Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

Why Is the Miami Heat’s Press So Effective?

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When a team claims that their overall identity is on the defensive end, it’s always important to check out their tendencies on that side of the floor, aside from the numbers that place Miami at 8th in the NBA in defensive rating.

For one, a defensive player of the year candidate, Bam Adebayo, at the forefront of Miami’s defensive success is a good starting point. Not many centers are placing themselves into every spot on the floor every night, but Adebayo is one of them.

Back-side help when he notices a mismatch on a smaller defender, the constant switching onto the perimeter to lock up any guard or wing, and many more areas that stand out. But ultimately, it wouldn’t be possible without two of his counter parts, Jimmy Butler and Trevor Ariza.

Speaking of backside help, the reason he is able to freely roam on many possessions is due to the confidence he has in these two guys to step up or double. And these descriptive layers are interesting considering the fact that this team didn’t seem to have the personnel to compete on that end of the floor to begin the year.

Instead of focusing on individual abilities, though, it’s essential to evaluate the defensive adjustments that seem to be awaiting in Erik Spoelstra’s pocket. That is headlined by the 2-2-1 press and 2-3 zone that are utilized in spurts when this team needs a boost.

The most crucial part about this adjustment isn’t the press itself, but actually the timing of it. In the Heat’s win over Charlotte on Sunday night, Coach Spoelstra threw it at them when they began to get into their usual fast-paced flow, which allowed Miami to flip the script.

The purpose of the press isn’t to just get steal after steal, even though Miami is hoping for that result. It’s actually to put pressure on a team, either speeding them up as they’ve done in the past, or slowing them down as they did last night against Charlotte.

On this play above, LaMelo Ball is able to push the ball up the floor to Terry Rozier as Andre Iguodala and Ariza are pressuring full court, which is quite the defensive duo. Charlotte went from controlling the pace of the game as the team ranked 4th in assists per game to a possession like this.

Ball to Rozier to Ball to Rozier to Ball in a span of eight seconds. Forcing teams to play hot potato on the perimeter leading to a contested three is exactly the reason Miami throws it at teams unexpectedly.

I asked Jimmy Butler about the effectiveness of the press and zone, as well as the timing of using it, and he responded, “It is very effective. I felt like we threw different types of defenses at them throughout the entire game, but we were locked in on where everybody was on the floor…Being able to mix and match these defenses can really throw people off.”

And well, that last part pretty much sums up last night’s game, since although the all-around scoring seemed to be the headliner, the way Miami forced Charlotte into the unknown every offensive possession was what actually stood out the most.

Another aspect to the usage of the press is when it is utilized against Miami. Usually teams that use certain defenses at a high rate are more likely to be better at breaking it down, but this is a unique season. The lack of practice time means that Miami doesn’t get the same amount of time on breaking down a press, since their time to figure it all out has been in-game adjustments.

But Miami has shown to do a great job of breaking it down in the limited possessions it has been thrown at them. On this play, Goran Dragic bounces it to the middle for Adebayo, which the next thing coming is usually the swing to the wing. Rozier knowing that predicts the pass and cuts off Max Strus, allowing Adebayo to do what he does best: put the ball on the floor and get downhill.

Bismack Biyombo steps up and Adebayo shovels it to Butler on the baseline, leading to two points. After Miami began to punish them on these possessions, Charlotte was forced to back out of it rather quickly.

When I asked Bam Adebayo if their comfort levels against the press have anything to do with them utilizing it nightly, he said, “We gotta be able to adapt, so when they went into the press, just try to put one man in the middle and tell him to go. When we’re in that situation, there is no play to run, you play off instincts and let talent be talent.”

The funny thing about his description is that he’s describing it in general terms, but it really reflects back onto himself. Just like in the play above, he’s the one guy in the middle who is forced to go, and that’s who Miami wants with it whenever it’s thrown at them.

Another intriguing element to his response is when he mentioned letting “talent be talent,” since those open court opportunities honestly do just that. And frankly, they allow Bam Adebayo to be Bam Adebayo. No team wants to see him moving downhill in the open court, which is why I wouldn’t expect to see much press being thrown back at Miami moving forward.

These two defensive sets aren’t the only thing that can be thrown at teams as a surprise, since I can guarantee that Miami has something up their sleeve in a playoff setting to throw teams off a bit. Maybe that surprise defensive gem is Victor Oladipo, or possibly an Adebayo-Dedmon tandem, but either way it’s going to be something, and the press and zone is quite the introduction to that.

