his jumper, and many other things pointing toward the question marks of his postseason effectiveness. A main reason he was able to go on an incredible run in the bubble was due to the amount of rest he got prior. Now, he’s battling himself in a gritty NBA season, while Miami’s overall inconsistencies aren’t helping the cause. There are still moments that this team looks to him to be that takeover player, but that’s just not him at this stage, which means somebody’s aggression must increase, beginning with the young centerpiece Bam Adebayo who has yet to realize it.

A Miami Heat-Phoenix Suns Breakdown Preview

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The Miami Heat will kick off the front-end of a back-to-back tonight against the Phoenix Suns, who are on the second night of a back-to-back, while both teams are pretty hot. The scorching Suns have won 9 of their last 10, and the Heat have won 6 of their last 7. The story-lines are pure, headlined by a familiar face, in Jae Crowder, getting a round 2 from when they faced each other a few weeks ago.

Crowder is coming off an individual hot night, scoring 26 points in the first half alone. After the game, he said, “I’m pissed cause I had more in the tank, but I’ll save that it for tomorrow night.” Will that actually happen? Well, I guess we will find out in a few hours.

Story-lines aside, it’s important to note some of the things that Miami can do to slow down this Suns team, which is pretty hard to do. As mentioned earlier, they faced each other in Miami a few weeks ago, and Phoenix got the best of them.

So, let’s take a look at some things that stood out from the last match-up between these two teams…

– Eliminate mismatches on DeAndre Ayton

This was my one key for the game when they faced each other the first time, and it occurred right out of the gate in the first 3 possessions of the game. Miami’s switching and blitzing scheme means Bam Adebayo finds himself out on the perimeter many possessions, leaving Duncan Robinson on an island with a big, interior presence.

This doesn’t mean Miami has to abort their scheme, but it does mean Adebayo has to be selective at times with it, instead of anticipating a switch before even getting screened. The reason for this against this Suns team is shown in this play. The obvious part about back-side rotations is that you trust Jimmy Butler to defend post players, since it’s something he’s oddly good at.

The issue is that this is a team of weapons, meaning Robinson being switched onto the savvy scorer, in Devin Booker, most likely isn’t the best decision. So, that left Robinson on Ayton, awaiting the double on the baseline from Kendrick Nunn. Although they got a stop on this possession, that won’t happen for long.

– Limit turnovers, limit transition offense

Limiting turnovers seems like a simple way to analyze things, since that should be a key every night, but it’s actually what comes next against this team. The Suns are obviously a very good offensive team, but giving them easy points in the first half last match-up allowed them to pull away early.

The Heat haven’t been turning the ball over as much lately, which is a key element against this team. Now, Goran Dragic definitely hasn’t been playing to his peak abilities as of late, but this may be the revival game for him. They truly missed him against this Suns team, since Gabe Vincent running most of the team’s sets off the bench didn’t cause the best flow.

This will also allow Tyler Herro to play much more freely this time around, due to the fact he thrives as an off the ball scorer without point guard duties. As seen in this clip, Herro was the point guard in many of the lineups, which refers back to the undercover impact of Dragic. If shots begin to drop for him tonight, I believe the Heat have a good chance of coming out with a win.

– Devin Booker: A Butler/Ariza problem

Devin Booker found himself with the Herro or Robinson match-up way too much the first time these two teams played, which is why that adjustment will be made from Coach Spoelstra.

When discussing the exact change that will be made, it’ll be centered around Butler and Ariza focusing in on that match-up all night. Trevor Ariza continues to thrive on smaller guys night to night, which could mean he sees the Booker match-up immediately. When I asked Jimmy Butler about Ariza guarding smaller guys, he said, “How smart he is, knowing what plays are being ran. Always being in the right spot, staying down on shot fakes. It’s the things that people don’t see that he does extremely well.”

Since the Suns are a pretty versatile team as well, this means we may see Butler take the Crowder defensive match-up as Ariza locks in on Booker. This eliminates some of their usual abilities to hunt mismatches, since the Ayton-Crowder screeners will be guarded by Adebayo and Butler respectively. The scheme doesn’t have to be changed depending on the team they’re playing, but match-ups do.

– The importance of Butler-Paul match-up

The reason Butler and Chris Paul are so crucial in this game, is not due to individual match-ups, but instead who controls the pace more. Both guys are well known for their abilities to control a game, and Paul won that battle pretty easily the first time around.

Butler really took his time getting going, which meant the reliance on role players during a period of tough shooting wasn’t really the answer. It’s not always great to lean on Butler heavily on the first night of a back-to-back, but they’re going to need him tonight if they want to get a win.

