5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Washington

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The Miami Heat went down to the wire with the Washington Wizards, and lost yet again in a game that was basically a must win. Some awful and sloppy late fourth quarter offensive possessions led to yet another late Miami collapses. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Tyler Herro must’ve heard the Bradley Beal trade talks.

Well, Tyler Herro seemed to play with an offensive purpose in the first half on Wednesday night, and it just so happened to be against Bradley Beal who is constantly in trade talks. Seventeen points while shooting 7-9 from the field in the first half is impressive on it’s own, but the way he was doing it stood out more. The reason shots were falling at that rate was because of the confidence level Tyler was playing with. It’s always visible with his body language on his jumpers oddly, since when he jumps higher utilizing his legs, the shots looks better. It also makes those opportunities easier when he’s able to get to the rim as easy as he does now. His touch around the rim continues to impress, since as I’ve mentioned in the past, he utilizes the backboard in a way that not many players do at his age.

#2: Miami’s offense turned to constant penetration and paint activity.

When discussing the Miami Heat’s offense, it usually begins with three point shooting generated by dribble hand-offs. But tonight the plan seemed to include getting to the rim, not only for a good portion of possessions, but basically the entire first quarter. This is a very positive thing for a few reasons. For one, early activity at the rim allows increased three point opportunities for guys like Duncan Robinson as seen in the second quarter. It’s also the area of the floor where Miami’s two stars love to operate. It wasn’t about getting to the rim for Jimmy Butler to get points, but instead where that got him which was the free throw line. If Miami can continue to rely on their play around the rim and mid-range area, it opens up everything in their entire offense.

#3: Miami’s perimeter defenders became essential on isolation sets.

Jimmy Butler, Avery Bradley, Andre Iguodala, and even Bam Adebayo are the guys known for wrecking havoc out on the perimeter when defending one-on-one. And after seeing a good amount of isolation sets from Washington, it generated transition offense for Miami. Andre Iguodala is known for his unique and active hands when defending individually, while Avery Bradley’s defensive grit and will was shown by his ability to pick up full court. Jimmy Butler also got a good amount of deflections, which is pretty much expected when he is on the floor. Miami clearly has defensive holes that tried to get covered up by these guys on the perimeter, and it worked for possessions early on. Now, that probably won’t be the case on a nightly basis, but it’s a positive aspect for Miami’s high impact guys.

#4: Third quarter offense becomes stagnant, settling for threes once again.

It’s one thing to get into your offensive sets and shoot up open threes. It’s another thing to get away from dribble penetration completely to begin chucking up catch and shoot threes. The play I discussed tonight that proved Miami getting away from what was working was a 3 on 2 fast-break, which led to Jimmy Butler kicking it out for a Kelly Olynyk three. These empty possessions add up, especially when offensive spacing basically becomes non-existent out of nowhere in the third quarter. The common denominator for Miami’s lack of offensive effectiveness begins with Jimmy Butler becoming a non-factor as he began to shy away from the ball. Even on a great scoring night from Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler is the only person who can spark and generate a working Miami offense, and when he begins to play off the ball, things fall apart.

#5: The continued quest to find their offensive identity.

Finding the identity of this Heat team is something Coach Erik Spoelstra has harped on since the beginning of the season. The issue is that it’s hard to have a sustainable identity with the current personnel, due to the mix of one dimensional guys either defensively or offensively. Looking at the Brooklyn Nets for example, although their defense looks to be very problematic, they know their identity is just to score points and outscore the opponent. Miami’s inconsistent lineups doesn’t allow a natural flow, since there’s no wholesome continuity generated on either end. As mentioned previously though, nonstop offensive aggression from Jimmy Butler patches those issues up a bit, but when he becomes an off-ball guy for long stretches, it leads to Miami falling off on both ends of the floor very fast.

The Awakening of Jimmy Butler Has Arrived

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When looking at the current state of the Miami Heat, it’s clear that taking it game by game is necessary since they’re 7-13 through 20 games and sit at the 13th seed in the East.

It’s been a roller coaster of events for the Heat to start the season, but now with a healthy roster, it’s time to takeoff. And more importantly, it’s time for Jimmy Butler to takeoff.

