A Breakdown of Kendrick Nunn Against the Lakers

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In an NBA Finals rematch on ABC Saturday night, the story lines were fluid. LeBron James vs his old team, the Miami Heat. LeBron James vs Jimmy Butler in yet another duel. But well, none of that compared to the explosion of Kendrick Nunn occurring right in front of our eyes once again.

So, let’s take a dive into the success of Kendrick Nunn as of late, and what has led to this resurgence.

– Taking defenders off the dribble

Nunn has had an ability to take players off the dribble for quite some time now, but it finally appears to be more than going through the motions. By that I mean he’s not just utilizing pump-fakes as an add-on, since he’s beginning to use it to his advantage, which means he’s playing the game at his own speed as he continues to grow.

He’s currently shooting 64% from the field less than 10 feet from the basket, which is up from last season’s 55%. The attempts are pretty identically, which means he’s just increasing the comfort level in that area.

On this possession, he sells the pump-fake due to his improved shooting, as he dashes by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He has a very quick first step when putting the ball on the deck, which allows him to get to the rim with a 2 on 1 opportunity. Marc Gasol didn’t step up, which took the lob pass out of the equation, leading to an easy finger roll at the rim.

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– Floaters from just about anywhere

Nunn’s floater has been utilized this season much more than his rookie year, and it’s been working quite well for him. It’s not just about the floater itself, but the spots on the floor in which he’s shooting them, which is just about anywhere in the half-court.

He’s very comfortable with push-shots, which he attempts here at the free throw line over Gasol. This shot leads to many things in Nunn’s game being added, such as a hesitation dribble. This will slowly become a shot defenses will look for out of a pick and roll, leading to lob passes and slight hesitations to get to the basket when a big steps out.

– An improved three point shot on the move

Nunn has become a much better spot-up shooter from deep as of late, shooting 39% on catch and shoot triples compared to last season’s 35% shooting, but there’s a certain element to his shooting from deep that must be discussed. It’s not just about shooting on the move, but the direction in which he’s shooting on the move.

When he goes left off of screens, it usually ends with good things. It’s a bit odd for a lefty shooter, since it’s usually the exact opposite direction that they tend to thrive.

On this play, Nunn dribbles left off of a double screen, as Montrezl Harrell begins to drop. He immediately pulls-up at the top of the key, with his jumper looking as fluid as ever.

Now, here’s an example of Nunn leaning left on three point shots and looking as comfortable as he does with spot-up opportunities. This unorthodox ability leads to other things as well, such as a quicker getaway to put the ball on the deck and drive baseline.

Nunn is a pretty unique scorer, and the reason for that is because he has unique abilities to be effective, and it just comes down to consistency which has occurred lately.

– Creativity in the pick and roll

As I pointed out in Tyler Herro’s game the other day, creativeness out of the pick and roll is beginning to progress for Miami’s second year players. Most young players become more and more effective out of simple offensive sets of with the more playing time that they get, which is what we’re seeing right now.

On this play, Nunn realizes a bit of indecisive play from both defenders, which leads to him utilizing a snake dribble to find a dead-spot. Precious Achiuwa being the screener adds to this as well, since he always seems to be running at full speed on the roll, making a defense uncomfortable as a lob threat.

– Offense to defense

If there’s anything that I’ve noticed from Kendrick Nunn’s game over time, it’s that his defense elevates when his offense is effective. And after his jumper continued to fall throughout last night’s game, he showcased his defensive will in spots that were necessary.

He had to deal with a tough match-up all night, against a much lengthier Kyle Kuzma, but gave Miami a huge spark on this play. When the Lakers could’ve cut the lead to 2, Nunn rose up and blocked his shot from behind, after Kuzma caught him off-guard with a slip screen. Even if Nunn struggles defensively when on an island, he is trusted to make defensive plays, such as hitting passing lanes to get into transition or make an unexpected block to get the team going.

– Taking advantage of Adebayo’s gravity

After Bam Adebayo’s early aggression, taking advantage of the Lakers lack of interior defense, it led to many other things for Miami. Halfway through the third quarter when the Lakers made their big run, they tried to eliminate Adebayo’s offensive presence as much as possible, which led to him adapting.

He has been needed to put his back to the basket and take advantage of smaller match-ups, which is what he began to do. But as Alex Caruso came for the double team, Adebayo made the right read, passing out to Nunn for a triple.

Although this has more to do with Adebayo, Nunn reading the situation as well must be noted. He was putting that shot up no matter who ran out on him, as they tried to recover on their rotation, which are the small areas Nunn has showed a ton of growth with.

