Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Evaluating Precious Achiuwa’s Game in the Past, Present, and Future

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We’re starting up a new article series to kick off the off-season.

With plenty of time to look forward into free agency, first off we must discuss this past roster, evaluating the season’s that each player had, while also addressing the next step, or even the next team, of each individual.

So, let’s make our way up the roster, starting with a guy who just wrapped up his rookie season, Precious Achiuwa.

It’s been quite the introduction to the league for Achiuwa, joining a team that he was previously rooting for while they were going toe to toe in the NBA finals against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. No true off-season, no Summer League, no normality.

That’s just been the motto of everybody throughout this unique season. Not only did Achiuwa have to get through all of that, but then he was forced to back-up one of the league’s most promising young big men, Bam Adebayo.

A bench role is not something Achiuwa has ever had. Not in middle school, not in travel ball, not in high school, not in college. But he was forced to adjust rather quickly.

He had some good moments, but ultimately the inexperience was shining through with the team’s hopes of making a playoff run. The addition of some veterans left Achiuwa observing from the sideline, and well, these few months may be the most important part of his young career.

So, let’s hop right into those highs and lows from his rookie year…

Strengths:

Above the Rim Roller 

It’s important to start off with Achiuwa’s most known offensive skill, and truthfully, one that I didn’t expect to become effective this soon.

This play above was the final basket from the Miami Heat’s season, meaning many Heat fans may have already changed the channel after a disappointing loss that completed the sweep by the Milwaukee Bucks. But take a look back at this possession for a second, since even though it didn’t hold high importance, it shows a flash for the future of Achiuwa.

Once again, Achiuwa hasn’t been used much up to this point of the playoffs, which is why a key component of a player’s mindset is their IQ of plays no matter if there is only 20 seconds left on the clock before elimination.

He sets the off-ball screen, resets and receives the ball for a DHO and screen back in that direction. He dives quickly and receives the ball in motion to throw it down. He’s had plenty of these sequences this season where he’d throw down a lob, but none of them looked this polished.

There always seemed to be a minor error, either in the ball screen or the pivot into the dive, which frankly is normal for a rookie. The thing is that some time on the sideline, and most likely more time in the film room, has already prepared him for a hopeful leap this off-season.

His rolling ability was noticed as soon as he hit the hardwood back in December, but he never seemed to have the pacing down. And the more reps that he’s gotten, the more the pacing is slowed down. If he rounds out some others parts of his offensive game, this base leads to a very intriguing prospect moving forward.

Battling on the Offensive Boards

Achiuwa is not your traditional center. He’s also not your traditional stretch big. Although he lacks a ton of size and range, one thing that you know you’re getting with him is constant fight on the offensive boards.

The efficiency stat may look a little weird at times for a guy who doesn’t shoot from the outside, but that’s because of second efforts. He may miss the first or second tip in around the basket, but there’s always that feeling that he’s going to get it in there somehow with the way he fights.

Something he will need to be a bit smarter with on those plays is just securing the ball and resetting offense. There were plenty of instances where he would basically try and score until the other team had possession. That can’t be the case, but also, these are rookie examples.

The next, and final, strength basically ties into this, since I believe that type of play is just in him, and won’t go anywhere. Looking back to high school, ESPN’s Paul Biancardi, who watched him from junior year on, told me that the two things that have stuck out to him most over the years, were energy and rebounding.

And well, those two things go hand in hand when looking at the clip above. He takes the contact, lands, and immediately explodes back up for the tip-in in traffic.

And well, speaking of exploding….

Explosiveness 

Another thing ESPN’s Biancardi told me before the season about Achiuwa, is that he is an incredible athlete. We got an introduction to that at times with the high bounce off the short roll, but take this play above as an example.

Yeah, he may not have been able to throw it down, but there are only a few players that are capable of putting themselves in a position to possibly catch a body in that regard. As that possession showed, there is no doubt in my mind that he has quite the explosiveness attached to his offensive game.

The reason that it’s essential is not just because of possibly making the SportsCenter top 10, as seen here, but more importantly, the way it opens up his game once he has an entire offensive package in his sophmore season.

There are times when that explosive fire is great, but well, there are also times when it’s his biggest downfall…

Weaknesses:

Transition Control

Once again, when pointing out weaknesses in rookies, the same takeaway occurs: uncomfort, inexperience, and too fast.

This clip here is not a one time occasion for Achiuwa, since it was a recurring theme whenever he had a chance to get out on the floor. It mostly occurred in these small stretches at the end of games, which makes sense since he’s trying to use his time wisely to make plays and prove himself.

The issue is that doesn’t wow coaches at these points of the game. What actually wows them is smart basketball, slow paced sets, and a polished game-plan, which is exactly what we saw in that first clip from the final possession of game 4 in the post-season.

The upcoming events this off-season will be crucial for him to get some reps as a player that can go all game playing under control, especially knowing that the ball must find your ball-handlers in transition. The Heat coaching staff wants to see Adebayo-like finesse on the break, instead of Derrick Henry trucks as we’ve seen throughout the year.

Free Throw Shooting

This weakness is one that many are aware of in the coaching staff, as well as Achiuwa himself. 110 free throw attempts this season, while only making 56 of them. A 51% free throw shooter just won’t cut it at the big man position, especially when evaluating the upcoming leaps in his game.