Jimmy Butler: Bam Adebayo is “Damn Near Unguardable”

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The Miami Heat are 12-5 this season when Bam Adebayo attempts 7 or more free throws, and well, one of those 17 games was last night.

When I asked Jimmy Butler about the difference in offense when Adebayo is attacking like that, he responded, “He’s damn near unguardable whenever he’s playing like that, because now, you get into the paint, everybody’s gotta help. Now, you’re kicking it out to your shooters. We want him to play like that.”

There are many reasons that everybody wants him to play like that. For one, as shown earlier, it translates to wins, which it’s pretty hard to find things relating to wins with the Miami Heat this season. But more importantly, it takes a lot of weight off the guy talking about him, Jimmy Butler.

Butler has plenty of stretches of complete takeover mode, while Adebayo’s list of moments have been a lot shorter, and frankly, his list of well rounded attributes are a lot longer.

Now, the well known reason for that is that’s not Adebayo’s game. As Butler illustrated last night, when continuing to speak about Adebayo, “The crazy part is that he’s a pass first player, so as soon as he gets in there, he’s probably looking to pass before he’s looking to dunk on somebody like he did tonight.”

And that right there is the one hurdle many are aware Adebayo is awaiting to leap over. He has the improved jumper. He has the ball handle. He has the quickness and versatility. He has any possible attribute that you’d want in your star player, but it’s time for the primary passing element to be knocked down to secondary.

These flashes of energy he provides with the nightly put-back posters are basically an introduction to that, while the jab step blow bys are the real story teller when watching a game progress.

The thing about his description is that everything people say about Adebayo, has been said about Butler. He has moments that he’s too passive. He has moments where he must rely solely on “bully ball” and getting to the rim. And of course, neither skip a beat on the defensive end.

When discussing Butler’s passive stretches at times, he’s countered that with takeover and dominant stints to will the team to win, and that’s the one obstacle that is much more mental than it is physical for Adebayo to overcome.

To continue on the defensive end, when I asked Butler about Adebayo’s defensive impact a few night’s ago, he said, “He takes the challenge of being able to guard whoever in this league…Around here, we know he’s really good at it. It’s not always him getting a stop or a block, it’s tough to have to be in a spot and help, then close somebody out and be able to guard them. I think that’s what people really overlook.”

Every detail of the picture Butler paints is exactly correct. The switching defense forces him to guard probably every player on the floor at one point or another throughout 48 minutes of basketball, and he continues to humble opponents with his suffocating perimeter defense.

Although the free throw attempts and late and-1’s were harped on after the win against the Spurs, his defense last night was absolutely terrific, and really forced San Antonio into a lot of their droughts.

The point of all of this is that Butler notices some of the things about Adebayo that he doesn’t realize himself. The truth is that he is “damn near unguardable,” but it comes down to him putting himself into enough scoring positions that he truly gravitates toward that label.

“We want him and need him to be that way,” Butler said. But now it’s up to Adebayo to want to be that way, and then the “no ceiling” title will be in full effect.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Chicago

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The Miami Heat fell short to the Chicago Bulls this time around, after some fourth quarter struggles on both ends of the floor, due to the spaced out minutes of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. The Heat were without Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala, but it was still a very winnable game. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami increases the pace early on, and that leads to good things.

The Heat’s early half-court offense was quite awful, but luckily, another element picked that back up. One thing that is known with this team is that they are defensive minded, which transition offense can be their specialty. The pace began to increase in that starting lineup with Goran Dragic, running the floor time and time again, with Jimmy Butler leading the way in that area. Most of their half-court sets were leading to absolutely nothing for a good amount of stretches, meaning the constant contested threes were fluid. But one positive is that if Miami can continually lock up on the defensive end and turn that into offense, that will be crucial to truly know what the team’s offense really is.

#2: Bam Adebayo switching onto guards is tough against two big lineups.

For starters, this is not to downplay the scheme in anyway, since it’s shown to be pretty effective with Bam Adebayo bitzing, while Butler and Trevor Ariza swarm on the back-line. The only issue is that Adebayo getting caught onto guards like Coby White creates problems when a team has Nikola Vucevic and Daniel Theis sharing the floor for long stretches. The Bulls basically wanted the Heat to make that switch each possession, so they can get into their post play without Adebayo getting in the way. Another aspect of that switching is that the Bulls also have a big small forward in Patrick Williams, meaning Chicago was prepared to attack that match-up of Duncan Robinson on the first possession in the interior. Once again, this isn’t an Adebayo issue or scheme issue, but it might be a bit of an awareness issue at times when playing a team that is front-court heavy.