– Back door cuts becoming a staple

Backdoor cuts have been Miami’s thing for the last couple of weeks, mostly since defenses are overplaying the three point line on shooters time and time again. But this has nothing to do with overplaying defensively, since the Jimmy Butler effect came into play.

As he attacked the basket on this play, the Lakers defense looked pretty lost with their defensive communication. Butler unfortunately picked up his dribble, looking toward the corner at Nunn, giving him the signal to cut to the basket. He hits him in stride for an easy bucket, which shows the level of chemistry Nunn is reforming with the new starting lineup.

– The play-making leap incoming

Nunn has made huge strides as of late as a play-maker, mostly in games like last night, where defenses are focused on his scoring.

On this play, he tries to blow by a good defender, in Alex Caruso, while Harrell cuts him off to eliminate that baseline floater that has been working all night. Once Harrell gets caught in the air, he dumps it off to Adebayo at the rim.

Although he missed, Nunn continues to battle down low, going back up with a reverse layup on a key possession for Miami’s offensive rhythm. While he continues to become a lethal offensive weapon, the play-making abilities become more and more essential, which will lead to a major increase in assist numbers.

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Evaluating James Harden’s Start with Brooklyn

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If James Harden keeps staying on top of his game, the Nets may have a shot at an NBA Finals victory in 2021

It wouldn’t be dramatic to say that January 14th, 2021 marked a historic day in professional basketball. On this day superstar shooting guard James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, ending his almost 10-year prolific career with the Houston Rockets.

Fans of the Texas-based Rockets were stunned with the unexpected move, but the Nets knew they had gained one of the league’s brightest players in a momentous deal that would highly benefit the organization. Since then, Harden has proved his place as a valuable member in Brooklyn with a show-stopping debut performance that made history. He became the first ever player to have a 30-point triple-double in a first game. You could say he was welcomed nicely in Brooklyn.

The Nets are profiting from the enthusiasm and athleticism Harden brings to the court, as the team is currently enjoying a top spot in the Eastern Conference rankings right behind the Philadelphia 76’ers. In fact, the 6 foot 5 powerhouse has allowed Brooklyn to appear as the number one favorite in NBA betting odds for an Eastern Conference Futures Win later this season.

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But just what makes the veteran basketball player so good at his game? Well, he’s skilled in practically every area that Brooklyn needs. He’s dynamite on the court, impossible to catch up with and hard to throw off. Harden makes scoring three pointers look like a walk in the park as his opponents watch on with misery. It’s clear that he also has elite basketball knowledge and isn’t afraid to get creative with his gameplay. Even with big competitors like Miami, the Nets have been able to rise above the heat with the help of Harden’s offensive game.

Unlike other players who perform within their comfort zone, the shooting guard enjoys a good challenge and can adapt easily in the face of change. He’s also extremely inspiring and leads the team effortlessly. In a recent nail biter game against the Phoenix Suns, Harden encouraged the Nets to take back the lead, ending the competition victorious and recording one of the most historic comebacks the organization has ever seen.

The Brooklyn Nets compete at their home stadium, the Barclay’s Center in New York City

The talented athlete has a load of accolades to his name and is arguably one of NBA’s most productive players of the moment. Now that Brooklyn has retained the superstar under a whopping $40 million contract, fans can look forward to more instances of domination in the season’s future. In such a short amount of time, he’s already done more than we could’ve imagined.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Lakers

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The Miami Heat faced the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA Finals rematch, which Miami got the best of them this time around. It went down to the wire, which Jimmy Butler got to the line when they needed it most, while the Heat played great defense down the stretch to get the win. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Kendrick Nunn was cooking early on.

In a game televised by ABC on Saturday night, headlined by LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, not many expected Kendrick Nunn to be the biggest story of the first quarter. Nunn scored 15 points in the first on 6 for 7 shooting, looking as comfortable as ever with the ball in his hands. He was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc as well, shooting on the move on many of those looks, which seems to be when he’s most effective. The floater is also becoming a staple of his offensive game, since he rises up with one-hand push shots from just about anywhere on the floor. After the first quarter scoring display, he didn’t attempt one shot in the second quarter. And while that may appear to be a negative element of the game, it speaks to the growth of Nunn being aware of the pacing of the game, allowing the game to come to him.

#2: Bam Adebayo comes out with a necessary aggressive mindset.