When players have free throw shooting issues, it’s either they’re incapable and uncomfortable of shooting the ball in general, or it’s a mental game. For Achiuwa, it’s the latter, since he’s proved to have some soft touch whenever he gets to his spots without thinking.

That’s something I’ve discussed about Adebayo, who is a great free throw shooter, but he shoots best when he isn’t reluctant and doesn’t overthink it. Same goes for Achiuwa.

This is not a mechanical issue whatsoever, since he’s been able to knock down free throw after free throw in practices before. If he can overcome that mental obstacle, which isn’t an easy thing to hurdle over, that’s yet another expansion that can be made for his offensive game.

Passing

When the Heat drafted Achiuwa, they envisioned a guy that can mirror some of the things their starting center, Adebayo, can do, instead of the traditional big that they always go away from but find themselves back with eventually.

There was only one issue to that comparison to Adebayo: he doesn’t have anything close to the passing gift.

For one, it’s not normal for bigs to be able to pass like Nikola Jokic or Adebayo, so holding young guys to that standard is unfair. But yet, average as a passer is a good bar for him to set at this period of time.

This clip shows that he doesn’t have great touch or timing on passes for cutters, but that’s not even the biggest instance that stuck out. A team that heavily based themselves around dribble hand-offs needs to have a center that can hand it off, but that was an issue early on.

I’ve mentioned the word comfort a few times, and that was an area that he showed zero comfort with early in the season. To push this back into a positive direction, go back and watch that first clip I inserted earlier of that final possession. A nice looking hand-off led to that dunk off the lob, and that’ll be necessary if he envisions himself getting major playing time in the near future.

What’s Next?

Now, the “what’s next” feature in this series can touch on a variety of things. It could be the next part for a player in free agency, the next improvement, among other things.

Clearly, Achiuwa is one of the few players under contract for next season, meaning we don’t need to discuss that. It can be mentioned that he has some potential that many teams are aware of, so if a trade is made during the off-season to improve this team, he could very well be included in that type of deal to get it done.

Other than that, what is next for Achiuwa is the continued development and growth of his game. This will be a busy Summer for him, as he could get plenty of playing time if he chooses to play for Nigeria in Tokyo, and then Summer League down the line in August.

When Achiuwa talked about the part of his game that he will focus on this off-season, he responded, “My jump shot is gonna be a big emphasis this summer.”

I always say that it’s more important to make the things you’re good at great than to expand range, but I feel like there’s an exception for him. As stated earlier, he’s an undersized big, and I think he realizes that his biggest chance to be successful in this league will be to develop that Adebayo mid-range as quickly as possible.

And yet, there will be a ton of stages to see that progression with him over the next few months, so it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

Many are discussing the possible additions of a big in free agency, while the expectation is that Dewayne Dedmon will return. But don’t forget about the second year version of Achiuwa, since the positive signs he showed in his rookie campaign can very well carry over. And Coach Spo will not be shy to throw him into the fire once again.

Answering Your Questions: What is Next for the Miami Heat?

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Well, it’s officially the off-season for the Miami Heat, which means the focus now shifts to the roster for the 2021-2022 season. There are plenty of decisions to be made by the front office, and still plenty of time, but why not dive into it immediately.

I’ll be answering some of the questions that you guys had about this upcoming stretch, so let’s just hop right into it.

This is a question that many seem to want an answer to, but I feel the answer depends on the person.

The two options seem to be a big next to Bam Adebayo or a true point guard to run the offense, and I heavily lean in the direction of the latter. My reasoning does not derive from short term memory, since many seem to immediately remember the one-sided battle in the rebounding category once again.

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But if we’re looking at this past series, the actual issue was the offense. Of course shots weren’t falling and players didn’t show up, but the true point guard element changes some things for this team’s stars. Jimmy Butler and Adebayo playing primary facilitator in this series truly caught up to them. The best players have to be able to put the ball in the basket, and yet, that didn’t occur.

A point guard takes some of that weight off of their shoulders to a certain extent. Both of them have that unselfishness locked inside them already, but it still felt like they didn’t have any other play-makers to lean on if they went away from it. The guard situation will be one of the most intriguing this off-season, since many of them may be on the move, and possibly, others coming in.

When discussing the players that will be on this roster next season, my answer is Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The rest remains questionable to a certain extent.

As mentioned before, plenty of contracts will be up this season and decisions will have to be made. Young guys may look to have some potential, but the trading block seems to be the place they will find themselves for a long period over the next few months.

The reasoning for that: the building mindset of this roster is to acquire win now guys. This has been a topic over the last couple months, and this off-season falls under that category even more. After getting swept in the first round, it’s pretty obvious this team will look different by the time training camp begins. Adebayo and Butler are the guys to complement, even after a terrible showing in the post-season.

If the whale is available, you do everything in your power to get him. And if it’s a guy that Butler heavily approves, you get that guy as well.

After touching on the point guard vs big man debate a bit, I feel it’s necessary to go in a different direction: A half-court scorer.

Victor Oladipo was the intention to fill that role, putting pressure on the rim and creating his own shot to help Butler a bit offensively. There’s a clear need for that, and this first round series further proved that. When Butler and Adebayo can’t get rolling, there aren’t many other options offensively, leading to 36 point halves.

Forget the positions on a team that Erik Spoelstra likes to call position-less. They just simply need a bucket getter, and more importantly, a bucket getter who can create for himself. It’s a bit too early to point out specific names, but I’ll be sure to dive into that a bit more in future articles.