#3: Jimmy Butler doing Jimmy Butler-like things.

When walking away from that first half in particular, aside from offensive or defensive evaluations, Jimmy Butler was the true focal point. He had 16 points at the half, while going 7 for 8 from the field, and this traces back to the first takeaway in a lot of ways. When he is running the floor like he was tonight, he’s tough to stop. Really tough to stop. Not only was he punishing them in transition, though, since he was very comfortable with that mid-range jumper throughout. One thing this points toward is Butler in the big picture. When he says just get me to the playoffs, he means it, due to the fact that he’s shown time and time again that he can score the basketball whenever he chooses, while continuing to compete on the defensive end. The first half wasn’t his only time of offensive impact, since he exploded even more in that third quarter as him and Adebayo scored 25 straight points for Miami.

#4: Heat missing bench production even more than usual.

Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala were all out of tonight’s game, meaning the bench would look a lot different than usual. Even though players like Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and KZ Okpala were leading those lineups, it was much worse than originally expected. Miami’s entire bench didn’t have a made field goal until late in the third on a Dewayne Dedmon layup, which just shows the offensive holes that were waiting to be filled. Although the bench unit will be harped, which is filled with two-way guys and players who could be in the G-League, that offensive vacancy was also shown with the starting lineup counterparts. It’s not important to harp on the bench tonight in particular, but they will need some level of production with a full roster. These issues have been occurring even when Herro, Iguodala, and company were playing, and that’ll be the moment this team takes that next step forward.

#5: Bam Adebayo continues to have his flashes of aggression and impact, but it wasn’t enough to win.

Even though I touched on the earlier run with Adebayo and Butler, it’s necessary to mention Adebayo’s continued flashes of realization. With guys out and Butler resting on the sideline, the early fourth quarter minutes were truly going to come down to Adebayo. And well, he had his flashes in that stretch. Running the floor and taking the contact in transition after a Vincent deflection and Bjelica dive comes to mind first. It’s important for him to get to the free throw line when he’s looking to dominate, due to that unlocking that next level for him. He also began to wait on the block, instead of facilitating on the elbow, which is another sign of realization. Although this was all great, he was then subbed out as Butler entered, which is a main reason for Miami falling late. They didn’t have that additional boost, and it’s harder to gain rhythm when they’re forced to lead lineups on their own.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo Aren’t Your Traditional Duo, and That’s a Good Thing

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Let’s just be honest, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are not your normal star duo. They just aren’t. And that’s a good thing.

They aren’t looked at in the same light as many other top duos, not just because of their current seeding, but also their skill-sets. Two stars leading the way for their team without a consistent three ball in the arsenal. When a three-point shot is needed with the clock running down, the team is looking toward their 3rd, 4th, or even 5th best player to knock it down.

But still, is that the only measuring stick?

Obviously shooting is needed in today’s NBA, but a non-shooter is basically looked at in a much more negative manner than a non-defender, which is odd to say the least. Defense sometimes goes under the radar when discussing individual abilities, and well, Butler and Adebayo are two players that love when things they’re involved in go under the radar.

The numbers are a hard thing to point toward when looking at Adebayo and Butler’s on court effectiveness, since that side of the ball just has been all over the place from a team perspective. But when watching game after game, there’s just a different level of disruption when both of them are on the floor together.

An Adebayo switch onto a star point guard while Butler is awaiting on the backside for the double on the big has been quite the formula so far this season, even though that switching seems to only be highlighted in a negative manner.

When I asked Butler about Adebayo’s defensive impact last night, he said, “He takes the challenge of being able to guard whoever in this league, and he’s actually pretty good at it…Around here, we know he’s very good at it. And it’s not always him getting a stop or a block or something like that, it’s tough to have to be in a spot and help, then close somebody out and have to guard them. That’s what people really overlook and how he’s everywhere for us on the defensive end of the floor and he never complains.”

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The funny thing about that Butler quote about Adebayo, is that it sounds like he could actually be describing himself as well, which is the exact thing that makes this duo so unique.

Even when looking at the Chicago game on Saturday night, where Miami was in an unexpected spot late in the game, Butler and Adebayo took matters into their own hands to takeover in a different way than others.