On a night where the Lakers were without their best rim protector, Anthony Davis, it was clear there were winnable match-ups for Bam Adebayo to seize. And well, he did just that early on, playing above the rim on many possessions, which seemed to be a game-plan by Erik Spoelstra. He scored 14 points in the first half on 7 for 9 shooting, and there were still times that he could’ve been a bit more selfish scoring wise. But selfish and Adebayo don’t really mix, which is why he altered between aggression and play-maker throughout, controlling the game in the non-Butler minutes. Those minutes are more important than ever at the moment, since Goran Dragic being out forced Coach Spo to go this route, relying on Adebayo’s presence without Butler.

#3: The Goran Dragic absence is noticed in spurts.

When discussing pure takeaways from this game from my perspective, the Goran Dragic absence was probably one of the biggest. Dragic has always been the guy for Miami to save them in tough spots, who can generate offense when everybody else cools off a bit. And well, Miami went through that stretch in the second quarter, but the only issue was that Coach Spo couldn’t turn to his bench to tell Dragic to try and get them out of this hole. As much as people can discuss certain losses lately not correlating with Dragic missing time, since a 34 year old shouldn’t be relied on this heavily anyway, that’s just plainly incorrect. It’s not that he needs to be the leading scorer as he did in the bubble last season, but he just needs to share the floor with others to force Miami back into their natural offensive flow.

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#4: Jimmy Butler controls the third quarter.

While the Los Angeles Lakers immediately crawled back into the game to begin the second half, it looked like Miami’s high level play in this game finally came to an end. But well, that was until Jimmy Butler decided to step up. As Tyler Herro was listed questionable to return at halftime with a hip contusion, Miami’s offensive options became limited, which meant Butler needed to do Butler-like things. And that category included getting to the basket, which leads to getting to the free throw line. Butler had 0 free throw attempts in the first half, which is a rare sight for him. He began to increase that a bit more in the third, showcasing his will to be aggressive during a stretch that it was absolutely necessary. And that was the only thing that kept Miami afloat in a time of need.

#5: The Gabe Vincent-Max Strus playing time decisions became crucial.

Who would’ve thought the minutes between both two-way players would be crucial against the reigning NBA champions? But here we are. The reasoning for Gabe Vincent getting the nod over Max Strus lately had to do with adding an extra ball-handler on the floor. And that’s exactly what Coach Spo went with again tonight, except Tyler Herro exiting the game led to another rotation adjustment. Strus got thrown into the fire in the third quarter without getting into any type of flow, leading to a terrible shooting stretch from beyond the arc, going 0 for 8 from three. As much as people can criticize Erik Spoelstra’s decisions between the two-way guys, there must be a realistic approach that we’re discussing two-way guys. There is limited production that will occur from those type of guys, especially when facing a team like the Lakers, and a player like LeBron who can attack weaknesses pretty quickly.

A Breakdown of Tyler Herro’s Performance Against the Kings

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On a night that was full of storylines with the Miami Heat, headlined by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s triple-doubles, it seems necessary to dive into Tyler Herro’s offensive play. Although I’ve dove into his package a few times in the past, it’s clear that it is developing game by game.

So, here’s a look into what stood out from his performance against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night…

– An evolving pick and roll ability

These are the types of things that Herro wasn’t doing last year, and even to begin this season. He’s becoming much more comfortable with the ball in his hands, especially in pick and roll sets, which has something to do with his new role.

On this play, he utilizes a snake dribble against the screener to find open space in the mid-range for an easy jumper. His mid-range game is probably his biggest strength at the moment, which he can seize when facing the coverages that he has been lately as the sixth man.

The PnR connection with Precious Achiuwa has something to do with it as well, since his burst of energy on the roll every possession makes a defense uncomfortable. And the sets with these two will only increase due to the fact that they enter together most of the time in the first quarter.

– Tight coverage is light coverage for Herro

There isn’t much to breakdown on this specific play, but this shot must be noted. The degree of difficulty to shoot over the top of someone with essentially zero room to work is the type of progression that is occurring right in front of our eyes.

As mentioned previously, he’s beginning to thrive in the mid-range area, but it’s more about him finding his sweet spots. He puts his back to Kyle Guy to fake a backspin slightly, then gets to his favorite spot on the floor.

And once again, that’s a shot that many players his size aren’t capable of making, but also a shot that not many players his size would attempt.

– Slight hesitation to an uncontested layup

This was probably Herro’s most impressive play of the night, when evaluating all of the elements.

He gives a slight hesitation while driving baseline, and while many may point to the space he gets with the guy on his hip, it pauses defenders on the backside as well. Hassan Whiteside froze when Herro gave that fake, leading to a reverse layup with ease.

