Tag Archive for: Bam Adebayo

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Raptors

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So the Heat bounced back on the second night of a back to back against the Toronto Raptors, getting a much needed win to begin the season.

This game wasn’t a very normal or consistent one, since while they were clicking on all cylinders in the first half, it tailed off and ended up being a close game.

Either way, here are some takeaways of both the good and the bad…

#1: The return of the offensive movement.

A question I posed exactly 24 hours ago was a rather simple one: where is the movement? Two-man actions were being run for this Heat offense against Boston, but not many more layers added on. Tonight, though, they showcased a total flip in that nature through the first 24 minutes of basketball. The first element of movement simply involves the ball. When things got stale, it was because isolations were most of the time the end result. This time around we saw a good amount of extra passes and necessary swings to keep the defense honest. The second element of Miami’s movement regards just bodies roaming. Off-ball screening, simple back-cuts, and perimeter hand-off searching is the engine to positive half-court offense. It was obviously the primary intention heading in, and they responded with a 71 point first half.

#2: Max Strus: doing the *other* things more consistently.

We know what Max Strus is at this stage. He’s a guy who fits next to anybody, and can shoot the heck out of the ball no matter the contest. But while watching this game tonight, I’m sure some other stuff caught your eye. Step 1 included his weak-side defense and timing. I’m not going to sit here and act like the Heat’s defensive rotations were where they want them to be, but Strus showcased incredible help timing to muck up straight line drives and account for some charges. The other main part of his performance ties back to my previous takeaway of movement and cutting. He’s just hard to continually account for. Guys find him around the rim a ton since he’s not a standstill threat. Keys to staying on the floor late in games.

#3: Kyle Lowry the off-ball threat/Tyler Herro the rim threat.

When zooming out career wise, we know Tyler Herro as a high level outside shooter or developed into an elite off the dribble scoring threat. We also know Kyle Lowry as a consistent creator both for himself and others, while always mixing in elite efficiency numbers as a spot-up threat. But sometimes the simple and original read of a player finds it’s way more consistently again. That was one of my primary takeaways tonight, as Herro pretty much continues to soar as a true rim pressure threat. He’s slashing on the ball in ways that make it so much tougher to guard within that two-man action. Lowry, on the other hand, was definitely going to be getting extra off-ball reps with the amount of creators on this roster. But 3 for 3 in the first half on spot-up triples proves this theory to be correct. Catch and shoot Lowry combined with relentless attacking Herro is a formula for very good offense.

#4: Caleb Martin with an ejection…and a lifetime Heat contract?

So things picked up a bit in the third quarter as Miami possessed a pretty comfortable lead. Some emotions were rising as Tyler Herro and Paschal Siakam got tied up a bit after the play. A few minutes later, *the* play happened. What seemed like a usual foul down low turned into a linebacker shooting the gap of the o-line. Caleb Martin stood over the top of Christian Koloko, leading into a body slam takedown into the courtside seats on the baseline. Both players ended up being ejected, but it was an interesting twist to this game. Martin may have gotten thrown out of this one, but he simultaneously may have been thrown a lifetime Heat contract after that display of emotion and toughness. Well, for the moment. It ended up being pivotal in terms of the Raptors storming back in the second half, but Miami pulled it out.

#5: I’m still watching the turnovers.

A consistent theme across all 3 games of Heat basketball this season has been turnovers. They actually forced Boston into double their number last night, but they’re still putting up a pretty uncomfortable number. Some of that is fine if it’s occurring through an offensive process of risk taking in the half court, but I don’t truly feel that’s been the case. Many of them are just playing at a different speed than the next guy, or forcing stuff that is so clearly not there for them. If this team ends up in the bottom 10 in pace again, which will be the case, a high turnover outcome can’t be the result on a nightly basis.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Celtics

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So we got an Eastern Conference Finals rematch on Friday night, immediately following a tough opening night performance for the Miami Heat.

Consistency felt like one of the main issues in this one, since even though the offense or defense was there at times, they just couldn’t sustain it long enough.

Even after making a late push, it wasn’t enough to steal a win against this gritty and skilled Celtics team. So here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Tyler Herro: flattened offense to rim attempts to a fully open shot diet.

For scorers like Tyler Herro, the start of games hold high importance. It may sound wild, but he’s a rhythm player who needs to find his way a bit before truly popping. But that wasn’t the case early in this game. The Celtics were really flattening out the expected pick and rolls to come with Bam Adebayo, leaving Herro in a weird spot offensively. Then a few minutes into the second quarter, he found his way. Herro began getting to the rim a bunch, which is the true cursor to fully opening up his entire shot menu. That led into the free throw line floater opening up. Then the three-point shooting. Then the play-making. It’s a domino effect for Herro, but the ability to get out of the mud a bit at the start of games is a good sign.

#2: Bam Adebayo comes out aggressive…again. Just with different result.

After Bam Adebayo struggled on opening night against the Chicago Bulls, the topic about his scoring ability wasn’t the usual headliner: aggression. He was definitely getting shots up, they just weren’t dropping, which tends to happen. But the process was there. That stayed strong early in this game against Boston, as he wasn’t afraid to dive into the shots that Boston was giving him, which pretty much began and finished with the mid-range pull-up. Those jumpers led him to a 12 point first half stat line on 6 of 7 shooting. My point the other night was that inefficient nights for him will be fine throughout the season, as long as there’s a similar process along the way. Even though tonight had a bit of a different process with some early foul trouble.

#3: Where’s the movement?

In terms of the downside of Miami’s X’s and O’s, I must say I was expecting Miami to lean much more into their motion offense this year. They have multiple movement shooters on the floor together at times, a decent amount of on-ball creators, and a couple athletes. That roster construction screams nonstop movement, especially when linking that player grouping to the Miami Heat. But we’ve seen a lot of stagnant two-man actions early in this season, while the weak-side spacers are simply spotting up. Of course that can be the case depending on the action you’re running, but this team won’t be a successful scoring team off a bunch of isolations. I think they will find their identity here soon, but something to keep an eye on.

#4: The importance of the Kyle Lowry pull-up 3.

After talking about some of the minor negatives of the offense so far, it’s also important to talk some positives. And after a bad opening night for Kyle Lowry, he bounced back with some crucial buckets throughout. More specifically, it’s pretty clear that his pull-up triple changes the game for this team’s half-court offense. When he doesn’t take it, the defense goes under to flatten it, and it usually just ends up in a congested pass to the roller or resetting swing pass. Yet when he’s taking it, it puts more pressure on not only the on-ball defender, but the off-ball helpers. That’s the way to bend a good Celtics defense, and it’s with one single shot. It’ll be intriguing to monitor the efficiency and volume of it, but that’ what’ll make Lowry’s presence extremely helpful.

#5: A much needed defensive pick-up.

As I talked about the other night, Miami’s defensive rotations just weren’t there. This time around, it wasn’t as much the rotations. Instead it had many of us glued to their defensive layout. The Celtics are a heavy shot creation team, especially considering their molded around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With that said, they enjoying picking their isolation matchup at any given moment. They were able to do that pretty easily at times with Miami’s switching, while yes it may have it’s perks with the randomized helps and doubles, just needs some type of mix-up against a team like Boston. The thing I’ve been advocating for is a mix of drop once in a while with Bam Adebayo on the floor. Maybe that says something about the point of attack defense in that first unit, but some defensive creativity and unpredictability is needed for this group with 80 games to go.

The Heat’s Offensive Checkpoint: Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo PnR

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The hot topic surrounding the Miami Heat this week, with Media Day kicking off the week of training camp, has been all about starting lineups. There are three guys locked into their station, while the rest of the roster battles it out for those last two spots.

But it’s not just about being out there for opening tip-off, or having the ability to tell the world your a starter in this league. The most important element when having this discussion is overall fits, and maximizing this roster within that.