It isn’t Jayson Tatum side-steps or Kyrie Irving dribble-moves into a pull-up. It consists of doubles and deflections and steals leading to transition offense for great looks at the basket for both of Miami’s physically gifted stars.

An interesting element when looking at the current stage is the inability to truly play the two of them together for the amount of minutes that they would like. Of course they play together for stretches, but there is absolutely no way they can be on the bench at the same time, meaning there minutes must be staggered.

Looking at the Bulls early fourth quarter comeback, when buckets were needed for Miami, offense consisted of Adebayo surveying the defense on the elbow, awaiting a back-cut for many of the role players. Or even Butler’s time on the floor consisted of bulldozing to the basket, then kicking it out for contested threes. It’s not their fault, but it’s the Victor Oladipo factor.

That third guy allows them to do different things with lineups, meaning the game wouldn’t have gotten to that point after running some empty side Butler-Adebayo PnR’s to close that thing out.

Everything is magnified when watching a seventh seed team go through the nightly inconsistencies, but there is a certain confidence level in that locker room when they get to that final stage. Since Butler and Adebayo have done it before, and it’s clear they aren’t afraid to do it again.

Once again, these two guys aren’t the traditional stars when evaluating it in the big picture, but that’s exactly how they like it. They want to be the underdogs. They want to be doubted.

They also love to hold each other accountable, since after last night’s game, Bam Adebayo said, “We cursed each other out in the huddle.” And that quote right there just completely sums up what these two guys are. When Adebayo was asked to expand on what was said, Butler responded jokingly in the background, “That’s between me and Bam. Stop being nosy, next question.”

The only task at hand now is that they have to chip away to secure a decent seed in the Eastern Conference before the post-season. But the key point is: you have to be different to win in this league.

And well, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are very different.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Bulls

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The Miami Heat got a win over the Chicago Bulls, but it ended in a much closer fashion than originally expected. What looked to be quite the blowout, turned into a nail biter late, as Miami allowed Chicago to claw back into it in the second half. But at this point in the season, a win is a win, so here are five takeaways from this game….

#1: Duncan Robinson. That’s it. That’s the takeaway.

It’s nothing new when Duncan Robinson is on one of these takeaway pieces, but this game was unlike the past ones. Beginning the game 4 for 4 from beyond the arc, and finishing the half with 6 triples can’t even fully explain the level of shooting that was being displayed. When he shot 2 for 10 from deep on Friday night, many labeled that as a bad game, but in reality, he played a pretty great game overall. Tonight though, he just showcased his primary attribute and deadliest skill, which is clearly the outside shooting. One major difference tonight was the dribble hand-offs were easier to flow into, even though he was being blanketed. That comparison takes us back to last season, since that’s where all of his looks were generated, but it just shows how many things open up when he has that as an option.

#2: Jimmy Butler’s play-making abilities are noticed and discussed, but still somehow underappreciated.

It’s widely known that Jimmy Butler is a crafty passer, but more importantly, a huge play-maker in Miami’s unselfish and motion offense. But when offense is flowing and shots are falling, that ability is magnified greatly, due to doubles on Duncan Robinson leading to open cutters. There are a few elements to this that make it so special. For one, he is such a patient player which is known with his scoring, but he’s such a calm play-maker. He doesn’t watch his teammate, he watches their defender, and that is the pure definition of a good play-maker. A main reason that his passing isn’t discussed enough is due to it being linked in a negative way at times, when people are mentioning him over-passing instead of trying to score. But once again, games like this put that all to the side, especially when he didn’t have a made field goal until a couple minutes into the third.

#3: Gabe Vincent’s immediate description was the wrong one.

Gabe Vincent was a part of the back-up back-court tonight due to Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro being out, but this type of game really shows his actual description. The original label he got with the Heat was a shooter, and it almost felt like that was all he could give them, since that’s all he showed in his short stints last season. The difference with his minutes this season is that shooting is the only element that he hasn’t shown. He’s a very active defender that never stops moving, and really knows how to scrap which is quite the Miami Heat description. Another interesting part about him that wasn’t known was his ability to get downhill at a pretty good rate, which looks to be his biggest strength in his offensive package. He’s been a spot guy with this Heat team this season, and he’s played that role to perfection whenever he’s been inserted.

#4: Trevor Ariza’s deep balls aren’t falling, but everything else is looking as good as ever.