Once again, these are the minor areas that are improving night by night, but due to the focus being in other areas lately, it hasn’t been discussed.

– Natural offensive feel

Now, this isn’t much of an improvement for Herro, since he’s been doing this since his rookie season. But, it’s still something that points to his natural offensive feel and IQ.

Cutting off the ball was a theme for all of the players on Miami last night, since they were overplaying the three point line leading to easy layups. On this play, though, this wasn’t a set play, it was just natural instinct. Herro notices De’Aaron Fox falling asleep, so he cuts immediately to the basket, and of course Butler finds him.

Adjusting on the fly is something Herro really improved in the bubble when he began to receive more attention, and it’s taking off once again.

– Great touch at the rim using the backboard

Herro’s ability to utilize the glass when attacking the basket with immaculate touch has been a real surprise in his growth. As I’ve mentioned quite a lot, that’s not something young players typically do, especially in today’s NBA. It could have something to do with his unique offensive game, or possibly something he picked up from veteran teammate, Goran Dragic.

On this play, he has a one-on-one opportunity with a big, Marvin Bagley, and takes it right up on him with his off-hand. Shooting across his body, tossing it underhand, using the left. It’s all on display on this possession.

And surprisingly, using the glass nowadays is actually tougher to defend, since most players are so use to all-net floaters when guarding a player off the dribble. It’s another element to diversify his offensive package, as discussed previously.

– Explosiveness off the dribble

When Herro was drafted by the Heat, I don’t think many people expected him to have the amount of explosion that he has at this point in his career. Now, this isn’t to highlight a great play, since it’s clear the Kings defensive weaknesses is the biggest takeaway from this play, but it furthers improvements we’ve seen from Herro.

For one, instead of utilizing a Butler screen, he notices that the paint is wide open with Whiteside playing high on Adebayo. He immediately gives a great cross-over, exploding right past his defender, while beating Whiteside to the rim.

As the hesitation move was highlighted earlier, these moves that we’re seeing off the dribble are allowing him to thrive as a scorer at the rim. And once defenses begin to plan for that come playoff time, he will have added opportunities beyond the arc once again.

– Pull-up triples beginning to fall once again

The reason for Herro’s three point shooting being down to begin the season didn’t have anything to do with catch and shoot attempts. It was actually the pull-up triples that were down from his rookie season.

And although that’s been his biggest weakness lately, it can also be his biggest strength once perfected. Pull-up threes are linked to one word and one word only: confidence. And that’s a word that has been linked to him since he entered the league. When he’s in a natural scoring flow, he has more bounce on those attempts, while off nights lead to those shots being a bit flat footed.

On this play, they switch on the screen while Herro has more than enough room to pull, and he does just that. And as I just described, take a look at the amount of bounce he has on this very shot. It’s all about confidence.

Once again, Herro utilizes the pull-up, which is even more useful when a defense is playing this deep of a drop coverage.

Right as Herro took his first dribble, you can tell he knew that he was shooting it, and as Kyle Guy went under the screen, he shot it up with as much bounce as the last possession. Once these shots begin to fall at a good percentage, his numbers will increase even more.

 

– The next step in his game

As I just dove into the mechanical things in Herro’s game, there’s one element that must come next: Getting to the free throw line. With the amount of times he’s driving to the basket in the second unit, the free throw attempts should improve.

When he usually drives to the basket, he avoids contact, which leads to his constant circus shot attempts at the rim that usually find a way of dropping in. On this play, he goes right at the chest of his defender to draw contact, getting the foul call and the basket.

Once he begins to do this consistently, that rounds out his scoring abilities completely. This doesn’t mean that he has to be a Butler-level contact finder, since there’s nobody in the NBA who can do it to that extent. But periodically, taking it up strong at the rim instead of attempting an up-and-under, may be beneficial in the long run.

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Kings

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The Miami Heat got a much needed win on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings. Although many players stood out for Miami throughout, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo both getting a triple-double was the biggest storyline of the night. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: A Kelly Olynyk first quarter scoring display.

When the Miami Heat hit the 20 point mark in the first quarter, Kelly Olynyk had exactly half of those points, scoring them in a variety of ways. Every few games, as I’ve mentioned in the past, Olynyk ends up on one of these takeaway pieces since he explodes from a recent slump. On night’s that he shines, his three point shooting is usually the reason, but his ability to find mismatches proved to be useful tonight. He has an ability to cut off the ball when a favorable match-up presents itself, allowing him to receive the ball in great position for a layup. The only issue is that those things aren’t utilized on a night to night basis, but when they are like tonight, things click for the team as a whole.