Jimmy has the ability to step up in every facet, as he showed in his first game back after missing three weeks to Covid. This is his team, and he’s now going to prove that yet again.

It has been discussed that saving Jimmy Butler for a playoff run is essential, but in order to make a playoff run, you need to actually get into a playoff seed. And now, he’s going to look to takeover now before it’s too late, and possibly rest later.

He’s the superstar of this Heat team, and he can turn it on at any moment. The only question with him has been when he decides to turn it on, but that time is now. If there’s anything that is known about Jimmy Butler, it’s that he hates losing more than the average person.

Although he declined to speak with media after Monday’s loss, Goran Dragic said yesterday after practice, “It’s no excuses Jimmy said.” The message in the locker room and practice the past 24 hours has to be a strong one. And not just from Jimmy, since Goran said nobody could sleep after their performance.

The point is that not only is Jimmy Butler the star of this team, he’s also the leader. And going from making the Finals to starting the season 7-13 does not sit well with him. Of course he will still be the guy who sets up teammates and gets others involved, but he won’t let it get to the point that it got to Monday night.

If Miami has a 10 point lead against a lower tiered team, you better believe Jimmy will take initiative to close it out so it doesn’t come down to a buzzer beating three point attempt.

As mentioned before, he has a switch that can be turned on at any moment, and starting tonight that switch will be turned on once the whistle blows at 8:00. Jimmy said a few nights ago, “The losing is over,” but now that he had to take that loss right to the chest, it seems as if that may be true now.

Jimmy Butler has been awakened, and now a display of offensive firepower and winning mentality will try and lead Miami back into the mix over this next stretch.

A Breakdown of Miami’s Fourth Quarter Collapse

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The Miami Heat had a tough loss on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets, after they blew a 10 point lead with 3 minutes left. The reason for this late-game collapse had mostly to do with the defensive end, but there were also some offensive issues that led to relying on their less average defenders.

Here’s a look into what happened under three minutes in the fourth…

– Searching for match-ups means more on Bam Adebayo’s plate

When mentioning defensive issues, this was the start of it. Charlotte’s offensively sounded guards began to find favorable match-ups late in the fourth, which led to them blowing by to get to the rim. This consequently means Bam Adebayo is looked toward to step up and stop penetration, but as he was stuck behind Cody Zeller here, it led to a foul call. These are the moments of the game that give a perspective of the many things Bam has to deal with on that end of the floor every night. The next defensive possession after this, Malik Monk took Tyler Herro off the dribble, leading to a leaning mid-range shot in front of the rim. And since shots weren’t falling for Miami offensively, it made defensive possessions even harder.

– Never get out of rhythm

This play was not only a big swing for Tyler Herro, but also the rest of the team. Tyler got the ball in the corner for a wide open triple, and took an unnecessary gather dribble, which took him out of his rhythm leading to a miss. There are many reasons why players should never put the ball on the floor instead of shooting the ball in rhythm. For one, that one dribble is the most unorthodox move for a player, since it’s never used in game. It’s either catch and shoot, or dribbling to shoot in motion. Dribbling once into a shot is not something Tyler or anybody gets many reps of on a daily basis. This swung the shooting confidence for Tyler Herro moving forward, and could’ve extended their lead to nine points.

– Miami misses easy ones, Charlotte makes difficult ones

This was the theme of this Heat-Hornets game late in the fourth quarter, Miami missing an easy shot while Charlotte knocks down a very difficult shot. Defensively on this possession, there’s nothing much you can do since having one of your top defenders, Andre Iguodala, on Devonte Graham at the top of the key is exactly what they wanted. The missed bunny on the offensive end though is the type of shot that is needed to extend the lead at this point. This was the following possession after the Herro missed three, since there was a foul called down low on his missed shot. Miami had two easy opportunities to put themselves in a good position, but couldn’t do it, which led to them relying heavy on the defensive end and that is not ideal with current personnel.