To keep the theme, it definitely seems a bit too early to call it, but I’d say it’s very possible.

As stated earlier, they’re going to make major changes to create a contending roster, and the sign and trade market may become their best friend depending on what goes down in free agency. If the front office feels that’s the direction to go, I’d expect them to opt in and possibly use as salary fillers.

I feel the Goran Dragic side of things makes things very interesting. The personal element. The Jimmy Butler element. But well, I think that decision becomes the Kyle Lowry element. Yes, Butler loves Dragic as a teammate, but he also seems to like the idea of Lowry.

Once again, I can’t pinpoint those things at this exact time, but something I do know is that Butler will be very vocal this off-season, as a player that wants to win with this franchise.

This is another question that can interchange depending on the person, but it just feels like the Heat would lean stretch big.

We’ve seen time and time again that this team loves to stretch the floor and size down, even if that gets them in trouble at times on the boards. We finally got to see a rebounding big next to Adebayo in the playoffs, yet the situation was when the team trailed by 30.

Also, a stretch big is not the same as what they’ve used lately. Trevor Ariza and Jae Crowder are the stretch fours that Miami’s comfortable with, but if there’s a stretch big on the market, I’d expect Miami to go after him.

Obviously Dewayne Dedmon is not a long-term plan, but I would expect him back next season. So, if they have a rebounding big to roll off the bench, that doesn’t seem like the direction to go starters wise.

Changes will be made, but I feel like that mindset will stay the same.

 

This is a fair question. The issue is not that they have guards who only play on one side of the ball. It’s that they have a bunch of them. And they all play on the exact same side of it.

Like I said before, the guard play of this team could see many changes, and I feel it could be to this point of broadening the skill set of that position.

They clearly need scorers with what occurred lately, but they need guards who can score in different ways, instead of a semi-copy and paste version that we saw recently.

They’re looking to improve, and that will be the one point that we always come back to when evaluating where they go next in that specific position.

 

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Series Ending Loss

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Well, that’s all from your 2020-2021 Miami Heat. The Bucks finish off the Heat in game four to fulfill the sweep, which was far from an expected outcome. Anyway, here are my last takeaways of the season…

#1: Miami’s early offense based around Jimmy Butler in a passing fashion, but maybe too much.

The story of game three was that Jimmy Butler came out aggressive, but he was the only one able to knock down shots. The exact opposite occurred in this match-up, as he was getting to his play-making spots to really get others going. Six assists in the first quarter didn’t tell the whole story, since he was doing absolutely everything he could to find the open man. One of the main sets they went to for Butler to begin the game was side PnR’s with Bam Adebayo. That’s usually their late game go-to, but it was necessary to start off with their peak abilities. It led to an Adebayo floater and a Butler mid-range bank shot, which allowed Miami to expand back into everyone else. The issue was that the third quarter was a different story. Shots weren’t falling as often, and Jimmy’s motto seemed to stay the same. When that occurs, the aggression must become the primary ability once again, instead of being the number one facilitator.

#2: Trevor Ariza steps up to begin the game.

One of my takeaways from the last game was the non-existent play from the four spot with Trevor Ariza, but well, that changed in the first quarter of this game. Three triples and eleven early points gave Miami a great boost, since he was simply making the shots that were given to him. Through the first three games of the series, Miami’s had 102 open threes and made only 32 of them. If that Ariza three ball becomes a threat for Milwaukee’s defense, things shift for Miami offensively and lead to many good things. Many were wondering if Nemanja Bjelica would step into that starting spot after Ariza’s struggles, but Spo stuck with him and that was the right move. As the post-game story becomes off-season discussion, Ariza is important to note.

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#3: Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn do their job early: making shots in the dead spots.

There have been clear dead spots in the Bucks’ drop coverage that I’ve discussed time and time again, but Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn finally took advantage of it. Nunn, specifically, had some bounce to him when he was inserted, getting to the areas of the floor that he did all regular season. Pull-up mid-ranges on the move is the shot that was open all series, and it was falling in the first half. Herro got some good looks as well from beyond the arc, showcasing why the home crowd seems to play such a crucial role in his offensive rhythm. Of course, there were plenty of defensive lapses that occurred from each of them, but that was expected heading into this match-up. The key was that they do their part on the side of the ball that falls under their strengths, allowing the others to takeover from there. Spoiler alert: that didn’t occur.

#4: Offensive slippage leads to defensive slippage to begin second half, but then Nunn happened.

The Heat had a 7 point lead coming out of the half, but the offensive rhythm did not carry over to begin the second half. Shots were not falling for anybody, which always leads to defensive slippage. Once players start to notice the trend of clank after clank, it blends into the other end of the floor, which can’t happen against this Milwaukee team who has plenty of guys who can get going. Khris Middleton was the guy in the third who began to knock down the shots that he did in the first three games, while Miami had no answer. Well, until Nunn was subbed in. I discussed in the previous takeaway that Nunn was taking advantage of the open spots on the floor, but a late stretch in the third was primarily on-ball stuff. Back to back pull up threes and a baseline reverse led to a Bucks timeout, which didn’t seem possible with Miami on their heels. Clearly, it didn’t ultimately matter, but this would’ve looked very similar to games two and three if he didn’t show up.

#5: Well, Miami gets something they haven’t had in a while: an off-season. 