#2: Tyler Herro’s continued unique touch around the rim.

I’ve discussed Tyler Herro in different ways lately due to his evolving play, but his finishing at the rim needs to be mentioned yet again. He had 14 first half points, due to his ability to utilize the backboard on the move, which is not an attribute that is normal for young players. Goran Dragic definitely played a role in that development, since that’s a veteran move that Dragic utilizes when attacking off pick and rolls. His package is still growing as well, especially with minor moves leading to added opportunities when driving. A very impressive first half slight hesitation when driving baseline, led to a nice reverse layup at the rim, and those are types of plays that continue to stand out when evaluating the upside of his offensive game.

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#3: Erik Spoelstra figuring out lineups for Andre Iguodala to thrive.

One of the things I mentioned a few weeks ago involving lineups with Andre Iguodala was that it doesn’t seem like a viable option to play him with Butler and Adebayo. It just limits offensive effectiveness due to spacing, which led to Miami’s new rotation. Part of this has something to do with Dragic being out, since Coach Spo is staggering Butler and Adebayo’s minutes, but the Iguodala elements comes into play as well. Most of his minutes lately have come with one of Butler, Adebayo, or Precious Achiuwa, since having three players who can’t stretch the floor as a perimeter threat makes lineups ineffective. If they’re figuring out ways to run these with Dragic out, it’s clear this will continue whenever he returns which will maximize the play of Iguodala moving forward with the bench unit.

#4: Kendrick Nunn finding scoring consistency, while his passing continues to make strides.

Kendrick Nunn has found himself on these takeaway pieces almost every night as of late, and rightfully so due to his consistent offensive play. The only thing that speaks to is that he is overcoming the inconsistent measures that once got labeled to him, but he seems to be very effective throughout the entire game since his insertion into the starting point guard position. But instead of discussing his scoring, or his defensive off-ball presence that I mentioned last night against Stephen Curry, his improving play-making abilities must be touched upon. It is not an overstatement when I say that Nunn’s entire game thrives from confidence, since when shots are dropping, he has much more confidence to throw difficult passes instinctively. Other than a few skip pass mistakes he makes here or there, he can read a half-court offense pretty well, which was displayed tonight once again.

#5: Adebayo and Butler filling stat-sheet with all-around impact, while setting up teammates as scorers.

At times, it’s widely known that Butler and Adebayo could be a bit too passive when their natural scoring talents should be utilized. But when facing a poor defensive team as they did tonight, it’s necessary to attack from all angles. As Luke Walton said before the game, the plan was to stop Butler at all costs from getting to the rim and free throw line by throwing a bunch of bodies at him. And with switching defenders throughout, it led to guys like Kelly Olynyk having easy opportunities match-up wise as described earlier. The point is that these are the games that Miami’s two stars can afford to be unselfish, while filling up the stat-sheet all around tonight led to both Butler and Adebayo getting triple-doubles on the same night.

Marlins Trade for John Curtiss

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The Marlins made another impressive move the other day, going out and trading for John Curtiss. Curtiss, who helped lead the Rays to an AL Championship this past season, had a 3-0 record with a 1.80 ERA last season. Although he stumbled in the postseason, the Marlins have added another quality arm to their bullpen. With Detwiler, Cimber, Bass, Floro, and now Curtiss added to the mix, the bullpen looks strong headed into the 2021 season (at least stronger than it was last year). 

Curtiss Makes Marlins ‘Pen Even More Stable

Curtiss provides even more stability to the Marlins bullpen and could be a key piece in a well-balanced bullpen. In his 2/17 press conference Don Mattingly expressed how reliant the Marlins will be on pitching this season, maybe even more so than last year. Now, with an elite starting rotation and a solid bullpen to back it up, this season and its future are looking much brighter in Miami.

Marlins Bullpen Depth Looks Good

Miami’s bullpen is now the strongest it has been in a long time. The depth they have is unprecedented for the Marlins and when combined with Sandy, Sixto, and Pablo on most nights, could be the deciding factor in high caliber games versus the strong NL East. The Marlins have solidified themselves as a top 20 team at this point, but their in-division competition may make it look otherwise. 

Overall Takeaway

It looks like Miami is pushing to compete this season. Regardless of the outcome, they have made extremely solid moves in an attempt to win. For a young Marlins team, the goal is to perform better this year than last; however, that may just mean the bats start working and the pitching is good, not necessarily a playoff berth. That is all Miami can ask for, and now, all that is left is to see how it pans out.