– Late-game indecisiveness leads to empty possessions

This play may not look like anything special since Jimmy Butler made the right read to give it to the open Andre Iguodala, but it’s much more than that. There are teams late in games that go immediately into iso ball, and there are others who continue their normal offense with ball movement. Miami doesn’t seem to know their exact identity at this point of the game, since Jimmy Butler looks to go the isolation route after dribbling for 21 of the 24 second shot clock. But he then does exactly what the defense wanted him to do, which was kicking out to Andre Iguodala on a catch and shoot three. The issue is not that he passed the ball to an open Iggy who was hitting them all night, but instead that these types of possessions prove the uncertainty of Miami as a team late in games.

– A necessary stops needs necessary execution

Now this is the play that truly stood out when discussing defensive execution. Charlotte drew this play up in the timeout, which it was clear it was going to the scorching hot Malik Monk. Cody Zeller ran a dribble hand-off in the exact part of the court Miami wanted them to. Two of Miami’s most trusted defenders are guarding it, Andre Iguodala and Bam Adebayo, but as Iggy gets screened on the end-around, Bam was needed to step up and cut him off. They’re looking for the triple as they trail by 3 with 20 seconds left. And as mentioned, if Bam cut him off, Monk would’ve had to dump it off to Cody Zeller, which is exactly what you want at that point of the game. Small defensive issues like this led to a Miami loss, especially since Miami’s offense at this point could not be relied on either.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Hornets

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The Miami Heat finally had a full roster on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets, and fell short in overtime. A Max Strus scoring display into a Jimmy Butler closing display wasn’t enough after Miami slowly lost their 10 point lead with 3 minutes to go. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Max Strus gets early playing time, and surprises just about everybody.

Max Strus being able to shoot the basketball is no surprise to Erik Spoelstra and this Heat team, since Spo mentioned before the season that he rarely missed in training camp. And well, he rarely missed in the first half, scoring 17 points with 5 threes. Two early Duncan Robinson fouls led to Max getting thrown in 3 minutes into the game, and the Miami Heat motto is to always be ready. Miami’s ability to utilize Duncan Robinson has been great, but becomes harder with the amount of defenders that constantly fly out at him. Not many know about the name Max Strus, which allows him to make an opposing team pay. The theme this season has been opportunity, and the unique situations as of late allowed Max to make his name known on this roster. If he keeps up this impressive offensive play, Coach Spo will find a role for him on this team.

#2: Precious Achiuwa enters as immediate spark.

It’s honestly impressive that Precious can get thrown into a game and make immediate impact. He doesn’t need time to adapt into a game setting, instead he can check in and block a guy off the glass from behind. Getting to finally see him with a healthy roster is the most important part, since his connection with Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic has been clear, but his ability to roam the interior when Jimmy Butler attacks looks efficient as well. Coach Spo does not have to worry about certain fits when inserting Precious, since he just makes everybody on the floor better, which isn’t normal for a rookie. As I’ve mentioned before, he just knows his role and does not stray off from that exact offensive task. And that’s exactly why he’s so effective and is trusted every single night.

#3: Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley struggle early upon return.

The first half of a game when returning from an absence is always difficult, and that was apparent for Avery Bradley and Goran Dragic tonight. They were combined 0-7 from the field in the first half, which is clearly unlike the offensive savvy Goran Dragic. But their presence alone means immediate impact for this team. Avery Bradley’s perimeter defense against Charlotte’s solid guard depth, and Goran can settle down the second unit once again. Spo has not been able to go to that core four bench unit in quite some time, but finally gave them some run tonight with a full roster. Andre Iguodala settled in offensively with a healthy team, knocking down much needed threes down the stretch, while Precious has his favorite lob passer out of the pick and roll back. Although scoring and efficiency wasn’t there for Goran and Avery early on, everything else from them were positive things.

#4: Kelly Olynyk bounces back with efficient shooting night, but can’t stay on court.

Kelly Olynyk is known to have games where he shoots the lights out and struggles from beyond the arc majorly. And after a few games in a row where he struggled, the bounce back game was upon us. He hit two first quarter triples to begin the game, which is the most important part of the game for Kelly since it foreshadows how he will play the rest of the night. It mostly has to do with the fact that he has a role he can stick to with a normal starting lineup. Constant penetration from Jimmy Butler and company allows many opportunities for Olynyk, and it just comes down to the jump-shot falling. The issue is that he’s not the answer as the starter next to Bam moving forward, and as seen tonight, he’s clearly not a trusted player down the stretch.