Trevor Ariza went on a pretty unexpected run recently shooting the ball from the oustide, but the thing about 3 and D guys like him or Jae Crowder, is that there will be plenty of ups and downs. The thing about the role on this Heat team is that it truly doesn’t matter, since that element is just an add-on. The real impact is the defensive impact that Ariza has given Miami out on the perimeter, which was really shown early in this game tonight. The amount of deflections he accounts for is outstanding, which just highlights his intangibles of great length and quickness to clog the passing lanes. While this doesn’t seem like a game to give Ariza positive comments when looking at the stat-sheet, he actually deserves it which just furthers the point about Ariza as a player.

#5: The staggering of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo hurting Miami nightly.

Something that has to be done with Miami on a nightly basis is stagger Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, due to their inability to survive when both are off the floor, but it seems to hurt them nightly. When the team needs a boost early in the fourth or late in the third, it always becomes Adebayo looking for a hand-off or back-cut, while Butler looks for a drive and kick opportunity. The only thing is that Miami should be running Butler-Adebayo PnR’s at that point in the game, but just plainly can’t due to rotations. Not to make any excuses, but it’s the Victor Oladipo factor, since his short stretch with the team allowed Miami to run different lineups than the ones they’re forced to run now.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Spurs

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The Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, expanding their win streak to 3 games. Bam Adebayo early on to Jimmy Butler mid-way through to Tyler Herro closing it out, while Herro’s fourth quarter explosion was very important for his near future. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: An early aggressive Bam Adebayo sighting.

Bam Adebayo came out in this game in a way that many people would want. Attacking the basket, trying to get to the line, and most importantly, capitalizing on the mid-range jumper. When playing against a drop scheme like this, that free throw jumper was available time and time again. Although Jimmy Butler’s passive ways early didn’t take advantage of that open space, Adebayo did, which ultimately allowed Duncan Robinson to flow in nicely per usual from the outside. Even smaller moments, like the second quarter poster dunk that was changed to a charge, shows the initiation he’s taking as the offensive focal point to play some “bully ball,” as Butler likes to call it.

#2: Getting a look at the Butler-Dedmon duo.

After Jimmy Butler missed the last two games and Dewayne Dedmon got significant minutes for the first time in that span, it meant tonight would be the first time we would see those two in action together. And as I talked about before the game, it didn’t disappoint, since the initial set when he checked in was a Butler-Dedmon PnR, leading to a Dedmon slam and a Butler assist. Miami has needed to stagger Butler and Adebayo’s minutes more and more lately, but adding a consistent back-up big for Butler to rely on is a much bigger deal than originally expected. Dedmon once again gave them some solid minutes, while showcasing his current shape due to the extra minutes Spoelstra is playing him game by game.

#3: Duncan Robinson improving decision making on the move.

It’s time to discuss the undercover areas of Duncan Robinson’s game, instead of talking about the obvious abilities with his shooting. I’ve also dove into his solid defensive rotations, the off-ball screening importance for their offense, and much more. But something that must be noted is his growing decisiveness when moving downhill. It wasn’t as important to bring up in the past since he didn’t get to the rim much, but that number has been increasing as time goes by. The 2 on 1’s created by PnR’s lead to Robinson choosing between that lob pass or laying it up with confidence, which he’s surprisingly been pretty good with around the rim. The reason this is so essential is due to him gaining that trust in his own abilities, which can spark even more growth in his game throughout the season.

#4: A defensive third quarter gets Miami back into this game.

The offense seemed like it was finally tailing off in the third quarter, just like it has in many spurts throughout this season. But during those stretches, it’s time to rely on your team’s identity, and that’s exactly what Miami did. Other than Adebayo’s continued dominance in this quarter, the headline was their defense locking in after the Spurs went on a run. The Spurs did not have a made field goal for about 5 minutes of basketball, which has a lot to do with the coaching side of things. Miami went into a soft press for many possessions, which then flowed into a 2-3 zone. An intriguing element to this zone tonight was that Robinson found himself at the top of it, which may seem to be an issue in the big picture, but it was the complete opposite tonight.

#5: A rough night for Trevor Ariza, but next man up mentality comes into play.

Trevor Ariza has found himself on most of these takeaway pieces since joining the team, but this was the first night that there were some down moments. He didn’t have the same offensive impact that he’s had lately, which is expected from a role, 3 and D player, but the issues actually came on the defensive end at times. Some blown rotations, lack of effort at times, and more seemed to jump off the screen, which is when KZ Okpala came into play. Okpala got minutes tonight due to Andre Iguodala being out, and the eye test said more about his performance than the stat-sheet. Shots weren’t falling throughout, but he really had some great defensive possessions and knocked down an important triple early in the fourth. It’s the motto of this team, and next man up was in full effect tonight.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Denver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#5: Deja vu?