To that point, that walks us right into an area that I love to discuss: the basketball side of this.

When Bam Adebayo was asked about the way this roster can truly take the next step, his exact words were “it starts with me and Tyler.”

And that phrase is exactly how I view Miami’s offensive mold to begin the season: starting with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Heading back to last season, we began to see the two of them emerge as not only the two young faces of this organization, but an upticking two-man game on the offensive side of the ball.

A high level offensive scorer when flowing downhill and a dominant rolling big man who’s as athletic as any big in this league. What’s not to love there?

The pick and roll showed to be a dominant pairing slightly passed the halfway mark of the regular season, leading to coach Erik Spoelstra thinking of ways to tinker.

As we all know, late in the season the team had to shake some things up with the rotation. The main one that gets brought up is Max Strus inserting into the starting lineup for Duncan Robinson, but there was an even larger adjustment behind the curatins.

The substitution pattern was altered. Herro would enter for Jimmy Butler much sooner, so that he could share the floor for added minutes next to Adebayo. Trust me, that was intentional.

Fast forward to the post-season, Herro had some challenges on his hands with different coverages. But one thing that popped off the screen, particularly in games 1 and 2 of the second round against Philadelphia, was that the pick and roll between these two guys couldn’t be stopped.

So they did just that: they didn’t stop going to it.

That got them to a 2-0 lead in the series, as we saw it sprinkled in a bit the rest of the series and into the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston.

But the point is this: that was just the precursor. We’re just scratching the surface on this two-man game to say the least. Not only will the frequency of reps be rising with Herro possibly slotting into that starting 2 spot, but their games are rising simultaneously.

So let’s take a dip into the different stages of a Herro-Bam pick and roll, and how it can evolve this year…

Step one of this process is the base blend. Noticing Herro’s favorite defensive coverage of drop, they begin to flow downhill. Jayson Tatum fights over the screen, which is exactly why I label this the base blend.

The last thing you want is for these two guys to get you on a 2-on-1. Bam stays linear with Herro in the pocket, Grant Williams must play middle man, and Herro floats right into his coveted pull-up jumper that simply can’t be altered once he begins to rise up.

The primary goal of this action is for him to find that pull-up, but the secondary goal is to play the mental game of the off-ball defenders. The thing to watch this season is the gravity on the weak-side, since if guys like Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, and others can make their defenders second guess, it’ll have Herro and Bam dominating with ease.

As seen in that clip above, Robert Williams is just trying to muck up the action by playing much lower than the nail. He’s a different kind of beast since he has the leisure to dip off far with his elite recovery speeds, but the point remains the same.

As much as they’re manipulating in the action, they’re also playing the long game to manipulate outside of the action.

So now, here will be the next adjustment.

Okay so we learned not to go over on this duo to create the 2-on-1 opportunity, so let’s try going under that screen. Well, Tyler Herro learned pretty quickly this season he has one option when seeing that while the big settles in deep drop: Pull. Up. Immediately.

He began finding himself as that instinctive shooter, but as seen in the clip above, this is the most common iteration of a team that prepares to go under. They’ll just play much higher in drop, eliminating that pull-up shot from him when rounding the screen.

{Bam Adebayo enters}

Now that 4 eyes and 2 bodies are on the wing next to Herro, the pocket pass quickly follows to a momentum filled Bam Adebayo.

When I asked Tyler Herro about this evolving two-man game, he said: “I love getting Bam the ball. He loves setting screens and getting to the basket for a lob or a pocket pass. Not many 5’s can stay in front of Bam, especially when he’s running downhill…Not many guys can stop him.”

That’s something that we know for a fact. Going back to the clip I’m describing above, take a look at the end result. What kind of weak-side help can do anything with that?

I’ll wait.

If his man is the one on the perimeter for the blitz, it’s like an open lane for a running back from there.

So what’s the next coverage to throw at them? We’ve hit on the normal drop when going over a screen. We’ve hit on the high version of drop when going under a screen. So how about we blend those two coverages together.

Herro flows left with a very solid screen from Bam that trips up Korkmaz a bit as he fights over. As we see from here, Joel Embiid is playing at the level of the screen to counteract the pull-up out of the 2-on-1, as I showcased earlier in this piece.

Instead, Herro keeps his dribble alive to force Embiid to drop into his slot on the rolling Bam, leading to an easy left handed lay-up.

The key to all of this is that these two guys have options. It’s just about manipulating those around them enough, while utilizing all the tools at their disposal. Too often we see them settle with simply the pull-up or pocket pass time and time again.

But as shown here, there are multiple options within the action depending on the coverage that they see. And the funniest part of this: I’m not even accounting for the off-ball stuff with the other three guys on the floor.

Options. Options. Options.

To play off the last coverage I displayed, there’s also the ability to play at a much higher speed than the slow-paced half-court set. We all know both of these guys have a tendency to play into the rhythm of the game, which most of the time deals with overall game speed.

For example, a drag screen from Bam on this occasion forces the defense into making quicker decisions with quicker feet. Maxey doesn’t see the screen and decides to fight over, Embiid scrambles to a driving Herro, and he easily slips right by for the crafty finish around the rim.

It’s one thing to bring up pace when discussing more transition opportunities, which both Bam and Herro have the capability of doing, but it just as much points to the authority of speeding up half-court sets.

You may be thinking that this has been very Tyler Herro centric for a piece that’s talking about a two-man game, but all of the plays I’ve displayed have been a 50/50 split in terms of effort.

Bam Adebayo’s screening, rolling gravity, and perfect positioning allows Herro to get many of those good looks out of this set.

But to focus a bit more on his scoring ability out of it, there are pretty much two primary steps for it to be successful.

Number one has a lot to do with the way teams decide to guard Herro as we went through, but more specifically, the blitzes will create non-stop opportunities for Bam as a scorer and play-maker.

In that clip above, he catches in space after Herro drew two, leading to a 1-on-1 at the rim against James Harden. (I like those odds)

The play-making part of the blitzing stuff is all about playing into the numbers. Two fly out on Tyler and Bam catches in space, you now have your athletic play-maker controlling a 4-on-3. (I like those odds too)

But back to the original point, the second step to Bam’s process is the expansion to come. We’ve gotten glimpses of the pocket pass into the elbow jumper, but that frequency rising bends this PnR duo to new heights.

Herro already provides the necessary mid-range gravity, yet if Bam is doing it similarly, even on a lower clip, it changes the outlook of defensive planning on the opposite side.

To finish this off, I’m pretty sure a lot of you may know where I’m going next. If I’m talking Bam, I’m talking inverted pick and roll.

It’s all about finding ways to put the ball in his hands as a scorer, but this is also an outlet to create mismatches. A guy like Herro or Lowry screening for Bam creates chaos if he approaches it correctly.

As seen above, the delayed switch allowed Bam to get to his spot and rise up. We can also add in the fact that Herro’s scoring gravity can create mis-directions as well, which all lean in favor of Bam finding slots to be productive.

Herro recently revealed that he’s currently at 198 pounds and 4.5% body fat, which is the lowest on the team, meaning that he may not be the most useful screener on the roster when evaluating on paper.

But as I just stated, much of the time it’s simply about creating chaos.

And that’s what this two-man game of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo will look to do this year on the offensive end.

“They’ve gained a lot of confidence in their two-man actions,” Erik Spoelstra said late in the playoffs last year about the Herro-Bam PnR. “They do a lot of different things with those actions and a lot of them are unscripted.”

Well now with another full off-season logged, we’re going to get a look at these two guys with the script in hand. And that script could end up making all the difference in this team’s half-court approach from October of 2022 to potentially June of 2023.