How do Lonzo Ball’s Strengths Fill the Miami Heat’s Weaknesses?

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The Miami Heat’s weaknesses have been apparent as of late, after dropping their third game in a row on Wednesday night to the Draymond Green-less Golden State Warriors. As the trade deadline gets closer and closer, it’s clear that trade talks will be heating up.

The Miami Heat currently have some interest in New Orleans Pelicans guard, Lonzo Ball.

It’s clear that he fills a lot of the holes that Miami is lacking right now, which is what I will dive into here. But it must be noted that a locker room spark may be just as necessary as filling holes, since adding a new personality and talent seems to be the only thing that can move the needle.

Anyway, here’s a look at what Lonzo Ball would be able to bring to this current Heat team…

– Bringing constant rim pressure off the dribble 

While Goran Dragic has been out, some weaknesses that may not have been clear before have shined. One being that a 34 year old Dragic is their only reliable guard who can get to the rim at an effective rate to put pressure on the defense.

And well, Ball would be able to change that upon arrival, since his unique all-around game allows him to get to the rim consistently due to him being a passing threat moving downhill. Just waiting around for Jimmy Butler to charge the basket and get to the free throw line is not a reliable source of offense, but can be when adding extra players who can do similar things.

– Improving his all-around package out of the pick and roll

This has been one of the biggest improvements for Ball, other than his catch and shoot abilities which will be discussed next. He was a limited player out of the pick and roll at times, since defenses would just play the lob pass due to his unreliable pull-up jumper.

But as seen here, that mid-range pull-up is evolving, and taking him to that next level. Miami has some guys that are capable of finding dead-spots out of the pick and roll in the mid-range, but none of them are as big of threats when running it. His natural passing gift means constant headaches for a defense having to worry about the next pass he will make, while Miami’s young players are pure scorers who defenses can sort of figure out at times.

– The catch and shoot abilities are becoming consistent 

Now, as mentioned previously, Ball becoming a consistent three point shooter is the key for his high value at the moment. He’s attempting 7.6 triples a game, while shooting 38%, which is far from easy to do.

As seen here, he’s becoming much better at moving off the ball as a shooter, since it’s known that he has been pretty decent off the dribble with his usual step back triples. Most of the time when discussing pure point guards who can control an offense and have defensive impact, it’s not much of a worry that they’re not great shooters. But Ball working on it throughout the off-season to improve his game to this extent is something that stands out to neighboring organizations.

– Controlling the pacing of the game through his play-making

Lonzo Ball’s passing abilities is what gets linked to him most when discussing him as a player. And honestly, it could be one of the most underrated things that Miami could use.

Relying on Butler and Bam Adebayo to set everybody else up when they’re the two best players is not ideal. At times, they must worry about themselves on the offensive end to be most effective.

And well, a way to cure that is by adding one of the best passing guards in today’s NBA. There’s a difference between being a good passer and a play-maker, and Ball is both of those. He can make spectacular passes on the break for others at the rim or in stride, but also knows where to put the ball in a half-court offense with his ability to find the open man.

If there’s anybody that benefits from this very element, it’s Butler who wouldn’t have the same load on the offensive end.

– A unique defensive presence 

And finally, a defensive presence. If there’s anything Miami has been missing, it’s point of attack defense, and Ball brings all that and more. He’s a great individual defender, which is once again beneficial to Butler not having to defend the best wing every night.

He can also create offense from his defensive abilities as seen here, being able to rip the ball away from somebody to get into transition offense.

There’s not much else to say other than he’s the most ideal defensive guard that will come up, and pairing him up with Butler and Adebayo automatically improves the defense of this Miami Heat team, which will allow Miami to get back into their prior Heat culture ways.

Lonzo Ball is the type of young and focused individual that Miami could use to spark this free-falling Heat team, to put them back on the right track, while only being 3 games out of the 5th seed.

 

 

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Warriors

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The Miami Heat blew a decent lead to the Golden State Warriors to lose in overtime. Steph Curry struggled throughout, but showed up when it mattered to close the game out late. Jimmy Butler’s triple double and Bam Adebayo’s overall impact weren’t enough as well, which led to yet another very embarrassing loss for this Heat team. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Bam Adebayo utilizing all-around abilities, leading to Miami’s natural flow.