#5: Bam Adebayo stepping up in his strongest areas, but still not enough.

It’s widely known that Bam Adebayo’s overall impact begins on the defensive end. And when Miami needed to get into a rhythm with Jimmy Butler on the bench, Bam began to wreck havoc on that end of the floor. Taking one-on-one assignments on the perimeter, blocking shots, double teaming. He did it all. Instead of always waiting for Bam to step up in a separate area every night, it’s necessary to evaluate the areas he does takeover since it truly is impressive. One of the most interesting parts about his defensive play is that when smaller guys see a big switch onto them, they look to take advantage. Except it’s an outstanding perimeter defender with length standing across from them, and it leads to turnovers from kick-outs as seen in the fourth quarter. But obviously there’s much more to defense than just Bam, and as seen in overtime, Miami’s point of attack defense began to breakdown once again.

A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Return

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Well, Jimmy Butler returned on Saturday night in a way that not many people could have expected. 30 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 turnovers. One of the most impressive parts about his offensive display was the ability to get to the free throw line, going 14/16 from the stripe, which I won’t highlight here since there’s no need for a foul line montage.

Anyway, here are some of the things that stood out from his return against the Sacramento Kings…

– A Bam plan, A Butler attacker

Luke Walton discussed this unique season before the game, since Miami has been without Jimmy Butler for a few weeks, meaning the film they looked over will change majorly. And that defensive plan continued early on, since the focus seemed to be on Bam so much as the roller, so Jimmy Butler had easy opportunities at the rim as seen above. After missing that huge amount of time, getting easy buckets early on was important for his overall scoring success leading to a 30 point night. But more importantly, when Sacramento altered their defense a bit, others had increased opportunities which is basically the entire Jimmy Butler experience.

– Butler reads, Butler knocks it down

The Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo pick and roll was a good thing to see after the long absence, especially since things will look differently as Bam continues to expand his range. But as seen above, Bam allowing Jimmy to get to his favorite spots around the rim for floaters and push-shots are the most important things for a flowing offense. The discussion has been about Bam’s aggression, but Jimmy confidently getting shots on goal when given space is so great to see. The reason I bring these plays up is because this PnR has so much potential. For one, Bam Adebayo is one of the best screen setters and roll threats in the NBA, but allowing Butler to have an open middle floor to throw a lob, kick to the corner, or attempt an open shot in the paint, will lead to many good things for Miami.

– Playing the game at a needed speed

Jimmy’s ability to play the game at his own speed was on display against the Kings, and he doesn’t just have one speed. When he notices a necessity to pick up the pace, he does that by charging down the floor in transition when an opportunity presents itself. But he’s also able to slow the game down and calm the young guys, which is exactly what Miami has been missing. More importantly though, his methodical movements when attacking the basket one-on-one showcase that game speed ability. As seen here, he attacks the center off the dribble as Buddy Hield slides over to switch. As Buddy is sliding over, Jimmy gives him a slight ball-fake to give him the sliver of space needed to lay it in. These small things in his game are still so impressive.

– Jimmy penetration and Precious roaming leads to easy scores

The Butler and Achiuwa minutes were some of the most surprising in my opinion, since they were more effective than originally expected. Of course Precious continues to be able to fit in with just about anybody, but seeing the way his game compliments Jimmy was interesting. As discussed before, Jimmy’s ability to get to the basket in unique ways is clear, but it’s also when he looks to play-make the most, usually ending in cross court kick-outs. But with Precious’ ability to roam the baseline and have nonstop activity around the rim, it leads to easy scores for each of them. On the first play, Hassan Whiteside stepped up leading to an open, rolling Precious Achiuwa for a nice score in traffic. The second clip shows their ability to play off each other as discussed previously. Jimmy draws two perimeter defenders when attacking, and also gets Whiteside in the air, leading to a dump-off pass to Precious for a dunk. Yet another reason the Precious role change is coming.