 

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One Thing to Look for from each Heat player in the 2022-2023’ Season

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Since signing with the Miami Heat in 2019, Jimmy Butler has been one of the top all-around wings in the NBA. The single flaw to his game has been his regular season jump-shooting, with the three point shooting aspect declining the most. Butler was a career 34% three point shooter before coming to Miami and has been a 24% shooter in the three seasons he has donned a Heat uniform. If Butler can shoot slightly below league average* at around 33-34% from three, lineup construction becomes much simpler for Miami.

* NBA League Average from 3 was 35.4% in the 2021-2022 season.

While Bam Adebayo has statistically improved as a scorer each season and has increased his ability to create his own shot by a sizable margin (39.2% of made FG’s unassisted in 21-22’), his potential for a “scoring leap” was mitigated by his inability to assert himself as an efficient mid-range scorer last season. Adebayo shot 42.4% on mid-range shots in 20-21’ but regressed to a 35.3% mid-range shooter in 21-22’ on lesser per game volume. While many want to see Adebayo stretch his game out to the three point line, it is more important for him to master the mid-range and expand his face-up game from there, asserting himself as one of the league’s most efficient two-level scorers.

The low hanging fruit for Tyler Herro’s development is the ability to handle blitzes in the pick and roll. Yes, that is an important development for Herro in a playoff setting but the most urgent development is Herro increasing his efficiency as a scorer in pick and roll to the point where a Herro and Adebayo pick and roll can be the centerpiece for a good NBA offense. In 20-21’ Herro scored 228 points on 208 shots out of pick and roll, in 21-22’ he maintained similar efficiency but on a sizable increase in volume scoring 401 points on 357 shots. While we can’t project the overall volume of pick and rolls to increase, the goal is for Herro to improve his efficiency from being an above average scorer (61st percentile) in pick and roll to being one of the league’s best (75th percentile or better).

It is no secret that Kyle Lowry’s age will impact his ability to contribute in facets that might’ve been expected upon his arrival to Miami. If last season is any indicator, the ability to drive has started to decline, as Lowry recorded his fewest number of drives per game (7.2) since the NBA started tracking the stat in 2013. Lowry can counteract this decline by reshaping his game into being more of a floor spacer, who functions both as a high volume, high efficiency catch-and-shoot and pull-up threat from three. Lowry’s ability to orchestrate offense parlayed with the ability to keep defenders from helping off of him will amplify the games of Butler, Oladipo, Adebayo, Herro and Yurtseven, who like to operate inside the three point line.

When you play in a starting lineup with Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, it’s likely that you will be hunted in isolation by good teams in a playoff setting. Max Strus took on that test and passed with flying colors in the playoffs. Of the 16 players who defended 25 or more isolations in the playoffs, Strus allowed the 4th fewest points per possession, ranking behind only Draymond Green, Grant Williams and Tobias Harris. Strus also did this on the second highest volume at 44 isolations defended, only behind Al horford, who defended 69 isolations in the playoffs. If these defensive strides from Strus are real, and he is capable of making teams look silly for hijacking their offense simply to hunt him in isolation situations, Strus can be cemented into the Heat’s starting lineup.

After dealing with injury rehabilitation for the majority of the last year and now finally having a full offseason to train, Victor Oladipo’s entire game could look differently upon return but one of the “x-factors” for the Heat’s season will be his ability to generate rim pressure off the dribble. What Oladipo possesses in terms of a first step along with craftiness around the rim is something that has been lacking in Miami for a long time. If Oladipo can assert himself, either as a starter or off the bench, as someone who can get to the rim and make the right decisions while doing so, he will elevate any unit he plays with. Having another player outside of Jimmy Butler who is capable of not only getting into the paint but also finishing at the rim is a crucial development for the Heat’s halfcourt offense. Oladipo or Herro are the most likely bets to make that leap.

Gabe Vincent was one of the few playoff risers for the Heat as his versatility on both ends proved valuable in multiple matchups. Vincent has flashed the ability to create his own buckets at all three levels thus far; however, he now needs to find “his spot” where he can consistently be relied upon to score points. While shooting threes Vincent is primarily a catch-and-shoot threat as role players typically don’t have the freedom of routinely creating a shot that’s inherently inefficient, the pull-up three. While going to the rim, Vincent is generally taking advantage of a slower footed wing or big and being crafty to finish. Being that Vincent can attack closeouts and poses the threat of getting to the rim, pulling up from mid-range is a shot that will be available often for him. After shooting 43% on pull up twos (Regular Season and Playoffs), it’s safe to say Vincent can build upon this skill to further solidify himself as one of the league’s top backup combo guards.

Caleb Martin was probably the single biggest overperformer relative to expectation for the Miami Heat last season. After going from two-way to mid-level exception in less than a calendar year, it’s reasonable to assume that Caleb is not done improving his game. One of his most valuable skills on paper was his 41.3% shooting from three, but the question remains if he can produce similar results as the sample size continues to expand. For a player who is making a career off of “3-and-D” potential, three point shooting is always going to be the ultimate swing factor. If Caleb can prove himself as an efficient floor spacer yet again this season, his contract might be one of the better ones signed this offseason.

Most Miami Heat UDFA projects come into their own in year two of being a part of the program. After seeing flashes in both the NBA Summer League and the “dog days” of the NBA season, Omer Yurtseven has earned the right to be considered to be a part of the Heat’s rotation this season. One way he can seize that spot is by proving he’s capable of anchoring a defense via zone or drop coverage. At 7 feet tall and 275 pounds with a 7’1” wingspan, it is reasonable to say that Yurtseven has the frame to make his presence felt in the paint. With his ability to dominate on the glass and as he is likely to be surrounded by multiple plus defenders off the bench, Yurtseven is in good shape to take a step forward on the defensive end this season.

Duncan Robinson’s value as one of the league’s most respected three point specialists will remain consistent independent of how the shooting percentages fluctuate throughout the season, unless teams change the way they defend him. One thing that we are yet to see from Robinson is the ability to diversify his offensive skill set. Until Robinson is able to consistently feel comfortable attacking closeouts, take and make a mid-range shot or keep a live dribble off of a handoff, Robinson will be subjected to nothing more than the ebbs and flows of being a floor spacer off at the end of the rotation. Any development of the aforementioned skills could make any actions featuring Robinson more fruitful than they have already been.

Haywood Highsmith, like Yurtseven, is entering year two of being in the Heat’s system. With a clear need at the forward spot, Highsmith’s ability to defend multiple positions, rebound despite being undersized and shoot catch-and-shoot threes makes him a contender to earn a spot in the rotation as early as training camp. While PJ Tucker has been a comparison that has been made by some, I believe Highsmith plays more in the mold of a Jae Crowder-type, where volume 3 point shooting from all over the perimeter is his calling card on offense. If Highsmith can shoot at or above league average from three on solid volume, odds are he will find his way into the top 11 for Miami this season.

Dewayne Dedmon likely won’t be counted on much if Yurtseven’s development is going according to plan, but if Dedmon were to be called upon, the hope is that he can continue to hold down the paint defensively and bring the energy on nights where the team might be lacking. The mean streak that Dedmon plays with is one that is a bit more scarce now that PJ Tucker has moved on to Philadelphia.

While he was drafted near the end of the first round, Nikola Jovic has the offensive upside of a lottery level talent with obvious question marks on the defensive end that made him slip to 27. The fix defensively likely won’t happen overnight but if Jovic can display an ability to catch-and-shoot and make quick decisions off the catch, he can find himself on the NBA floor sooner rather than later. If he does see time in the Sioux Falls this season, it would be nice to use that as an opportunity to explore his talents as an on-ball playmaker where he can function as the “big guard” he has labeled himself as. Either way, this season will likely be the equivalent to a redshirt year for the 19-year old where repetitions should take priority over production.

Udonis Haslem is back for a 20th season with the Miami Heat. If this is Haslem’s last season, all we can hope for is that the Heat and their fans give him the proper sendoff at FTX arena.