Bam Adebayo’s first half 10 point, 4 assist, and 2 rebound performance doesn’t explain his overall impact. He was needed more than usual against this Golden State Warriors team for an abundance of reasons. For one, Draymond Green being out means a more controllable offense for Miami. Also, Golden State is the number one switching defense in the NBA, which means he would need to take advantage of certain match-ups. Either way, he did just that throughout, controlling the paint area with his scoring at the rim, but more importantly directing traffic more than usual. When Adebayo’s scoring gets going, everything else kicks in at an elite level.

#2: Kendrick Nunn’s shooting and scoring will be harped on, but don’t overlook his defensive presence.

For starters, let’s acknowledge quickly the offensive presence Kendrick Nunn was against Golden State, making an impact from all three levels. The most consistent level was the three point line, which he continues to look more confident with. But instead of diving into that part of his game that we know is there, his defense must be discussed. He’s not looked at as a great defender, but proved capable of making an impact when necessary. He played terrific defense off the ball on the greatest shooter to ever play the game, Steph Curry, holding him to 1 for 9 from beyond the arc in the first half. There’s a pattern with Nunn’s defense, and it begins with his offensive flow. When shots are falling, defense improves for everybody, but even more so for a guy that derives from confidence like K-Nunn.

#3: Tyler Herro making an impact in other areas as well.

Tyler Herro’s offensive package is rounding out lately, since there’s only one surprising issue that has been apparent: Three-Point shooting. He actually has been consistent with his catch and shoot threes, but pull-up triples have not been falling as much. Once that gets fixed up a bit, that can take Miami to the next level if they can have a sense of consistency. But much like Nunn, let’s not look into his scoring too much. Instead, his 7 rebound first half must be discussed at least a little bit. It’s clear that he is a very great rebounder for his size for a multitude of reasons. He has great instincts to crash the boards, which leads to his aggressive ability to grab the ball off the rim with force. We can discuss the evolution of Herro’s scoring package, but his all-around game improving means he’s evolving into a very complete player.

#4: Precious Achiuwa continues to be an energetic spark with his consistent play.

Precious Achiuwa has been discussed lately from a rotational perspective, instead of an actual basketball impact perspective. But once again tonight, he proved what kind of player he is at the moment. He’s a guy that can make an immediate impact as an energetic spark, as he threw down an open dunk as soon as he got subbed in to begin the game. But more importantly, his consistent and polished play must be noticed. He went through a long Covid layoff, as did the rest of the rookies, while bypassing a Summer League. And all that aside, gets a constant role to replicate the things Bam Adebayo does on both ends of the floor. Although that may sound like a lot, it doesn’t seem to be for Achiuwa, which is why the constant conversation about an increased role will continue.

#5: Not enough fight.

Not enough fight. That’s all that can be said about this late game collapse from Miami. Kent Bazemore’s constant disruption on the offensive glass against Miami led to them falling in overtime. They were out battled, out worked, and out willed to finish this game. There were plenty of open three point looks to put the game out of reach, but couldn’t convert at the end of the fourth quarter or overtime. Finishing games is an important attribute in this league, and it’s an attribute that continues to be a weakness for this Miami Heat team. Playing with a lead continues to be problematic for Miami, since beginning to coast, means beginning to become complacent.

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A Tyler Herro Leap Incoming, While Others Staying Stagnant

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After reaching the NBA Finals in his rookie season, being included in trade talks with James Harden, and much more, Tyler Herro has had an interesting start to his NBA career. But the necessary leap in his offensive game seems to be happening right now.

Although Miami has struggled to begin the season, he’s pretty much done all that he can with the role he has been given. And his new role as the sixth man has allowed his scoring abilities to be viewed in a way that many have known to be in there.

When discussing a certain offensive leap, it’s not as much about scoring numbers per game, as it about the ways in which he’s scoring those points. When he got drafted by the Heat, he was basically looked at as a guy who can be a spot up shooter, and that may be his biggest weakness in his entire offensive package at the moment.

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He’s currently shooting 35% from three, which should not be a huge worry since that won’t be an issue for long. He’s actually shooting 39% from three off the catch and shoot, while pull-up triples are falling 31% of the time.

But surprisingly his game beyond the arc isn’t what is causing this soon to be leap. It’s actually the things he’s doing inside of the three point line.

He’s become very comfortable with putting the ball on the floor, looking for an open crevice off of a pick and roll. He has doubled his attempts when shooting a shot after 3 or more dribbles. He has a natural gift to survey the floor for dead spots, which means he has open mid-range jumpers when playing against drop coverage.

But once again, that doesn’t even seem to be the main reason for the upcoming jump. The biggest reason is his impact around the rim this season, which is even harder to do on a team that is struggling from three.