– The vocal leader is back

Aside from Jimmy Butler’s on-court play for a moment, his leadership on the floor has been missed. With under a minute to play, Coach Spo went with an interesting closing lineup with Max Strus. And when Strus tried to make an extra pass to the corner after a Butler kick-out, Jimmy looked to let him know. The thing about this team that is constantly discussed is that they all hold each other accountable and yell at each other, but nobody takes it personal. It’s just the competitive spirit of the team since everybody just wants to win, and not only does the organization hold them to a certain standard, their leader and star Jimmy Butler does as well. Miami getting Jimmy back just means everything can run smoother just through his presence, and that was seen against Sacramento.

– The reason for the superstar label

Well, this play had to be noted just because of the importance and story-line behind it regarding Jimmy Butler. For starters, Erik Spoelstra mentioned Jimmy was going to make sure to guard him on that possession since he wasn’t going to let them lose, and that further proves the reason for the superstar status regarding Butler. As seen on the play, he has a defensive ability to be ultra-aggressive, without committing a foul itself, which is not an easy thing to balance. Another reason he was so confident in going for the double team is because he knows his running mate, Bam Adebayo, had him covered if a cross-court pass was made. And as seen, Bam came up big to get Miami a much needed win after the recent losing streak. Getting these late game defensive reps only makes you more confident in this team moving forward.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Kings

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The Miami Heat went down to the wire with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, and finally came away with a win. Jimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala returned tonight, while Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley were still out. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Jimmy Butler is back, and looks like Jimmy Butler.

Well, Jimmy Butler scoring 20 first half points tonight says enough about him as a player. After missing the amount of time that he missed, he returned without skipping a beat. Miami struggled getting into a rhythm offensively throughout, and Jimmy did the things that he usually did in those moments, getting to the rim and the free throw line. He went 8-8 from the free throw line in the first half, which changes a bunch of things for a stagnant Miami offense. It’s automatically seen that Jimmy changes everything on both ends of the floor just through his presence. It’s just harder to notice when the players around him struggle from beyond the arc. The bottom line though is that a team with Jimmy Butler is a completely different team, and once they get some games together with the full team, improvements will be clear.

#2: Gabe Vincent gets his number called over Kendrick Nunn.

The big question after Kendrick Nunn’s recent high level play was where he’d fit in once everybody returned. And well, even with two of Miami’s guards out, Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley, he didn’t get the expected minutes. Gabe Vincent hit the floor for quite some time tonight, which is definitely surprising, but not a bad move. Vincent’s size allows him to compete on the defensive end much more, and on a night where three point shots still weren’t falling, he seemed like the right way to go. Kendrick was the correct decision when Jimmy was out, since he can run many of Miami’s offensive sets and get to the basket. The point is that it’s hard to predict the direction that Miami goes with any rotational moves, especially in this unique NBA season.

#3: KZ Okpala gets the start, but his weaknesses become clearer.

After KZ Okpala has shown many positive flashes in small spurts, his fit with a normal Miami starting lineup was finally seen. The weaknesses that have been discussed are on the offensive end, and it mostly has to do with his offensive placement. There’s still uncertainty about his offensive role, since he’s just not a spot-up shooter and that seems to be his current placing. The problem is that when he attacks or cuts to the basket off the ball, he doesn’t look at the basket, and that needs to change. Some problems were apparent on the defensive end as well, like unnecessary aggression leading to fouls or easy backdoor buckets. One-on-one defense out on the perimeter usually looks pretty strong, but when bigger players attack, it’s hard for him to stop them with his small frame. The expectation level he has come in with has hurt him a bit, but it hasn’t changed the outlook from the team and coaching staff.

#4: Tyler Herro continuing to build onto his offensive package.

I’m pretty sure everybody is aware of the current state of Tyler Herro as an offensive player, but his scoring improvements have been seen. The part that was shown tonight was mostly out of the pick and roll, since defenses are beginning to play him much differently. Once he notices the big back pedaling and the guard trailing, he immediately steps back in the mid-range area into a dead spot. That’s the part of his game that is most important, since the actual shot-making part is not much of a worry. This exact type of play was seen frequently tonight, which is promising for his overall offensive package. He did seem to take quite a step back offensively with the starting unit, since he played off the ball, but maybe that’s best in spurts for his overall effectiveness over an entire game.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s offensive role with Jimmy Butler still in question.