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

Jimmy Butler: Steering the Offense for Miami

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After watching the Miami Heat’s roller coaster of a night against the Los Angeles Lakers, headlined by inconsistent play and an injured Victor Oladipo, the individual performances have basically been pushed aside. But well, they shouldn’t, since although it was obvious that Jimmy Butler played well throughout the game, 28 points in the box score was a bit of a surprise.

So, let’s take a walk through Butler’s performance, while focusing on the offensive side of the ball instead of the recent defensive dives…

– The Foul Line Ease

This article could very well consist of Butler drawing fouls the entire time, but we’re not going to do that. But it is important to note the simplicity it is for him to get to the basket and draw the foul on a consistent basis.

On this play, the first thing that is seen is the amount of spacing given to Butler. Duncan Robinson, Victor Oladipo, and Trevor Ariza lined up on the perimeter on the same side, opening up the driving lane for Butler completely. He drives to the basket as Wesley Matthews defends him closely, and takes it up strong while hanging in the air to get the foul call plus the bucket.

This is nothing new when evaluating his play, but the amount of time that he hangs in the air before actually attempting the shot is a major reason for the amount of and-1’s that he converts.

– The Jumper Evaluation

We don’t see many catch and shoot threes from Butler, since most of his attempts from beyond the arc involve late shot clock jumpers off the dribble, or late-game pull-ups.

On this possession, they run a DHO off the inbound, while it gets denied leading to Butler reversing it right back. This is another one of those three-point attempts late in the shot clock, but the fundamental elements on this play reiterate the reasons for his deep ball struggles.

Although the defender may be in the way with this angle, take a look at the amount of lift he had on this shot. While some shooters on the Heat rely on timing, or others rely on confidence, Butler just needs that consistent lift in his legs, which is why shots were falling so frequently in the post-season last year.

– A Counter Player

A good analogy for Butler’s offensive play is a counter-puncher in boxing, since he constantly just reacts to the defenses initial move.

For example, Dennis Schroder reaches immediately on this play as Butler begins to back him down, and it seems like he instantly knows he’s going up for the layup in a cleared lane. He spins off of him, rolls with the contact, and gets a much needed score for Miami to give them a comfortable lead, which as we all know, the lead is never comfortable.

– A Great Game-Plan: Butler/Adebayo PnR’s

Miami came out of the half looking to make an offensive run, and it seemed like the immediate plan was to run Butler/Adebayo PnR’s, as they usually do to close out games.

It’s a pretty unique combo, since as seen here, the defense has to make a decision as Adebayo floats, due to his ability to play above the rim and find a dead-spot at the free throw line for a jumper. This allows Butler to make his quarterback read, which Andre Drummond’s final step-back led Butler into a fluid mid-range jumper.

Here’s another instance of that Butler/Adebayo PnR to begin the third, except on this play, Adebayo eliminates Matthew completely, which gives Butler all of the room to go one-on-one.

Another interesting element to this is that there aren’t many players like Butler in these situations. Most defenders are used to guys pulling up with all that room, or getting up in the air to float up and under the rim. Not Butler though, since his patience is like no other, as that slight pump-fake gets Drummond into the air, allowing him to score fairly easily.

– More Butler PnR Reads

These two possessions pretty much go hand in hand on this topic, since it refers back to his ability to read defenses so quickly and efficiently.

In this first clip, he almost gets caught in the air as both defenders focus in on him, but Precious Achiuwa quickly rolls and converts the and-1. A little bit later, Butler and Achiuwa run another PnR in the same exact spot, and it seems like Montrezl Harrell had that Achiuwa finish a few minutes prior stuck in his head, since his hesitance led to another Butler mid-range.

Everything runs so smoothly when Butler has the ball in his hands directing traffic, which makes the moments when he fades to the corner a bit to play off the ball in the first half even more apparent. Obviously, he shouldn’t be relied on every single play, but once things begin to slip away a bit with the inconsistency, it’ll be important for him to step in even sooner.

– His Presence Leads to Points

When people associate the word gravity to different NBA players, this play shows the reason why.

The initial thought on this play may be that Goran Dragic made a great cut to the basket as Butler drove, but the second time watching it shows something a bit differently. The amount of eyes on Butler on this possession is the actual reason for it, since Schroder and Morris being so worried about the Butler cut-off led to neither of them picking up Dragic on the cut.