That’s enough talk about a game that ended in a sweep for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Miami Heat, but now it’s time to take a step into the next stage. An off-season isn’t the most familiar thing in the world for the Heat, after a quick turn-around led them right into another season. Saying this series loss is a result of fatigue is a semi-lazy take, but it was clear that the locked in mentality wasn’t the case, except for a handful of stretches. One thing that they missed occurred in the fourth quarter when Goran Dragic got in a skirmish with Khris Middleton. That was one of the first times in this series that I saw some type of fire, and they’ve missed that type of action to spark some energy. Anyways, this off-season will be so interesting due to their being so many different decisions that must be made by the Heat front office. So it begins…

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Three Loss to Bucks

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The Miami Heat drop game three to the Bucks, reflecting how they played in the first two games in Milwaukee. Some of the same general issues loom, mostly due to the Bucks being a much different team from the one we saw a season ago. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game….

#1: The shooting woes continue for Miami.

A key for Miami in this series, when I previewed it a week ago, was the element of controlling the pace. And well, that pacing has been fully controlled by Milwaukee since the start of the series. That lack of pacing combined with a swarming Bucks defense leads to forced offense for Miami. We discussed taking advantage of the mid-range jumper, but not only the mid-range jumper. There’s been nothing else, and even when there’s been open looks generated, they just haven’t found the net. Aside from Jimmy Butler, everybody else was 8 for 33 from the field in the first half. Duncan Robinson didn’t have a shot make in the first half, which usually mirrors how the offense was flowing. Scoring 36 points in a half just doesn’t win you a playoff game, but it’s what occurred tonight.

#2: First half recap: Jimmy Butler.

When looking at the Heat’s lackluster first half, there was only one guy who was semi-clicking in that stretch, Jimmy Butler. 16 points on 50% shooting was his stat-line at the half, and a major reason for that was he was knocking down the shots being given to him. Everybody else was fighting to get to their usual spots that aren’t available, but Butler was making the shots when defenders went under screens. Not only from the mid-range area, but also behind the three-point line with two triples through the first 24 minutes of basketball. They got the aggressive Butler that many have been awaiting, but the supporting cast just couldn’t get anything going. Butler can only take them so far with his bully ball offensive mentality, but when shooters can’t make shots, it’s usually a long night.

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#3: One play summed up the offensive side of the ball for Miami and defensive side for Milwaukee.

To continue on the offensive theme, there was one play that summed up that side of the ball for Miami. I’ve touched on shots not falling, but Milwaukee’s defense deserves credit. The play consisted of Dewayne Dedmon at the extended elbow, looking for somebody to hand it off to. There was only one issue with this: he couldn’t find a person to give it to on the perimeter. The Bucks do a tremendous job of denying off the ball, not allowing Miami to break free to flow into their usual actions and offensive sets. That play ended in Dedmon turning twice, then facing the basket for an uncomfortable jumper that clanked off the rim. Even on their home court and in front of their home crowd, they were playing on the Bucks terms, and that’s an issue.

#4: One of the many holes not filled for Miami.

It’s hard to magnify one position or player in this game and series for Miami since there have been so many issues. But one interesting element has been the four spot. I hate the Jae Crowder discussion since it’s semi-useless, due to Miami making the right decision by letting him walk. But it’s not him that they miss, it’s what he brought. Crowder was clearly playing above his head for Miami in the beginning of the bubble, but it was a major push for Miami in many games in that Milwaukee series. Now, Trevor Ariza gave them pretty good minutes to finish the regular season, but hasn’t played to that level in the post-season. Once again, pinpointing Ariza in these three games isn’t fair due to everybody struggling, but it is something that hasn’t carried over into the playoffs.

#5: Umm, why was Nemanja Bjelica the best player not named Jimmy Butler tonight?

Yeah, this headline will tell you how odd this game was for Miami. Coach Spo decided to throw Nemanja Bjelica into the mix, and he gave them better minutes than anybody not named Jimmy Butler. Some much needed triples, good looking play-making, and even some decent defensive possessions. Dedmon and Bjelica being two of the biggest positives in this series so far is quite interesting, since both were unexpected mid-season acquisitions. “Positive” may be a bit of a stretch since it reflects negatively against the rest of the supporting cast, but that’s just how this series has gone, and more specifically, game three.

Heat’s Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn Entering an Awaited Environment

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This has been far from an ordinary two year NBA career for the rookies of last season, and more specifically, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn. The only normality that they found over this past stretch of time was a Summer League in Las Vegas, where they first entered the scene for Miami.

After being thrown into the fire in their rookie season, it led to them trying to blend into a post-season environment like no other, the bubble. Herro stepping up and Nunn stepping down didn’t tell the full story of the futures of each prospect.

Playing in front of fans on a zoom call was far from being the real thing, and it’s something that Herro specifically has thrived off of his whole entire life. No matter if it was overrated chants in high school or doubters telling him he wouldn’t play when he got to Kentucky, the one place he always proved himself was in front of his home crowd on the big stage.

And well, he has that tonight.

Kendrick Nunn may not have the apparent bounce that Herro has in that environment, but it very well impacts him too, just in a quiet manner. When asked about the fans tonight, he responded, “I know it’s gonna be exciting, and we’re gonna feed off their energy.”