The big question coming into this Heat game tonight was how Bam Adebayo steps up as a scorer once Jimmy Butler returns. And well, it seems as if his motto still is efficiency over attempts, which may not be the best thing at times. Bam had a bunch of bigs being thrown his way tonight, and it seemed like stopping Bam was at the top of the scouting report, but when he is given the space to shoot the jumper, it needs to be taken advantage of. I’ve discussed the necessity for him to get to the basket, but with a packed paint tonight, his usual mid-range attempts should’ve increased. It’s only the first game that Jimmy returned, which means there’s plenty of time for this to progress.

Miami’s Biggest Upcoming Adjustment Involves Precious Achiuwa

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I’ve spent a lot of time diving into Precious Achiuwa’s games this season, since his individual play has been so outstanding in these circumstances.

For one, coming into the NBA after a long layoff, and being thrown right into the rotation on a team that just made the finals says enough about him as a player. The reason he was granted this role is because he was needed as a relief when Bam Adebayo exited the floor.

But he’s much more than that now.

The Miami Heat just lost to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, and it wouldn’t have been close if Precious Achiuwa didn’t get inserted to end the third quarter and begin the fourth quarter.

As seen there, his offensive presence was what gave Miami the spark they needed, but his involvement on each and every play is the part that truly stands out.

Instead of diving into his individual play yet again, it’s time to discuss the next step, since it seems like it’s coming real soon.

As mentioned previously, he’s no longer the rookie who can come in for their centerpiece Bam Adebayo for small stretches. He’s now the guy they need on the floor to win games. The issue is that Coach Spoelstra does not want to go the route of playing Bam and Precious together, and since there are so many players out, Bam got an even larger increase in minutes. And subsequently, that meant Precious’ minutes got decreased.

Now, I’m not saying it’s as simple as just throwing them both in the game together all the time, since there are still question marks about the offensive stance. But when Miami’s playing in games with 5 bench players that include Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, KZ Okpala, Udonis Haslem, and Precious Achiuwa, it seems to be the time to try things like that for decent stretches.

Miami just getting fully healthy is the number one priority right now, but what will Achiuwa’s role be when that occurs? Will it be a situational spark player? Well, that could be what he is, but it seems like he is trending in the direction of being more than just a spark.

The other intriguing part about him is his growing offensive connection with Tyler Herro. In the second half against the Clippers, the Herro-Achiuwa pick and roll was the only efficient offensive set Miami ran. This is very promising for Miami’s future, if these two are playing at this level together in just a few games.

But it’s no longer about looking at things as “promising” or for the “future.” The Heat are now in need for immediate impact, especially since there is uncertainty about who will even play on a nightly basis.

And the reason I have a feeling that is coming for Precious Achiuwa is because there’s a certain trust level there. This team notices that Precious consistently gives them the same exact thing every night. And as much as Coach Spo discussed “simplifying” the game for Precious, it seems like Precious will be pushed for an early leap only 18 games into his NBA career, which says a lot about him as a player.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Clippers

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Well, the Miami Heat fall late in the game yet again, this time to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Miami Heat were without many key players, but so were the Clippers. The only issue was that the best player on the floor didn’t play like it. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this loss….

#1: First quarter fire, second quarter struggles.

The first half was a roller coaster of emotions for Miami. The Heat came out with the necessary fire and energy, which led to Miami expanding their lead by a decent margin early in the first quarter. The main reason for that was just plainly shot making, since Miami has not been hitting many triples as of late. And the Clippers not being able to connect on shots beyond the arc also led to that. Either way, this shorthanded Miami team battled to get an early lead, but couldn’t fully sustain it once that same intensity wore off. The same shots weren’t falling in the second quarter, and Bam Adebayo didn’t have it going like usual. Tyler Herro also got a decent sized rest, which is important since overplaying him after missing the last seven games is the last thing they want to do. Miami provided both the highs and lows of this Heat team that are seen nightly.

#2: Two-way guys lead Miami in first half.