While he played on the Spurs summer league team, Darius Days was signed to the Miami Heat on a two way contract which surprised most, including the Spurs. While UDFA’s don’t typically produce in their first season with the Heat, it could be very possible that Days could be the rare exception to that rule, given he has prototypical size (6’7 245lbs with a 7’1 wingspan) at a position of need with an offensive skill set that fits next to the Heat’s best players. After being trusted as the primary floor spacing forward for multiple years at LSU, Days could be one good defensive showing in training camp away from having the opportunity to be this season’s Caleb Martin.

While the Heat’s stacked guard rotation makes it unlikely for Marcus Garrett to see NBA minutes this season barring injury, Garrett has proven himself over the last year as someone who could be worth developing. There is no doubt Garrett would be a positive defender in an NBA game if given the opportunity but there are legitimate questions where he fits offensively. If Garrett can find a niche, preferably solidifying his game as a scorer inside the three point line, he could find himself being the prized possession of the Sioux Falls Skyforce this season.

 

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How Bam Adebayo Can Be Unleashed in a Different Dimension

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The ball grazes off the rim and into the big man’s hands. From an early age, the center is taught to come down and immediately search for his point guard to flow into transition or set-up the team in the half-court.

Yet when you evolve into a 6’9 big with guard skills, like Bam Adebayo, it becomes time to shift the narrative a bit.

We often discuss the things on the surface for Bam, who is heading into his sixth season. The spots on the floor to operate in the half-court, a potential growth in post-up play, possible expansion to the three-point line, or the famous one, the individual aggression jolt.

But as Bam Adebayo was playing in the Miami Pro League last night with guys like Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, one specific play got me thinking about something that I harped on a ton during the regular season last year.

Just take a look:

Strips the ball, bolts into transition, and eventually soars up for the dunk down the middle of the lane.

It’s always a conversation to find Bam in spots to be a successful scorer for himself, but could a minor part of that just be over-utilizing himself after he gets the board? Or better yet, when somebody else gets the board and he leaks out?

A common phrase I’ve used throughout the season was that he’s much faster than any opposing 5 matched up with him. They simply just can’t keep up with him, and more importantly, that mental edge does wonders for Bam in the midst of things.

The reason I say that is because Bam Adebayo is a rhythm player. We often think of deep range shooters like Max Strus or Duncan Robinson as rhythm players once they see one drop, but Bam is by far the biggest link to that on the team.

Once he gets going early in games, he’s hard to stop. Just go back and re-watch game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals from a few months ago, where he led Miami to a win in Boston because of that early searching.

Plus, that led to his aggression on the break…

Wait a second, that looks pretty similar to the clip I showed from the Miami Pro League.

It’s not a coincidence though. It’s just his offensive formula.

We actually saw a bit of a transition surge from him in the regular season, since he scored 1.20 points per possession on 15.9% frequency.

For some context, the season before he scored 1.14 PPP on 11.8% frequency. That jump in volume should be credited to Kyle Lowry in many ways, since he was the igniter to get Bam moving in those spots, just as he would race to the baseline for a quick inbound every single play.

The Miami Heat as a team were bottom 10 in fast-break frequency, but I truly believe it’s more important for the team to have a highly efficient Bam in transition than the team as a whole.

Now when focusing in on the skill element of this, it’s pretty clear that an improved handle heading into this year would be very helpful for this type of thing.

We know he can move faster than others, and finish at a decently high level when barreling down the floor, but the worry would be that it could translate into a turnover problem. If that’s not the case and he could keep the ball on a string, they really have something.

When looking at some of the clips above, there’s no doubt he’s most comfortable when getting to that right hand. He’s pretty athletic around the rim, which may get lost in the mix when discussing Bam, meaning he has a variety of takeoff spots inside the lane on the move.

Looking at the Toronto Raptors last season, this exact process was picked up by Nick Nurse. The roster was full of athletic bigs who could put the ball on the deck, which led to them developing a bit of a grab and go system for anybody on the floor.

That’ll never be Miami’s offensive system, even if Lowry checks into that at times on the fly, but I believe it could be Bam’s system in a way. The entire goal for him as a player is to find angles to allow him to play freely. They’ve found openings as a roller at times, but the hand-off and post-ups sometimes led to a tensed up version of himself.

Playing in the open floor, though, is the way to get him loose as a scorer.

To add on, it doesn’t have to be narrowed down to baseline to baseline stuff. Looking at the clip above, possessions like this could be even better, right as the ball crosses half-court.

Even if he doesn’t fully become that above the break shooter, he can still be used above the break in motion. It’s all about finding ways to get him downhill, and the natural pressure of an unsettled defense may be the way to go.

Twenty seconds on the shot clock, Lowry swings it to Bam who finds himself on the right wing. Montrezl Harrell doesn’t have time to place himself into that deep drop, leading into a blow-by for Bam for the easy lay-in.

With Miami possibly entering the season with an all-in bet on internal development for the time being, Bam Adebayo will be the guy to watch. If he can elevate high enough, it’ll make all the difference.

Finding ways to turn him up a notch, and this could potentially be the kick-start to that.

 

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The Miami Heat’s Roster Season Review + What’s Next

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Looking back over this season for the Miami Heat, they finished as the first seed in the Eastern Conference, yet capped out in the Eastern Conference Finals in game 7, one win, or one shot, away from another NBA Finals appearance.

So, now that it’s officially off-season time, it’s time to project forward. But you can’t fully look ahead until you evaluate the past, so let’s take a brief look throughout the roster to establish both what happened and what’s next…

Jimmy Butler:

What happened?

When talking about the Miami Heat, you must start out with the headliner, which is clearly Jimmy Butler. Sometimes a season is remembered by how you start, and other times by how you finish. And in Butler’s case, he capitalized in both of those fields.

From MVP ladder rankings to begin the year to a 47 point masterpiece in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals facing elimination, it’s no doubt that it was a terrific season. We all know about his defensive excellence when surrounded by strong defenders, but carrying the offensive load yet again to this degree was eye opening.

Y’all can have fun with NBA player rankings, but Butler cemented himself as a clear top 10 player in today’s league.

What’s next?

When talking about the next steps for individual players, I’m going to do a lot of talking about simple on-court improvements or the next stage of a contract/trade possibility. Yet for Jimmy Butler, it’s about just the opposite.

It’s just building a roster to get him that ring that he so very deserves, which was one of the primary reasons he landed in Miami in the first place. Watching him put it all out there in this post-season showed one thing that we probably already knew: build fully around Butler to get this group over the hump. Basically the playoff motto for the Heat in this recent run: get Jimmy Butler some help.

Bam Adebayo:

What happened?

Offensively he may have his ups and downs on picking when to go and be aggressive, but his impact was felt from game 1 to game 100. One of the league’s best defenders, even if the voters couldn’t recognize that. Games 3 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals showed flashes again on the other end, mostly about the hope of what he would look like as a full-time third option on the offensive end.

In the mix of things throughout the season, Adebayo receives a lot of blame from the public. When they lose, it’s easy to look over at his stat-line and make that the reason it occurred, but it truly isn’t the full story. There’s no doubt the aggression will have to pick up in a more consistent manner, but Adebayo did his job this season, and that game 7 proved the focal points of this Heat group.

What’s Next?

Clearly Adebayo is locked into contract and isn’t going anywhere, so what’s next for him is much more game-based. His defensive traits are here to stay, meaning the offense will always be the primary focus in an off-season.

When players talk about that specific focus, it’s usually prefaced by “perfecting my all-around game.” But when it comes to Adebayo, I don’t believe that to be the case.

The next step for him: a go-to offensive move that we’ve discussed for quite some time. Is it a post-up move? Face-ups? Jumper? It’s tough to say, but it comes down to his comfort level in certain spots.