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Aside from the story-lines and boosts that these two will get, they’re in a unique spot at the moment. Both of Miami’s second year guys were the focal point in attacking the Bucks’ drop coverage in this match-up, since they’re the ones who can truly get to the dead spots on the floor in the mid-range area. But that hasn’t been the case up to this point.

After the struggles in games one and two, this game holds high importance for their post-season hopes. As Herro described it, “Our backs are against the wall and tonight is obviously a make or break game for us.” If they don’t take advantage of this opportunity tonight to get back into the series, the organization’s focus may have a major shift.

So, that seems like a lot on the shoulders of two inexperienced guys who are still adjusting to this fast-paced league. When I asked Goran Dragic about his advice to Herro and Nunn heading into this unique setting, his message was much simpler than expected: “Enjoy.”

That response may seem a little cliche, but that’s honestly the most useful advice that he could give. Both of them are at their bet when they’re confident and in rhythm, which is why enjoying the moment without getting caught up in the stakes is more important than anything else.

As Dragic said, if they do that, “I believe they’re gonna be ready.”

It’s not only on them to be ready, since the Heat’s stars, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, will have to bring it after their struggles in Milwaukee. And if they do, that opens up the shooting of Herro and Nunn, which one shot dropping through the net is the only thing they’ll need to see to be fully effective in this environment.

There was pressure in the bubble, but this is much different. And yet, much more beneficial.

 

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Evaluating the Dewayne Dedmon and Bam Adebayo Front-Court Pairing

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There aren’t many things that Miami wants to carry over from game two into game three in this first round series against the Bucks, but there is one thing: a revealed front-court pairing with Dewayne Dedmon and Bam Adebayo.

Many have been waiting to see these two get minutes together, and I kept mentioning that I expected it to be one of Erik Spoelstra’s post-season moves up his sleeve. But I definitely didn’t expect it to come in a game down 30, which shows that he was giving it a trial run before going to it the rest of the series.

It’s definitely been in Coach Spo’s game-plan, since Dedmon mentioned after the game that “It’s definitely something that Coach has talked about doing earlier.” Now that they’ve gone to it, there are plenty of offensive adjustments that can be expanded from those lineups, which I will look into here…

Adebayo was forced to drop with Giannis Antetokounmpo off the quick dive, and it led to a miss. And even more importantly, a rebound.

Rebounds were hard to come by for Miami yesterday as they lost that battle 61-36, and 21-9 on the offensive glass. But if anybody can continually go up and grab them, it’s Dedmon who led the team in that category by a wide margin in game two.

The other reason rebounding is key in these lineups is due to Adebayo being able to freely guard the perimeter, knowing Dedmon is utilizing his space to muck up the paint. A huge reason that the rebounding battle doesn’t fall in Miami’s favor most of the time, is that their center is at the three-point line due to the scheme, meaning it’s on everybody else to crash.

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Anyway, after that missed shot and rebound, the ball found Adebayo to push up the floor quickly. He flows into a DHO for Duncan Robinson who gets a good look, but take a glance at what happened next. Antetokounmpo matched up with Dedmon in transition, but flashed out to the perimeter on the Robinson three, leaving a runway for Dedmon to crash the boards.

He grabbed it and laid it in, giving a quick introduction to how things can look in their minutes together.

Another element to this front-court pairing is the Bam Adebayo offensive discussion. We’ve talked enough about the spacing he’s been given and the lack of comfort in his offensive role, but there’s a good chance this could open him up into different things.

For one, Dedmon was the one running most of the DHO and PnR stuff in these minutes, leaving Adebayo off the ball on the baseline. There’s been a lot of talk about Adebayo worrying about himself more than others, and there’s a chance this could do just that.

Also, this leads to that offensive creativity that I discussed earlier, which allows Erik Spoelstra to do what he does best. This play is a good example, since Dedmon drives on the roll and collapses the defense, leading to an Adebayo pin-down for a Goran Dragic corner three.

This stuff doesn’t change the outcome of game two, but it’ll be important for them to apply this in the two games back home.

When Dedmon was asked about playing next to Adebayo, he responded, “I definitely like that pairing…I feel like it worked out well and I’m hoping we can continue more of that.” And I think we see just that.

As much as this can open up Adebayo, it’s another one of those topics that come down to him. In this clip, Dedmon is once again running most of the hand-offs and setting most of the screens, while Adebayo isn’t included at all on the baseline.

If that happens, then the effectiveness of these lineups will fade quickly. But if you’re wondering what I mean by being “creative” in these lineups, why not start with some 4-5 PnR?

We always talk about getting Adebayo downhill with screens, and there’s no one better than your big man being that guy. Butler clearly needs some of the pressure off of him after his struggles in the first two games, and this could be one of Spo’s ways, possibly very early.

Some seem to think it could be the starting front-court in game three, but I don’t believe that will be the case. No back-up big doesn’t seem like a very good option, and he’s currently playing so well in his role that there’s no need to change it.

When Adebayo was asked about their minutes together, he said, “It was good to switch it up. That’s one thing about Spo, in the playoffs he’s willing to switch it up. It was good minutes to be in there with Dewayne, and you never know, you might see more of it.”

Two more losses and this Heat team is out, so it’s time to throw it all on the table. And this pairing will be one of the first things laid out in game three.

 

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Two Loss to Milwaukee

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The Miami Heat lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in game two on Monday night, and well, it wasn’t pretty. A scoring explosion from the Bucks and poor play from Miami leads to a result of one team looking much better than the other. On a very one-sided night, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: A historic night. And not in a good way.