The Heat’s two leading scorers in the first half were Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. For starters, Gabe looked like the player that the coaching staff is used to seeing. When the three ball begins to drop, his offensive play begins to pop. But I still don’t believe that is his best attribute. He’s most comfortable once he gets inside the three point line, since his shooting balance allows him to stop on a dime on pull-ups, and he can get to the rim fairly easy. Max Strus also showed life in the first half, knocking down the triples that were given to him. It’s hard to truly see other parts of his offensive game, since the outside shooting seems to be the only part that is polished, but on a shorthanded night like tonight, that shooting was much needed. But when the team’s two-way guys are the leading scorers, I’m not so sure that’s a positive.

#3: There were certain stretches that proved the importance of Goran Dragic.

We can go through each and every player that Miami is missing, and how they could’ve impacted tonight’s game, but the Goran Dragic absence is the one that stuck out the most. Miami had a decent sized lead in the second quarter, and that’s when the offense grew stagnant. And once the offense grows stagnant, that’s usually Goran’s queue to go be aggressive and score the basketball. And as mentioned, Tyler Herro sitting on the sideline during these stretches didn’t help this cause as well. Everybody’s aware of the impact Goran Dragic has on this team, but the situational spots when he doesn’t play just jump off the screen.

#4: A third quarter Clippers three point contest.

Well, after the Los Angeles Clippers poor three point shooting display to begin the game as discussed before, they caught fire in the third quarter. I discussed Miami missing Goran Dragic in spots tonight, but not having Andre Iguodala, Avery Bradley, and Jimmy Butler led to that third quarter offensive showing from the Clippers. Now, there’s no reason to make that excuse, since this Clippers team without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Patrick Beverley should be a group that Miami can handle. But Miami’s lack of good defenders makes it hard to bounce back once beginning to play from behind. It’s hard to put your finger on certain parts of the game every night, since it seems to always be something new that leads to a trailing Miami Heat team.

#5: Bam Adebayo lack of aggression to Precious Achiuwa full of intensity.

Bam Adebayo was just plainly not the same guy that has been seen lately. That’s not just because his shots weren’t falling, which clearly was the case. But more importantly, the issue was that he lacked intensity on both ends of the floor tonight. The one player that didn’t lack energy and intensity on either end tonight though was Precious Achiuwa. When it seemed like the game was definitely out of reach in the fourth quarter, Precious was inserted and Miami went on a 10-0 run. There was just nobody to spark this Heat team tonight, so the rookie had to step up in that area. It’s very promising for the team’s future with this new gem they got in the draft, but Coach Spo not playing him with Bam leads to less minutes for Precious, which can be problematic.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Loss to Denver

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The Miami Heat drop yet another game tonight, this time to the Denver Nuggets. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Goran Dragic tonight, which gives you a sense of the way this game went. Miami will be playing tomorrow night as well on a back to back, against a depleted Los Angeles Clippers team, so it’ll be necessary to get a  win. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Well, the issues were apparent tonight, but it starts with shot making.

It’s hard to start in one certain area when diving into Miami’s performance tonight, but the most obvious issue was just plainly shot making. If Miami wanted a chance in this game, while being shorthanded once again, the role players were needed to hit open shots. And well, that didn’t happen. Three point shooting was a huge issue throughout, which is exactly what occurred in the last game against Brooklyn. They shot 19% from three in the first half, which was not that high for a good portion of the half. Thirty-three points in a half is clearly problematic, even without some key players. Some guys inability to step up right now with players out is an eye opener for the long term vision for some player’s roles.

#2: A glimpse of Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa minutes.

The one positive thing from the night is that we got the first glimpse of Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa together. The reason it has been looked upon so much is because it’s the hopeful future of this team, and people want assurance about that plan moving forward. The reason the fit was in question before was because of the offensive spacing that held some question marks. But with Bam Adebayo continuing to expand his range, it makes more and more sense right now. The only reason it was gone to in this game is because of their lackluster play, and Coach Spo wanted a spark. They actually played good defensively for that small stretch, but it’s hard to truly evaluate it in a game where nothing is being generated on either end of the floor.

#3: Duncan Robinson struggles continue.