Something to watch for though: Bam Adebayo loves that baseline. No matter if he’s in position for a post-up or a face-up, the end result is most likely going to be a baseline dash or a post spin down that line for position under the rim. So I’m thinking they’re going to find a way to maximize his skill down there.

Tyler Herro:

What happened?

As I stated earlier, the way you finish a season is usually remembered much more than the main chunk of your production in a certain time frame. And for Tyler Herro, he wasn’t even lucky enough to actually “finish” his season correctly after dealing with that groin injury in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But to zoom out a bit, he grew a ton this past season as an offensive player. Aside from winning the sixth man of the year award, he was right up there at the top of the scoring list with Butler in the regular season.

But it isn’t about the numbers, he grew as a creator in terms of finding healthy step-backs and fade-aways to get his shot off against good defenses. He even grew to the degree that teams through the entire playoffs threw different defensive coverages at him since they were so worried about him. Those obstacles slowed him down a good amount, but there’s no doubt he made strides this year as a scorer in this league.

What’s next?

When hearing what is next for Tyler Herro at this time of year, I know what you all are thinking. Donovan Mitchell. Zach LaVine. Damian Lillard. Probably even LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo. The point is that he’s going to be thrown into any conversation for those stars to improve the team, and I mean rightfully so. Everybody is pulling that trigger to land a star in this league next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

But the realistic element: it’s not that likely. Yes top players always move around every off-season, but this is totally out of the Heat’s control. It’s 1) on the specific player to ask out and demand Miami and 2) the opposing team has to actually like the trade package you’re offering.

Aside from all of those fantasies, there are clear areas for him to improve on the basketball court. The first step is his driving game, which did make strides throughout the regular season, but the physicality of the playoffs blocked the rim off for him to attack.

He must find ways to draw contact on those stop signs standing in the lane, which may develop with his focus on adding some extra upper body strength.

The last thing is a combination of a live dribble and his play-making skills. That’s another thing that was peaking late in the regular season, but the constant blitzing and doubles he faced found ways to stall out both him and the team’s offense. Working on those quicker passing triggers will be key for his off-season development.

Oh, and the last thing to note, the next step for him personally is becoming a full-time Heat starter.

Kyle Lowry:

What happened?

I feel like the Kyle Lowry section is one of the hardest to sum up into words. He had a strong regular season in terms of carrying the team when guys went down, which was pretty much what the Heat needed when they acquired him.

But the other thing they needed was the two words he used pretty often in the regular season: “real season.” His ramp up process was hitting new levels late in the regular season, which Erik Spoelstra joked recently that they wished the playoffs could’ve started then. But well, they didn’t.

Lowry started off the “real season” pretty well with some strong performances at the beginning of the Hawks series, but the fall-off came a little after as injuries struck. In and out was his story-line the rest of the way, as that hamstring never truly allowed him to look right. He had a big game 6 in the ECF next to Jimmy Butler, but it capped off there.

I feel like he exceeded some of the regular season expectations with the hot pockets throughout the year when guys went down, but the playoffs plummeted quite a bit. Was it simply derailed by injuries? Was that usual burst to the rim and pull-up shooting gone? I’m not sure, but I do know that hamstring situation didn’t help.

What’s next?

Kyle Lowry is locked into a decent sized contract with this Heat team moving forward, meaning “what’s next” seems to be characterized by a potential trade for some. But let me just say this in simple terms: Kyle Lowry came to the Heat because of Jimmy Butler. Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler are close friends. Jimmy Butler isn’t allowing Kyle Lowry to be traded.

Maybe that last sentence has an exception if it’s grabbing a top tier star and he needs to be packaged, but even then it gets a bit cloudy. The point is that Lowry is a part of this current build, so the focus on what is next is how to maximize him.

And this isn’t young player development like improving on a specific skill, this is honing in on his body and physical build. Something Spoelstra danced around in his exit interview presser was the idea of Lowry getting into Heat shape, finishing the convo off with “I think Kyle will come back next training camp in the best shape of his career.”

That fixes a lot of what we’re discussing. He needs to be in great shape, preserve himself in the regular season, and be fresh by the time the playoffs roll around. That’s what Butler did this past year, and that’s what Lowry will need to do.

PJ Tucker:

What happened?

PJ Tucker simply exceeded all expectations in everybody’s eyes from the front office to teammates to fans. We knew he was a defensive dawg, but increasing the offensive display of a 37 year old isn’t easy. Speolstra talked about how he was surprised of this ascension, as he even carried the load of the front-court when Bam went down with injury for a month and a half.

Tucker told Spo that he used to play some point guard, and he didn’t believe him. When he reassured, Spo tweaked the December game-plan of giving Tucker some more play-making reps, which included a hot stretch of running some post-spits and different sets for him for a good chunk of time.

We also can’t just say he was great defensively while not punching that point home. He made Trae Young’s life horrible in the first round, handled both James Harden and Joel Embiid off switches all series long, and didn’t allow Jayson Tatum maximum comfort all 7 games. He was the rock of everything they did, and every Heat player has made sure to point that out all year.

What’s next?

Contract wise for Tucker, he’s one of those flexible off-season pieces to watch as he has that $7.4 million player option at the moment. I’m not the guy to fully project forward on what he will do with that, but it’s clear no matter if he opts in or out, the Heat will be very focused on bringing him back.

Yet as he isn’t getting any younger, the enticing part about his return would be making his life a bit easier with some type of front-court addition. More than anything though, he just wants to be out there and play, and it’s clear he fits Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler, and this organization to an absolute T.

Duncan Robinson:

What happened?

As Tucker may have exceed many expectations, it’s pretty clear that nobody saw the Robinson season coming at all. After receiving his healthy bag, he endured some shooting struggles to begin the year.

Spoelstra and the Heat stuck with him all the way through, yet he could never really find his usual comfort and consistency from deep, while it felt like the offense was being restricted at times to get him going.

One Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra fight and a 4 game losing streak later, a change was made. The Heat shifted the starting lineup and rotation to have Max Strus start at the 2, trying to find a spark in anyway possible. And that was exactly found.

Robinson then began to trickle down the Heat’s rotation little by little, eventually finding himself on the outside looking in by playoff time.

What’s next?

The next stage for Robinson is unclear, but the next stage for the Heat with Robinson is a bit clearer. As I pointed out earlier, yes, he’d be included in the big time deals for the star-powered players in Heat jersey swaps on social media. But the Heat’s off-season isn’t going to consist of waiting around for something that probably won’t even happen.

So, could a Robinson deal be done on its own to patch up some holes in the roster? Very much so. Talking about Tucker possibly needing some front-court help on the surface, the question becomes: who could Robinson get you as a potential stretch big?

We have a full off-season to talk about that now, but the point is that’s the next outlet for Robinson and the Heat. There are clearly teams that can use the shooting gift that Robinson possesses, and the Heat may need to shift in another direction.

Gabe Vincent:

What happened?

Entering this season, there was one hole on the Heat’s roster according to many Heat observers: back-up point guard. Gabe Vincent was going to be a fine third string point guard, but they needed a trusted back-up.

Not only did Vincent emerge into that, he progressed into a solid starting point guard for many slots of the regular season and the playoffs.

Not enough is said about the strides he made in his all-around game. Many were eyeing his shooting from deep since that’s what landed him on the roster in the first place, and that began to click as well. But more importantly, he became a big time defender, his play-making skills grew more than expected, and they transitioned him from a small 2 into a solid 1. In terms of production and progression, Vincent was one of the true success stories from this year.

What’s next?

Some may call Vincent or Max Strus sweeteners for a potential star-powered trade, but I don’t think it gets much sweeter than two highly productive rotation players on minimum contracts next season. That is just incredible value from a contractual perspective.