Miami’s slow starts at times cannot happen against this team, since although they were able to overcome a horrific first quarter against Portland on Sunday night, the Suns will take advantage of it immediately. There’s a better chance of Miami throwing the first punch since the Suns were playing a game less than 24 hours ago, but Buter will have to be the guy to control the pace early on.

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– Is Achiuwa the answer or will it be a Dedmon debut?

Precious Achiuwa has gotten the nod as the back-up big lately, and he actually played a pretty decent game on both ends of the floor two nights ago. The issue is the consistency questions that come with him, since there’s always some doubt about his offensive effectiveness night to night. He actually played a good game against this Suns team, and may be used again due to an interior presence matching up better than a stretch big like Nemanja Bjelica.

But when looking for a big body to throw at this team in the non-Adebayo minutes, could we see the debut of Dewayne Dedmon? I wouldn’t be shocked, and it could be an instinctive decision by Coach Spo depending on the way that this game goes. Back-to-backs seem to be the time to give Dedmon a trial run, which is why I’m expecting it to possibly happen either tonight or tomorrow night.

Anyway, this could be a huge momentum game for this Heat team, since starting off the road trip 2-0 will be a huge relief for their spot in the standings.

Marlins @ Braves Preview

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The struggling Marlins head into Atlanta to play a 4 game series against the Atlanta Braves. The Braves ended the Marlins magical playoff run last season with a clean 3-0 sweep in the NLDS before they fell to the eventual World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. 

 

Not much has changed from the rosters that competed in the playoffs last season, and the Braves look to continue to capitalize on their mismatch with the Marlins. The Fish sit at 2-6 to start the season and the Braves sit at 4-5. Both teams have been victims to terrible umpire calls to start the season, but they both have struggled out of the gate in 2021. With 4 games for one of these teams to get back on track, let’s take a look at the matchups:

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Game 1: Alcantara (0-1, 1.50 ERA) vs Ynoa (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

 

Keys for Marlins: Sandy being Sandy, early run support

 

The Marlins clearly have a pitching advantage in this matchup. The question commonly remains whether the bats will be able to produce to capitalize. Alcantara has been steadily getting better every start, so don’t expect this game to be any different. Sandy has received exceptionally poor run support to start the season, making it important that the Marlins score early, before reaching a Braves bullpen that completely dominated their lineup last season. 

 

Even in the Marlins 3-0 win against Mets, where Trevor Rogers had the best start of his young career, they left 10 runners on base. If the Fish are going to compete with the Braves lineup, they need to be able to score in these situations more consistently. 

 

Game 2: Lopez (0-1, 1.54 ERA) vs Fried (0-0, 9.00 ERA)

 

Keys for Marlins: Pablo figuring out Braves

 

It’s no secret the worst start of Pablo Lopez’s career came in the 29-9 Braves win against the Marlins last season. This obstacle looks much harder to overcome in the face of the Braves’ ace Max Fried. If Pablo Lopez can pitch to the level he has this season, and the Marlins can sneak some runs across versus Fried, the Fish have a chance to steal this game. Out of all 4 games, this win will be the toughest to get.

 

Game 3: Neidert (0-0, 2.08 ERA) vs Morton (1-1, 3.27 ERA)

 

Keys for Marlins: Bats heat up

 

After pitching 4.1 innings of 1 run ball in his first career start, Nick Neidert gets an even bigger challenge in an extremely potent Marlins lineup. He matches up against a veteran Charlie Morton. With an inexperienced arm on the mound for the Marlins, the bats need to wake up to facilitate a victory. The Braves score a lot of runs. The Marlins need to score to keep up, especially when their top arms aren’t on the mound. 

 

Game 4: Rogers (1-1, 1.80 ERA) vs Anderson (0-0, 4.35 ERA)

 

Keys for Marlins: Trevor continues upon success

 

For pitching fans, this is the game to tune into. Ian Anderson broke out last season going 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA. Trevor Rogers showed his true potential this past weekend versus the Mets, where he went 6 innings allowing 0 runs on 10 strikeouts. With Anderson looking to return to last season’s form and Rogers looking to continue upon his last start, it should be an exciting game to watch. 

 

Overall

 

This series should be another strong set of pitching duels. Miami was fortunate enough to win these battles last season, but have struggled to seal the deal in 2021. The Braves lineup makes it even harder for the Marlins to figure things out, but if the Fish want to compete in the NL East, the Braves are who they have to go through.

 

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