This is only one play that is being shown, but this is a constant thing when Butler is on the floor. It’s the reason that shooters like Duncan Robinson benefit from Butler being on the floor so much, since the defensive worry he creates allows others to roam a bit more freely in the offense.

– Late-Game Butler

There isn’t much to breakdown on this play, but instead it’s the amount of times that things like this are seen. Butler’s ability late in games to basically continue to put it out of reach is like no other, since the reiterated point is that when he wants to turn it on, he can.

Isolation plays at the top of the key isn’t the usual set that Erik Spoelstra runs in these situations, but at times the decision making caters to the star player. And a big man switched onto him and an efficient scoring night are two things that contribute to that choice to basically try and will the team to win.

The best part about discussing Butler in the article like this is that it’s only half the battle, or better yet, it’s probably only 40% of the battle. The things he does on the defensive end should not be taken for granted, which particularly last night, his ability to hit passing lanes was the main reason for Miami coming out with a win.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Lakers

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The Miami Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, sweeping the season series with them. Although I’ll address five takeaways from this game, all eyes will turn toward the Victor Oladipo injury situation that occurred in the fourth quarter. But, let’s take a look at some takeaways from this game specifically….

#1: The Jimmy Butler experience, a common theme but an interesting element.

Although Jimmy Butler’s first half consisted of only one missed shot, the continued theme showed up once again. He was the leading scorer at the half with 11 points, but the team still thrives off his aggression. As he got some much needed buckets early on, it sparked some scoring runs from Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic, which will always be the case with this team. This isn’t to discuss the drop-off when he exits the floor, but instead the moments in which he slightly fades away into the corner to be an off-ball player. It’s not the ideal situation for Miami to need an ultra-aggressive Butler against a highly depleted Lakers team, but that was the case tonight, especially since they weren’t getting the Bam Adebayo aggression early either.

#2: Tyler Herro making leaps off the ball, which is needed in his role.

Tyler Herro had his moments in the first half, but the real takeaway is what has transpired over the last few games for him. He’s been highly productive on the ball since moving to that sixth man role, but his off the ball fit is the actual essential part due to the guys he is surrounded by. One example is his reads off the ball, since he seems to watch his sole defender’s eyes a bit more, leading to instinctive cuts to the basket for easy points. But getting back to the areas he showcased tonight, it was mostly from beyond the arc as a catch and shoot threat, which is key in those lineups next to Victor Oladipo as the ball-handler. The next part to the development of these two on the floor will be Herro playing as the ball-handler more, while Oladipo can become the threat off the ball who can attack in motion.

#3: Plain and simple, the ups and downs are a normal part of this team. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s no offense, like it’s been for many games this season, or an ineffective defensive game, as portrayed against the Memphis Grizzlies, this Miami Heat roller coaster is just pretty normal at the current stage. When evaluating the overall issue tonight, it’s just the overall sloppiness and lack of consistent play on each end, while throwing in the lack of energy that was much needed in a game that they were supposed to handle easily. Now, Miami has always had trouble competing at that level in these majorly winnable games, but these type of games are very important in a season where the Eastern Conference is as closely packed as it is. If Miami wants to take that next step as a team, aside from the development or fit from individual players, team consistency is the one and only thing that fits that category.

#4: Victor Oladipo finding his offensive fit game by game.

It’s pretty obvious that Victor Oladipo’s offensive fit would progress the more games he played, but the leaps he made tonight were very crucial for the upcoming steps. Other than the simple scheme understanding, the next part of it becomes lineup fits, certain players he bounces off, among other things, which is why Coach Spo was able to experiment with that a bit after some life was shown by him in the third quarter. He was tied as the leading scorer for Miami at the end of the first quarter, and he didn’t attempt a field goal. They need him as an aggressive figure on this team, especially since the aggression levels are up and down with the Heat’s two stars, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The attacking was important for Oladipo early on, but the falling jumpers off the ball will be the area that he’ll find himself in more and more. And the injury that occurred in the fourth quarter will be another thing to monitor, which could change this entire topic of rhythm, as an added obstacle could be given to Oladipo.

#5: Nemanja Bjelica back-up big in first half, Precious Achiuwa back-up big in the second.