On the other side of things, I truly believe Vincent’s off-season development approach will be the cliche “improving in all areas.” It’s working on the consistency of the outside shot, the effectiveness of the pull-up, a tighter handle, and most importantly, quick play-making attributes.

Max Strus:

What happened?

As illustrated in other areas of this piece, Max Strus emerged this season from out of nowhere. Sometimes it’s not about fully jumping onto the scene, but just arriving at the right time. As much as we group Vincent, Strus, and Caleb Martin together in that young undrafted branch, many Heat observers compared them often.

Why is that? Well, there were only so many rotation spots, so the question continued to be ‘who was going to be the odd man out?’ For a good stretch of time with Vincent and Martin’s offensive game surging, that guy seemed to be Strus. But well, you know how that story ended up going.

Robinson struggled, changes were made, and Strus found himself in the starting lineup on the biggest stages. In the same breath as Vincent, he was a major success story for this Heat developmental staff who just continues to do it again and again.

What’s next?

Not to be too repetitive, but as described previously with Vincent, his contract is just an insane amount of value heading into this next season. But as much as that’s a thing, they’re going to be playing for even bigger pay-days next season heading into free agency.

For Strus individually, the shooting is clearly his staple. He had some flashes of strong attacks and defensive stops, but those will need to improve heading into this next season.

But since he’s going to be a part of this Heat offense yet again, he’s going to need something out of Duncan Robinson’s book from previous years: effectiveness off dribble hand-offs.

Strus is a tough shot maker and a clear movement shooter, but a lot of his shooting stretches came off slip screens or ghost screens into a spot-up jumper on the wing. Or just the usual catch and shoot from anywhere on the floor. But the smoothness of a Robinson hand-off would be crucial for Strus as the “best shooter on the team,” as he proclaimed with semi-air quotes.

I can say that he works on it a ton in practice after watching a ton of his post-practice shooting drills this season, but that’ll be a primary focus in the Summer.

Victor Oladipo:

What happened?

Victor Oladipo’s season consisted of an incredible comeback story and extremely small sample sizes. He made his return late in the season showcasing some high level defensive moments, yet the offensive insertion slowed down the Heat’s strides late in the year.

They shelved him for some time for that very reason, but when Lowry went down in the playoffs, his number was called again, and he answered the call. He did a very good job as a shot creator when they needed him to be, and a second half against Jaylen Brown and the Celtics in game 1 will be on his career highlight tape.

We know he’s a high-level talent, but the question was how he’d round into shape. He did a good job responding to that, but now the attention turns to what the title of his next chapter will be…

What’s next?

Oladipo is currently a free agent at the moment after he took a chance with the Heat earning the minimum, but now it’s about what his market looks like. The Heat do hold his Bird Rights, so they will have some level of control, but it’s much more on the rest of the league.

Personally, it feels like there’s a good chance he finds his way back onto this Heat roster, which quickly transitions into what is next in his production.

As much as I’ve highlighted individual improvements for much of the Heat’s roster, it’s more about role for Oladipo. Trying to blend him into their game-plan on the fly this season wasn’t the easiest thing to do, since a lot of his play was either standing in the corner as an off-ball threat or going isolation mode.

Once the Heat find out his plans in free agency, they’re going to jump on that pretty quickly. Dissecting what his job on the offensive end will be for this team, so the outline is totally understood by opening night.

Caleb Martin:

What happened?

I feel like I could just copy and paste the story-line of many of these undrafted players who climb up the ladder, since Caleb Martin falls right under that category as well.

Betting on himself by signing a two-way contract with the Heat after being cut by the Charlotte Hornets, then turned into a key rotation player who finished the season on a regular contract with Miami.

A big time game early in the year against the Milwaukee Bucks showed his abilities under the bright lights with so many guys out, but one major defensive run around January capitalized on his effectiveness. A point guard clamping tour from Steph Curry to Chris Paul to De’Aaron Fox to Fred VanVleet. The way he was able to size down proved to be very helpful, and he just fit the build of this team.

What’s next?

Martin is also a free agent, but they will throw him the qualifying offer as Miami can match outside offers if necessary. But after Martin spoke in the exit interviews on Tuesday, he voiced over and over again that he wants to come back to Miami.

So, to continue on what’s next for him personally, I’d like to retreat back to a point I made about Oladipo. When I asked Martin about his focus in improvements and role next season, he kept bringing up one guy’s name: PJ Tucker. The focus won’t be on an individual attribute, even though he noted his shooting consistency will be big, but instead his role is going to be laid out on the table from day one.

Screening, rolling, play-making off the slip. Martin wants to be that dirty work guy that can be relied on regularly much like Tucker has been this past season. This team had a lot of depth this past year, but now they need assigned roles to that depth. And Martin accepting that type of stuff can do just that.

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Dewayne Dedmon/Omer Yurtseven

What happened?

Yes, I’m going to merge two very different players who only share the same position, since both of them are in two totally different spots.

Dewayne Dedmon is coming off a year as the team’s trusted back-up big, while Omer Yurtseven was in an evaluating state as the third string big, who popped into the lineup when needed during Adebayo’s absence.

Dedmon had a strong showing early on, but the minutes declined rapidly in the playoffs as his production slowed down. Spoelstra began going smaller, which is always his most comfortable area, leaving Dedmon on the outside looking in.

Yurtseven, on the other hand, was a garbage time killer. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but his biggest moments came when he’d enter with 3 minutes left and come away with like 6 rebounds out of nowhere. That’s definitely a skill, and he has a good amount of skill while being very young,

What’s next?

The reason I grouped them together was much more about this section. Dewayne Dedmon will be a free agent with the Heat holding Bird Rights, but it pretty much feels like Miami got everything out of him that they needed. The next stage for him in terms of contract could be the end with his Heat tenure.

Omer Yurtseven on the other hand could have a bit more responsibilities. I still believe that the Heat grab some extra front-court pieces either in a possible Robinson trade, or low level free agency options, but Yurtseven will have a fighting chance.

He will have another run in Heat Summer league, now as more of the focal point after Strus dominated the last time around. He’s been working majorly behind the scenes with the coaching staff, so I’m interested to see the way he’s grown by the time Summer league actually starts.

Either way, the back-up big slot feels to be the one area of speculation to kick off this off-season.

Markieff Morris/Udonis Haslem/Haywood Highsmith/Javonte Smart/Mychal Mulder

What happened?

Lastly, we can’t leave anybody off. Markieff Morris had some moments to begin the year, but one Nikola Jokic shove in the back basically ended his role on this Heat team, since his time of recovery kept being extended.

Guys like Haywood Highsmith, Javonte Smart, and Mychal Mulder didn’t really have any major impact on this Heat group, but they’re always important to keep an eye on in this Heat organization.

One moment they’re just some guys in Summer League, and the next thing you know they’re starting 12 games in the regular season. More than anything, the developmental group deserves all of the credit.

What’s next?

Morris will be a free agent as well after earning the minimum, so it feels like it could be the end of the road there, unless no other reserve 4’s come available in free agency. (I’m eyeing Thaddeus Young possibly.)

Haslem just never seems to be done, as his exit interview every year seems to go the same way. He said he will think it over in the off-season, which will probably mean he will be back breaking up bench altercations again next year.

And as I said before, Highsmith, Smart, and Mulder will have some chances in Summer League to show what they’ve got.

(Yes, that’s everybody on the current roster. No, I won’t be addressing the Kyle Guy’s and Mario Chalmer’s from earlier 10-days.)

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Celtics in Game 6

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The Miami Heat force a game 7.

While the Tv shows were previewing a Celtics-Warriors Finals, the Heat were preparing a gameplan to go into TD Garden.

Jimmy Butler went LeBron James game 6 mode and absolutely dominated.