He has doubled his attempts less than 10 feet from the basket, which is a very positive thing since he has a natural feel when moving downhill. He utilizes the backboard with great touch, leading to easy points for him and creating more of a headache for a defense.

But all of that aside, there’s not much growth from many of the other guys. I’ve discussed minor improvements in Kendrick Nunn’s game with shot attempts and defensive close-outs, but it’s not enough to take this team to the next level.

Depth, improvements, youth. Those have been the terms used to describe this Heat team, but those are also words that entice other teams in the trade market.

Miami has clear holes to fill in their current roster, while other teams are searching for promising young players to insert into their program. And after the loss to the LA Clippers without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, dropping Miami to 11-16, it’s clear that players are being looked at closely.

This has been a season of many opportunities, which means players becoming stagnant in their progression is becoming even more apparent. Miami has some decisions to make, while players have some improvements to make.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Clippers

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Well, the Miami Heat fell to the LA Clippers on Monday night, while they were without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley, and Nicolas Batum. This was a game that Miami needed to get in this tough West Coast road trip, but that wasn’t the case. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Jimmy Butler, the continued offensive glue throughout.

This is a constant theme with this Miami Heat team, since Jimmy Butler keeps everything in tact. For one, his ability to create for others and obtain the amount of assists that he has over this past stretch. But more importantly, his recent scoring should not be overlooked. Not just the amount of points, but the timing of those points. Butler can pretty much score in a variety of ways when he gets down hill whenever he wants, but it’s up to him to read the game to make that decision. When Miami goes through a tough stretch, it’s clear by Butler’s body language that he’s going to get to the basket, and try to get to the free throw line. Once again, it’s just not about the numbers when discussing Butler, since it’s more about the glue that he is with this Heat team.

#2: Tyler Herro with a needed early offensive spurt.

Tyler Herro was inserted into the game early on after Duncan Robinson picked up a couple fouls, and he began to get into a rhythm. But his offensive rhythm has come in a much different fashion this season. He has struggled a bit from beyond the arc this season, which has led to him shining when getting to the rim. He can control the pacing of a pick and roll much better, since he can play to his own speed with his pull-up jumper and lob pass abilities. Without Goran Dragic, Herro was needed to step up in certain spots offensively throughout, and he did that early on when Butler was on the sideline. And when he gets an efficient three ball again, it elevates all of those things that I just discussed.

#3: Defending the three point line an issue once again.

It seems like the copy and paste button could be utilized for these takeaway articles with this certain statement, since it’s a constant issue. Miami’s defense actually hasn’t been the reason for their struggles as of late, since their offense has been the problem focal point. But defending the three point line is still an issue with the current personnel. Marcus Morris was 6 for 7 from three in the first half, while Amir Coffey was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc in that span. The reason it’s an issue to discuss against this Clippers team is because there was no serious interior threat that would lead to constant paint crowding. Two threes from Morris came when Moe Harkless checked in, since he seemed to drop down off of him two possessions in a row, leading to that stat-line that is far from ideal.

#4: Miami’s depth not looking too deep at the moment.

When looking down the line at the moment, there’s not much offensive contributions off the bench, other than Tyler Herro. Tonight, Miami rolled with Herro, Max Strus, Precious Achiuwa, Andre Iguodala, and Moe Harkless off the bench, which they weren’t making much impact offensively throughout. The depth of this Heat team has been harped on, but that depth may not be so deep after all. Obviously Goran Dragic being out cuts that down a bit, but that doesn’t make a difference of the second unit as a whole. Iguodala will make a major impact when needed, mostly when playoff time comes around, while Achiuwa is still thriving in his small role, awaiting for a boost in minutes. If Miami can get added production from these types of guys, it takes a lot of weight off of Butler this early in the season.

#5: Precious Achiuwa showing more flashes in less minutes.

There’s not much more to dive into when discussing Achiuwa’s minutes moving forward, since he just plays every minute and second that Adebayo is off the floor. It doesn’t seem like them playing together will be utilized any time soon, which means this is about all that we will see from him in this role. He continues to bring intensity in short stints, which is hard to do since it’s tough to get into any type of natural flow. There are some small rookie mistakes that he makes, but that’s expected. Miami’s soft switches mean Achiuwa finds himself out on the perimeter a lot, which isn’t a problem for him, but it is a problem for the guard who is now guarding a center. His jumper looked pretty crisp tonight as well, which could be the only possible way for him to get into nightly lineups with Adebayo.