A good place to start this post-game piece is stating that this was a historic night for Miami. A historically bad one. They trailed 46-20 at the end of the first quarter, and 78-51 at the half. There aren’t many schematic ways that I can approach this game. But there are some obvious points that must be stated: Milwaukee made shots, a lot of them, and Miami did not seem fully ready. When a team is putting up that many points, there’s just not many things that you can do about it. Pinpointing certain issues throughout the game and individual players seems useless to an extent in this match-up, due to the fact increased play from one single player wasn’t changing the outcome. Of course there are things to discuss with specific players, but this night was going to be historically bad either way for the Heat.

#2: The first time Jimmy Butler wasn’t playing at his own pace.

The main takeaway from Jimmy Butler’s game one struggles was that he just missed shots, since many of them were open. Tonight’s primary takeaway was completely different. Butler was forced to play at a much different pace, and that’s something I haven’t seen from him many times in a Heat uniform. He is always able to speed up or slow down the game by getting to the free throw line or playing downhill in transition, but he doesn’t have the room to do so at the moment. When people claimed Miami would have to make threes against this Bucks team, there was a reason: the interior is just absolutely packed with solid team defenders at all times. They’re now able to throw different guys at him throughout the night, which puts a lot more pressure on the surrounding cast.

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#3: Well, Dewayne Dedmon was good, but that’s it.

You may have thought all five takeaways would be negative from this domination of a game, but well, I got one positive thing to mention. Dewayne Dedmon was Miami’s best player tonight, and well, that’s an issue. He was the only Heat player in double figures at the half, and he only missed one shot in that span. An above the break three, the usual flip shots around the rim, and aggression made for a pretty unique half for Dedmon. When your buyout market acquisition is your only source of offense in a playoff game, that is a pretty big issue. Even though this was my one positive takeaway, it leads right back into a negative result, which was the theme of this game.

#4: Bam Adebayo didn’t have the expected #BounceBack, but I’m not sure it would’ve made a difference.

When people were talking about Bam Adebayo coming back from that non-aggressive game one to take initiative in game two, I wasn’t sold. That jump wasn’t made throughout 72 games in the regular season, so why would it be made in the second game of the post-season? He has his role on this team, and he’s not just going to flip a switch to become that natural scorer that many expect him to be in the future. But as much as his aggression seems to be harped on in this game, it would not have made the difference. It’s pretty clear that many people just want to see some heart from their second best player no matter the score, but it’s just a lazy take at times to just immediately point to that. He will need to be more aggressive if they want to compete in this series, but no level of aggression puts them in this game with the way Milwaukee played.

#5: Who takes things more personal?

In the big picture, this Milwaukee win felt like a team that lost in five games the year prior to this Miami Heat team. Not only did they play a lot better, they played like a team that had a chip on their shoulder. Now, the reason I posed the question about who will take it more personal, is due to it being Miami’s time to feel that way. The Heat players must go into game three on Thursday night playing like they just lost by 30 in game two. This Heat team loves to discuss the chips on their shoulders and playing for extra reasons, yet they have an even bigger chip on their shoulder after this game two domination. It’s hard to see Butler going out this way, even while he’s being blanketed every possession, which is why these two games back in Miami may come down to the mental battle.

Breaking Down Miami’s Late-Game Offensive Execution in Game One

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Well, it was an interesting game one between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to say the least. There are so many different angles to approach this game from a negative aspect, but I’m going to focus on the late-game offensive execution here.

Some things that I’m looking to point out may seem minor, but as Erik Spoelstra said after the game, sometimes the deciding factors of a playoff game are the stuff “in-between.”

And yet, there were a lot of things “in-between” through 53 minutes of basketball, while I’ll begin at the five minute mark in the fourth quarter…

When talking about some of the odd statistics from beyond the arc, Jimmy Butler definitely headlined it. He attempted nine threes in this game, which is an interesting number for a player that usually finds himself inside the arc.

But speaking of bad three-point possessions, Miami sprinkled in some odd moments of chucking up threes in a very early shot-clock. They actually did a good job of controlling the pace early on, which is necessary in this series, but that control definitely seems to shift when settling for these type of shots.

In the clip above, two above the break threes before setting up offense occur in a span of about 20 seconds. That just can’t happen in a playoff game. Well, unless the guy taking it is Duncan Robinson.

Two wasted possessions in a tie game just doesn’t seem to be the recipe for success. Obviously this was a much different Butler, who went 4 for 22 from the field, but maybe the three-point element isn’t just a one game thing.

He said after the game, “I might shoot nine next game as well. They will fall.” I’m not so sure that he will actually shoot up nine on Monday night, but those shots will be there. The difference is that he must pick the correct times to put them up.

Here’s another minor element that went wrong, and it has nothing to do with a missed three from Goran Dragic who was open in the corner. The play actually worked exactly how they planned, but the action early on is the part to harp on.

Robinson setting an on-ball screen for Butler then darting to the perimeter after a screen from Adebayo was used frequently in this game. Too frequently.

As mentioned earlier, rough games for Butler and Adebayo mean that this set isn’t providing many options, even though it worked pretty well on this possession. Miami began to flow into this as their base set at times, while everybody knew what was coming next.