Here are some takeaways…

#1: Jimmy Butler entering that mode.

Coming into game 6, I had a consistent blueprint for the Heat. And well, that was Jimmy Butler. To put up a fight, they were going to need a LeBron like game 6 in Boston, and a 21/9/6 half-time stat-line was a decent start you’d say. He was attacking the basket to create perimeter shots, knocking down the outside jumper, and saving Miami late in the shot-clock. He was it for their half-court sets. Right before tip-off he walked from the bench to the scorer’s table for his usual hand-shake routine. The only change: no smile, no reactions. That’s the LeBron comp in that sense. He needed to be superman early on for Miami to give that opening punch, and he was just that.

#2: Boston’s defense forcing Miami’s passive players to make plays early.

Looking on the other end, there were times in that half where we were once again discussing the need for Butler help. But before talking about that, it’s important to mention what Boston was doing. It was clear in that first half Max Strus and Duncan Robinson weren’t the fits in this game. The Celtics were forcing him to catch the ball high to turn into a ball-handler, which is when they would pounce. That is the reason I said during the game they’d have to transition into all defensive lineups with the Vincent-Lowry back-court making a comeback, which is exactly what happened. The other guy Boston was forcing aggressiveness on was Bam Adebayo. He was searching for hand-offs, he was loose with the ball, and the attacks weren’t there. It was measured from the Celtics side, as he got his first couple baskets under a minute to go in the second quarter, 23 minutes into the game. But this topic just speaks to what Butler was doing even more.

#3: The free throw battle.

Looking at the free throw comparisons over the last 3 games, they’re pretty absurd. The Celtics continues to get to the line, while the Heat continue to struggle in that department. But I won’t go immediately to one-sided calls. Yes there are times when the whistle may sway, but this is an example of schematics. The Celtics current offensive structure is for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to make drives in the slots for force back-line rotations. The usual outcome is a take to the rim for potential contact. While that was the Heat’s gameplan for Butler for some time, the injury shifted things. He was a methodical transition and jumper threat in that first half, which led into some sprays for outside shots. That’s the key though: Butler and 3 point shooting goes hand in hand. The counter to a charity stripe disparity is balancing that middle ground, which was clicking in that first half.

#4: Third quarter: Butler getting the help he deserves.

The theme entering the second quarter: who would give Butler the necessary help? Or would it ever come? To kick off the third quarter, he came out clicking just like the first half. But the biggest difference: so did the supporting cast. A stretch that as crucial included a Victor Oladipo insertion after PJ Tucker’s 4th foul, leading to a big floater followed up by a massive step back jumper with Robert Williams hovering. Right after that, Strus flowed into the half-court as Lowry pushed pace, and Strus took a deep pull-up that extended the lead to 12. But then, Boston responded. The Heat began to ease up and the Celtics continued getting to the rim and the line, cutting it immediately to 6. Timeout. Yet, they responded again. Butler continued getting to his spots, but the crowd was on Boston’s side. Arena roaring, Butler driving, Oladipo swinging, Strus shooting. Silence. He loves quieting that crowd, and that shot was as big as any.

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#5: Forcing a game 7.

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Celtics in Game 5

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The Miami Heat are now down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Continued struggles offensively, Jimmy Butler hitting a wall potentially due to injury, and others not playing up to their abilities.

So, here are some takeaways from this game…

#1: No Tyler Herro means troublesome bench. Or just the opposite…

The Heat’s bench in the first half of game 5 scored a total of 18 points, the same amount the Heat starters put up in all of game 4 in Boston. The offense wasn’t clicking to start this one either, but it was the same thing for Boston. All of a sudden, Victor Oladipo and Gabe Vincent trot into the game for Max Strus and Kyle Lowry, and well, things flipped quickly. Oladipo provided the shot creation they were missing, and Vincent provided the missing point guard element of somebody willing to shoot and bend the defense. Caleb Martin stepped into the mix as well, and he was vital. Corner threes, put-backs in the lane, smothering defense on Jayson Tatum. He might’ve been the most impressive of them all, while Duncan Robinson rounded out the 4 man bench unit. And we shouldn’t look past his gravity that was harped on so often. He created a ton of space for Miami’s weak half-court looks, and he deserved some credit early too. But much like all of this, the word “early” was a crucial element.

#2: The rotational adjustment many were waiting for.

Dewayne Dedmon has struggled as of late. Now that Miami found themselves tied 2-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, there’s less room for error. Yes, he may get a 6 to 8 minute stint, but that could flip a game. Consequently, many have been clamoring for some Markieff Morris minutes at the back-up 5, for both spacing and a bigger body on the front-line. Yet while I had many present that option to me, I had the same answer to it all: PJ Tucker should be the back-up 5. With so much on the line right now, minutes need to increase. And if Bam Adebayo sits at 42 minutes, give Tucker the other 6 to play next to Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin to spark a space-ful run. Tucker was fantastic in that role early on, as his rebounding comfort was obvious from the jump on both sides. They may have fell short, but this was the correct rotation shift.

#3: Bam Adebayo has found the mismatches since game 1, but there’s inconsistency in capitalizing.

How did Miami counter the rough start yet again to kick this game off? Well, it was simply Bam Adebayo’s aggressive mind-set off big time put-backs at the rim, one over teammate Jimmy Butler. But other than that, it wasn’t looking good for Bam’s offensive impact for the first few minutes. Every set was being run through Butler and Tucker, while Bam was down low watching. That blended into Miami doing nothing about the mismatch of Brown on his back, til it clicked. The Heat began growing much more intentional in that space to get him the ball, and Bam responded well. Strong attacks in the post, activity on the offensive boards, and energy when the ball wasn’t in his hands for screening. With Butler struggling and Herro out, they needed him to begin this game, and he answered the call. But then the phone hung up. The Heat began to stall out beginning with Butler’s struggles, and Bam couldn’t create something out of nothing. Those advantages are there, but the lack of a go-to restricts the consistency of his attack.

#4: Third quarter trouble strikes back.

4 for 23. That was the Heat’s shooting numbers in the third quarter, and if you were watching the game, that wouldn’t be shocking. As much as I gave the bench unit props, that was equally highlighting the starting lineup issues. Jimmy Butler just didn’t look right. They’re throwing length on him any chance they get, which neutralizes him without the usual burst and attack to the rim. The third quarter sum-up for the Heat’s offense: it appeared they hit the wall. The Celtics did a good job of utilizing Robert Williams again, and Miami didn’t have the answer to him that I was expecting. He was everywhere as a shot blocker, just wrecking havoc on every perimeter shooter for the Heat. And once he rattled those guys, everything trickles from there.

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#5: So, what now?

When I said Heat in 7, I’ve been pretty much aligned with what has been happening in the series. A 1-1 split followed by a 1-1 split, while it eventually bleeds into a game 7 in the Heat’s house. But when I pictured game 5, I didn’t picture this. To be completely honest, it felt like each team would get one at home, but as Miami lost Tyler Herro, and Jimmy Butler in many cases, the Heat’s offense stalled even more-so. But what now? The Celtics now lead 3-2 in the series heading back to Boston. We often hear about culture and mental toughness with this Heat team, and that’ll be tested to the ultimate degree Friday night. I can sit here and discuss film adjustments or rotation changes, but this is mental now. Can the Heat overcome the shrugged shoulders and short jumpers? I don’t have the answer to that right now, but it’ll be tested completely in game 6.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Celtics in Game 3

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So, that was some game…

The Miami Heat steal one in Boston in game 3, simply led by that excellence of Bam Adebayo throughout on both ends. No Jimmy Butler in the second half, Kyle Lowry coming off injury, and pure role player dominance.

So much happened, but here were some things that stood out…

#1: Bam Adebayo responds to the noise with an early masterclass.