I don’t think many people are used to Duncan Robinson struggling shooting the ball for three games in a row. And it’s not just about constant doubles or overplaying, since he seems to be getting good looks throughout, he just can’t capitalize. Now, as I’ve discussed before, Jimmy Butler holds major value over the success of Duncan, but I feel it’s much more than lineups. All shooters have slumps, and it begins with the mental toughness to overcome it by continuing to have the confidence to shoot the basketball. He has gotten the ball up quite a lot through this stretch, but nothing is being generated. For a lot of players, getting to the basket or finding other ways to score gets players out of a slump, but sprinting around the perimeter seems to be the only source of offense right now for him.

#4: Andre Iguodala’s on court leadership has been huge, but his surprising offense as well.

Andre Iguodala has been known to do everything for this Miami Heat second unit for some time. Well, except shoot the ball consistently. But that’s actually been a pretty positive element of his game lately, especially tonight. He hit some much needed shots when Miami needed a bucket, which proves his ability to run lineups while Jimmy Butler gets rest in the future. His ability to lock somebody up on defense, while having the quickness to rotate defensively has been huge for this team. With the lack of veteran leadership in the rotation right now, he was very important to take control. Not only is it great to see from him right now, but it’s great to know what Miami has moving closer to the end of the season.

#5: No Jimmy Butler, No Tyler Herro, No Goran Dragic, No excuse. But there’s a necessary realistic element.

The first instinct after watching this game is clearly a bit of panic for many, but things need to be noted without it being labeled as an excuse. For starters, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were still out tonight, and Goran Dragic got thrown into that group as well. Every single player combination has been seen over the last few weeks with the constant rotation of players interchanging in and out of the lineup. That opinion and takeaway can be used without being called an excuse, since it’s just the reality of their current situation. Everything that could happen to a team this season, has happened, and even if they’re not play to the standard many are used to, it’s hard to generate anything in a basketball game when you don’t know who is on your team every single night. Miami’s schedule begins to ease up starting now, but will Miami’s health situations begin to ease up? Well, that’s the big question, and nobody has that answer since things are changing every single moment.

KZ Okpala “Has a Bright Future in this League,” But What Is Next?

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After the Covid and contact tracing incidents that broke out on this Miami Heat team, opportunities occurred for many young players at the end of the roster. But the most intriguing player that has gotten minutes as of late is KZ Okpala.

He had a pretty big ask these past two games against Brooklyn, since he was asked to guard three of the league’s most prolific offensive players: Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving.

The individual defense he displayed looked to impress, since although many are aware of this ability, it’s not easy to get thrown into a situation unexpectedly and lock up opposing superstars.

I asked Goran Dragic after the loss against Brooklyn about KZ Okpala’s defensive presence out on the floor, which he responded, “He has a bright future in this league.”

The issue with his game is not about the things he currently has in his arsenal, but instead the things he may need to develop. Goran Dragic said, “I’ve seen tremendous growth from both sides of the floor…He just needs to keep working.”

The comment about development and growth always seems to come up from Erik Spoelstra as well, which may be the reason he’s not getting the amount of floor time that some may expect.

The big difference between Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala is that Precious knows his exact offensive role, and can do it consistently. And I believe that may be the level of uncertainty in KZ, since although he’s shown a capability to hit some catch and shoot threes, his place in the offense has some question marks.

Coach Spo said, “More times in practice he’s made this type of impression.” But if this great impression continues to be on display, why are KZ Okpala’s opportunities much smaller than some other players at the end of the roster?

As I’ve mentioned before, there are clearly some areas of his game that need improvement, such as defensive awareness to understand when to go for the double and when to stay on the man or getting an NBA level feel for offensive spacing.

The thing is that the only way to improve either one of those things is through playing time. And with Avery Bradley and Jimmy Butler returning this week, he may be sliding down the roster once again.

The slogan for KZ Okpala all along has been about him being unleashed, but not many expected his leash to be so short.

It’ll be interesting to see if KZ can make his way into the rotation by the end of the season, which has a chance at happening if contact tracing protocols continue to occur, which won’t be going away any time soon.

KZ Okpala has continually been labeled as a long term project, but not many expected “long” term to be this lengthy. But with so many players being on board with KZ as a player right now, it seems clear he will be a key part of this team down the line.

When? Well, only time will tell.