The main issue when Butler and Adebayo are off has nothing to do with their actual numbers. It’s actually about what it means for everyone else.

The spacing basically becomes non-existent in these moments, which is hard to do when you have the ultimate space provider on the floor, in Robinson. To that point, I feel there could’ve been some extra creativity on offense down the stretch, and I believe that’s one of the biggest adjustments that are made heading into game two.

Miami’s two stars hitting shots is an adjustment on its own, but the next element is providing some diversity.

For example, one thing I don’t think we saw enough of in game one is guard screening. It’s something I touched on in my previews, and it’s something that appeared to be coming in the second half. But it didn’t.

Specifically, the bench unit with Butler seemed like a perfect time, since Dragic or Herro screening could leave Bryn Forbes on Butler, which is exactly the purpose. Also, even though I’ll touch on the issues of Adebayo in this game down the line, some guard screening could’ve been great for him as well, whenever Brook Lopez wasn’t socially distancing from him on defense.

There’s nothing better for Miami down the stretch than a Butler-Adebayo PnR in an empty corner. It’s such a hard combo to guard, even when both guys are struggling. But there just seemed to be something a bit off, and I’m not just talking about their jumpers.

In this clip above, this is something we see quite frequently, but not in this fashion. Usually, it would be Butler probing left as Adebayo dove quickly, leaving the two options as a lob pass or an easy bunny, which may not have been too easy in this one. Instead he utilizes a snake dribble, allowing the recovery and leads to a jump ball.

To say that the issue with Miami’s stars was shots not falling is not entirely true, since the process of getting those shots looked to be the bigger issue. And yet, it still came down to one final shot, and I don’t think we see anything close to this Butler performance again in this series.

As much as we can talk about some of the errors and struggles down the stretch from the guys on the floor, there were some questionable moments regarding timeouts and decision making late in the fourth on the coaching side of things.

Everybody was aware that this game was in the mud, and that’s an understatement. This possession left Butler without a dribble and not a person to pass to, and yet no timeout was called with two of them available. This isn’t one of those free flowing situations where an out of the blue slip up occurs, since as mentioned before, the offensive spacing was an issue all game.

So, as we talk about offensive execution in this game, it’s important to note some of the miscues that occurred all across the board. Yes, Miami ended up tying it up anyway to go to overtime, but these type of “in-between” plays matter in the post-season.

And now, the current focus for the Heat at the moment by many observers: Bam Adebayo.

Butler’s issue at times was taking shots he shouldn’t have, while Adebayo’s issue was not taking shots he should have. And even though that’s been the way things have been trending all season, a week of preparation against an opponent that gives you a clear opportunity seemed to be the turning point.

For starters, take a look at Lopez in this clip. Forget the space between Adebayo and himself. Instead look at the space between Butler and himself. The element of Adebayo’s aggression has more to do with others than it does his own benefit or points on the board.

As I pointed out, spacing was an issue with the way things were going, but allowing a team to just double guys in the paint and not have to pay for it is exactly what they can’t do in this series.

Now, back to Adebayo, this is much more mental than it is physical. Yes, he can make that mid-range jumper at the elbow or free throw line. Yes, he can take an extra step in to get into rhythm closer to the basket. No, he can’t be indecisive.

If there’s one thing the Bucks defense exploits, it’s indecisiveness, and that’s exactly what Adebayo had on Saturday afternoon. He ended up attacking Brook Lopez, who did a great job around the rim in this game, leading to an unnecessary and contested shot at the basket.

The team knew what shot would be there. Adebayo knew what shot would be there. This wasn’t a surprise, and it won’t be surprising if this Miami team goes down if that doesn’t shift quickly. As I discussed this week, the deciding factor in this series is Adebayo.

Not to take an unrealistic leap in the post-season to will this team to win. But actually, just to be himself. And even though his attributes consist mostly of unselfishness, the occasional bucket to keep the Bucks defense honest is all that is needed.

Adjustments will be made heading into game two, and I don’t believe they will be major. As I’ve said, sometimes the minor adjustments are the most important.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Bucks in Game One

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The Miami Heat fell short in game one against Milwaukee, in a very odd game all around. Jimmy Butler sent the game to overtime on a buzzer beating layup, while his overall performance wasn’t as positive. Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson kept them in it throughout, but it ultimately wasn’t enough, after a Khris Middleton jumper in overtime to take the lead with 0.5 left. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s early offense was, indeed, a flash from the past.

As explained in my previews throughout the week, I mentioned that the initial adjustment for Miami would occur on the offensive side of the ball, reverting back to DHO’s with Duncan Robinson. The reasoning was due to Brook Lopez’s deep drop giving Robinson more than enough room to get shots off, and he did just that to begin the game. Three triples early in the first quarter came out of that set, and well, that was pretty much all they got from that area of the floor, which I will discuss next. It’s great to see Robinson getting these type of looks in a playoff setting, since his only way of offense throughout the season has been either catch and shoot or high pick and roll stuff. As Milwaukee did last year in the post-season, they will start to send more out to the three-point line to eliminate Robinson’s looks, which is where Bam Adebayo comes into play.

#2: Shooting was far from being pretty on both sides.