Heading into this game, all eyes were on Bam Adebayo. The basketball public were looking at him to step up if this Heat team wanted to progress forward in this series, and well, he responded big. Erik Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo had to come in with an early approach to get him going, since he simply is a rhythm player. We began seeing Miami run sets for him above the break, allowing him to blend his two offensive threats together: turning a face-up into a post-up. That led him into low post play with some nice hook shots, comfort around them rim, and speedy pull up fades. But that last point is the key element: speedy. When he’s decisive and instinctive as a scoring threat, things look much different. That quick pull changes the game for his offensive slate, and forces defensive adjustments.

#2: Erik Spoelstra’s substitution adjustments carrying some weight.

Erik Spoelstra threw some haymakers early in this game from a coaching perspective, and it deserves some love. Aside from some schematic adjustments that were noticed throughout, the substitution changes were major. Usually the pattern is for Herro and Dedmon to enter at the 6 minute mark, consequently meaning that Bam exits. But today, only Dedmon found himself at the scorer’s table at that 6 minute mark. Why was that? Well, as I’ve been saying since the end of game 2, Bam and Herro need to play together much more than they have. So, Herro entered at the 3 minute mark instead, while Bam re-entered for Dedmon. He did just commit a quick 2 fouls, but something was found there. A couple high PnR reps later, Adebayo continues to dominate as a roller in space. Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin also got spot minutes while Victor Oladipo was squeezed. Well, for a half. After Butler wouldn’t return coming back from half, Dipo was inserted into his spot as a starter. That’s the name of the game for this team though.

#3: Kyle Lowry’s insertion was felt early.

When Kyle Lowry was announced early in the day “intending to play,” it felt like there were some mixed emotions there. Yes the team’s starting lineup is returning, but is he fully healthy? We saw what happened when he tried to return in game 3 against Philly, so how different will this look? And well, his presence was felt immediately. For one, the difference in pace was staggering. A Jimmy Butler and-1 early in the game took place 2 and a half seconds into the shot clock due to a Lowry touchdown pass. And plus, this ties back to the Bam discussion. He was setting him up in his spots to trigger those offensive sets, and that’s the difference a true point guard makes for a team. Yet if you’ve been watching sports talk on TV, the game 2 loss of Derrick White was much more crucial. As the game unfolded, you could see that hamstring having more and more of a pull. The jumper was shorter, the passes were lazier, but they still needed his calming hand late. And a final steal down the stretch iced it fully.

#4: Third quarter: Butler goes down, Boston makes a run, role players turn up the clamps.

As I mentioned before, Jimmy Butler went down to start the second half, meaning Victor Oladipo had his number called all of a sudden. Offense got stagnant for a bit and the Celtics began building their run, which was pretty much expected. Yet, one thing, that might be overlooked, saved in that span. Role player defensive dominance. I must start with Oladipo, who wasn’t heavily involved in the offensive flow, yet was overpowering perimeter options for the Celtics on defense. Not just on the ball, but he was all over the place on rotations. PJ Tucker owned that quarter as well, pretty much aligned with those same descriptions, except his dominance came through physicality. Fighting through screens, overplaying Tatum, and making his life difficult. Even Caleb Martin entered late and got a much needed steal to finish the quarter. This was a gritty one, and that started with the guys mentioned who put it all out there.

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#5: What a finish.

Jaylen Brown hits a 3 to cut it to one, looking like Miami has finally hit that wall. They kept that lead for so long, but the car has finally stalled. But then, the next possession pretty much saved them. Flare screen for Max Strus, he squares up, and fires away. Bucket. The lead back up to 4 all of a sudden, from a guy who clearly isn’t afraid of the moment. A bit later after a timeout, Lowry brings the ball down. Strus forces something in the corner, and Bam finds himself with the ball with 5 seconds on the shot clock. Pump-fake, jumps into Horford, and still hits the deep jumper. The Heat have finally taken some control back, but now they need a stop. Heat swarm, the ball floats to the weak-side corner, and Lowry dives on the floor to retain it. This game was one of a ton of heart, on both sides, but the will Miami showed late was outstanding. And it was led by their franchise player: Bam Adebayo.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Boston in Game 2

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Well, the Miami Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in game 2.

From poor defense to awkward shot selection to wild Celtic runs, I cover it all here…

So here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Oh, so a run happened.

60 to 21. When hearing those numbers, you may be thinking, what do those numbers mean? But if you watched the first half of Heat-Celtics, you already know what that is: the Celtics went on a run. A big run. The offense from Boston was pretty simple, which I’ll talk about next, but the disposition of the Heat was very poor. Late on close-outs, everywhere on rotations, and just short on jumpers on the offensive end. Jayson Tatum got going, Jaylen Brown contributed when Tatum went to the bench after his second foul, and the role players wouldn’t miss. 60 to 21. That’s a hard number to look past when evaluating a game, which is why that’s where we had to start.

#2: The Celtics three point shooting early, coming from the Heat’s game 1 nightmares.

Now peeling back some layers on what was happening, how were the Celtics shooting at this insane level in the first half including 12 triples? Well, other than my points about lazy rotations and close-outs, they were a bit scarred from the first half of game 1 it seemed. By that I mean, the Celtics almost set a postseason record in game 1 with 42 paint points, due to Miami overplaying the perimeter so an easy slip was there for Boston. Now in this game, the Heat weren’t allowing that to happen. Off-ball switches would occur, a mismatch on the block is found, and the Heat have already sent that weak side guy down. Eliminate those paint points and you’re in good shape, right? Wrong. Swing, swing, three was the Celtics’ consistent process due to that over-helping, sparking that run that I discussed previously. Plus, there’s the element of a team just not missing from deep.

#3: The death of the primary action for the Heat’s offense.

Sometimes life is simple for the Miami Heat on the offensive side of the ball. Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo as shown against Philly: bucket. Jimmy Butler straight line drive ball as shown in game 1 against Boston: bucket. But how about when those initial options or sets are taken away? That’s what turned on the scoring end for the Heat upon that early run. Something was run, the help was there, and the 3 others on the floor for Miami stood and watched. And well, if there’s any team to not do that, it’s the Heat. They generate all of their looks off constant movement, backside screening and actions, and tons of added layers. It can be slightly labeled as not making shots that they regularly would, but there’s no doubt that the process was off. Adjustment time.

#4: The Heat need Bam Adebayo in this final four.

Aside from this game tonight, the Heat’s blueprint is clear. Jimmy Butler will be Jimmy Butler most nights. Tyler Herro can give that boost against drop when the time is right. Role players can shoot above their heads enough in these playoffs. Yet, more than anything, this team needs Bam Adebayo in this series: the offensive version. Coming from somebody that values Adebayo’s defense as much as you can, there just comes a point where the second best player must be just that. With the ball in his hands, utilizing a face-up attack or letting the jumper fly. At this stage, the post game isn’t an option in my opinion. Watching the Celtics switch Jaylen Brown onto him and the unwillingness to get a deal seal is obvious. He has a home base, but he doesn’t go to it enough in these moments. It should also be noted that Bam is always the first person that is looked toward in games like this, which isn’t ideal since he isn’t the reason they lost. But it’s clear to win this series, they’re going to need a serviceable offensive version of himself.

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#5: Big picture time: chill.

I’ve talked enough about the negatives in this game 2, so now it’s time for some perspective. In all honesty, I wouldn’t say there’s a ton to be over worried about with this series as a whole. It’s 1-1 in the series, and there are clear adjustments that must be made, but this was kinda the expectation on this series. This didn’t have a 2-0, 2-2 feel to it where both teams protect home court. Both of these teams are inconsistent on the offensive end with coaches who are throwing counter punches in both directions. Anything can happen, home crowd or not. Now it’s time for the Heat to head up to Boston to get one of these themselves. So I’ll end this piece with the word I previously mentioned: chill.

 

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