Bam Adebayo’s foul trouble forced Miami to look at different options in the big man department, which is pretty limited as Dewayne Dedmon isn’t available to play yet. Nemanja Bjelica obviously had his name called early on, and he gives them a surprising drive and kick ability, with the emphasis on kick since he is more than willing to give the ball up. The issue is that his offense, particularly the shooting, isn’t what many may have expected at this current moment, since the catch and shoot ability should be the easiest part for him to slide into. Precious Achiuwa ended up getting the nod in the second half, since Miami needed more of an interior presence who will at least battle with athleticism. He got into some foul trouble of his own, but he had some flashes that gave Miami what they needed in those minutes, but these exact flashes reiterate the fact that his development in a Summer League or G-League would be so helpful for him right now.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Memphis

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The Miami Heat’s winning streak ended on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. After some early open looks from beyond the arc for the Grizzlies, following that up with a third quarter Dillon Brooks explosion, led to Miami playing from behind throughout. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Bam Adebayo comes out with early offensive aggression.

Some may point to a certain ESPN ranking, which placed Bam Adebayo at 9 among the top player’s potential under the age of 25, for the reason of this early aggression. Others may just call it inevitable when he’s facing favorable match-ups in certain areas. Jonas Valanciunas was basically begging Adebayo to shoot a wide open mid-range jumper throughout, so he did just that. But he really looked to attack in spurts that many have been awaiting for quite some time. Forcing that defense to collapse benefits the shooters on the floor, which is why both Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro had some good looks early on. Coach Spoelstra always has that interesting offensive card in his back pocket to throw down in a playoff series, and that may just be unleashing Adebayo to play as free as can be.

#2: The one negative defensive aspect on display.

Defense has been quite the topic when discussing the Miami Heat as of late, but the negative side of things must be harped on. Adebayo switches in the pick and roll may have been cured a bit with the newest defensive acquisitions, but now it’s a new obstacle for him. As I asked him following the past game, it seems to be more about reading the defender in the PnR than it does the offensive player. Although he may be able to switch when the PnR includes Jimmy Butler, who is very capable of guarding a big, other guys on the roster aren’t as capable. As he responded to my question, there’s a heavy reliance on that backside rotation, which may not consist of the correct guys while Adebayo is eliminated from the play on the perimeter. That exact mindset led to 10 first half triples for the Grizzlies, while most of them being wide open due to that exact defensive takeaway.

#3: Tyler Herro finding an offensive rhythm.

As I already touched on Adebayo’s early offensive explosion, Tyler Herro followed that right up with a very efficient start of his own. The two of them combined for 21 first quarter points on 82% shooting, which is very impressive. Herro was doing it in many different ways, including some catch and shoot threes, as well as mid-range floaters out of a pick and roll. Although he showcased this all for many stretches, it’s apparent that he fades away in the offense during other spurts. When other creators, like Victor Oladipo, are on the floor with him, it’s alright to allow them to run some things while he plays off the ball, but when he’s rolling like he did tonight, that decision is questionable. As I’ve mentioned since Miami picked up Oladipo, the most intriguing aspect will be the fit next to Herro. Oladipo has been super unselfish since joining the team, but Herro has to be able to control the offense and read a situation when he truly has it going.

#4: The Jimmy Butler third quarter comeback becoming a common theme.

Jimmy Butler third quarters have become a common theme recently, and I’m not so sure it’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s a positive element when discussing his ability to flip a switch to attack the basket and score with ease whenever he wants, while the negative aspect is letting two quarters pass by may lead to it being too late. Victor Oladipo will become a crucial part of Butler’s effectiveness for one reason: lineups. Butler and Adebayo continually have their minutes staggered, as they’re asked to lead their respective lineups. But once Oladipo can create consistent offense and score the ball, Adebayo and Butler may be able to play together for longer stretches, without allowing the lead to expand and continue to play from behind.

#5: A quick Victor Oladipo observation following first full practice.

This was going to be an interesting game for Victor Oladipo, since he was able to practice for the first time on Monday afternoon. Now, that may not mean he’s able to immediately fit into the offensive scheme since it still takes time, but it definitely gives an added feel for the scheme. Although he had his moments throughout the night, the one thing that seems to be holding him back has nothing to do with scheme. It’s actually his personal play style at the moment, which is a bit tense a lot of the time due to his unselfish play. Much like I’ve discussed with Butler and Adebayo, selfishness is needed in many spots of the game, and Oladipo has shown to be that type of player over his career. Once he gets fully acclimated with the offense that may come, but it’s important to monitor since they need him playing freely offensively for him to be at his best.