Miami shooting 8 for 21 from beyond the arc in the first half may look bad, but not as bad as Milwaukee’s 2 for 17 shooting display. The exact opposite was the expectation in this series, since both teams give up a good amount of threes. Shots just weren’t falling on both ends, but that shouldn’t discredit each team’s defense. The Bucks did a good job of chasing Miami off the line and forcing them into tough shots at the end of the shot clock. And by the way, it wasn’t only threes that weren’t falling early, since they only shot 30% on twos in the first half as well. The looks that many expected Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro to knock down against the drop, wasn’t occurring as frequently. And well, the shooting from Miami’s stars definitely didn’t help, as I dive into next.

#3: Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo struggle in first half.

3 for 16 from the field in the first half of game one of the playoffs is not what was expected for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but that’s exactly what happened. Butler had the mid-range jumper plenty of times, but charged the basket instead, leading to plenty of missed bunnies. But at least Butler was trying to generate offense. Adebayo was not taking advantage of the offensive space that I’ve been discussing all week. One possession in the second quarter told the whole story: Adebayo searches for a DHO on the elbow with nobody near him, and looks to pass to Butler who waves his arm for him to go. Adebayo uncomfortably and reluctantly turned into a jumper which clanked off the rim. The moments in which his jumpers are effective is when he’s comfortably shooting them. And that first half proved he wasn’t comfortable in that role.

#4: Miami’s bench was an absolute roller coaster with positives outweighing the negatives.

When discussing the Heat’s bench as a roller coaster in this game, it’s the perfect description. For starters, Goran Dragic played with great pace and burst throughout this game, which was the one element that was unexpected to begin the series. He was one of the few guys that gave Miami positive minutes all the way through, which is a positive element for this team as they go forward. Another positive bench player was Dewayne Dedmon, since he just carried over his regular season role perfectly into the playoffs. He fights on the boards, contests shots at the rim, and has an odd level of efficiency around the rim. Lastly, Tyler Herro rounded out the phrase roller coaster with the second unit. He wasn’t in his normal rhythm as Milwaukee hounded him, and couldn’t get to the spots in the drop that many expected heading in, but began to become his usual self in the fourth for a spurt. An interesting element to the Heat’s reserves is that some night’s they can be the team’s biggest boost, while being the team’s biggest downfall other games.

#5: Once again, this isn’t last year, meaning overall schemes change.

My last takeaway from this game is that this isn’t the same series, and last year shouldn’t continually be harped on. The reason for Miami stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo was not because of Jae Crowder alone. They built a scheme that included Crowder who did a great job of utilizing his strength against him. But he’s not here anymore, and Miami’s still going. Trevor Ariza does not provide the best one-on-one match-up for him, but one-on-one and Antetokounmpo are two things that don’t go together. They throw a bunch of guys at him, which is why it’s been so effective over time. So, my final point is that harping on the past is just a lazy take at this point of the season. They have their guys, they have their adjustments, and it’s working just fine on the defensive end.

How Will the Match-ups Look Between the Heat and Bucks?

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The individual match-ups between the Heat and Bucks first round series has become a hot topic leading up to Saturday, but the truth is that there isn’t one set solution.

Especially an Erik Spoelstra coached team, there will not be only one guy thrown at the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. Speaking of Holiday, this gives the Bucks some options as well, after they lacked that type of versatility in the series a year ago.

Anyway, let’s start off with how the Heat will look to defend the Bucks match-up wise. And by the way, this may not be the initial coverage, but I do feel that this will be the number one adjustment that Miami will find themselves in for a good portion of the game:

Kendrick Nunn on Donte DiVencenzo

Duncan Robinson on Khris Middleton

Jimmy Butler on Giannis Antetokounmpo

Trevor Ariza on Jrue Holiday

Bam Adebayo on Brook Lopez

Many expect Trevor Ariza to step into that Antetokounmpo defending slot, which I think is the most likely option to begin the series, but there’s a reason Miami adjusts into this base.

As explained in my latest piece on Miami’s defensive scheme, Ariza and Robinson are going to find themselves as the primary blitzers on Holiday and Middleton, which is why it makes sense for them to match-up automatically.

Robinson’s improved defensive abilities combined with his length make it possible to stick him on Middleton and await the double, while Ariza’s strength is guarding smaller players. This allows Butler and Adebayo to play as the free safety at times and play in transition when hitting the passing lanes.

Of course, the match-up many would look at here is Butler on Antetokounmpo, due to the fact you may not want your best offensive weapon to have that type of weight on his shoulders. Spoiler alert: Butler wants that weight on his shoulders and will take that match-up 10 out of 10 times.

Once again, things are going to change over and over again throughout the series, and Miami’s switching means that mismatches will be fluid. But in a tight game, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is what we see from Miami in the half-court.

Now, on the other side of the ball, the Bucks have some extra guys to throw at Miami this time around. The consensus seems to be that Holiday will find himself on Butler from the start, which I expect as well, but I don’t believe that’ll be who he guards as the game progresses. Here’s how I believe it plays out:

Holiday on Robinson

DiVencenzo on Nunn

Antetokounmpo/Middleton on Butler/Ariza

Lopez on Adebayo

This prediction doesn’t have many surprises, but the reason I bundled up Butler and Ariza is due to those two guys flipping back and forth. If Holiday is guarding Robinson, many believe that it will just be the normal Middleton on Butler, but I feel Milwaukee’s counter would be to try out Antetokounmpo on him.

Middleton is capable of guarding a stretch 4 in Ariza, which makes this option even more possible.

But the head of the snake in this assignment would be Holiday guarding Robinson, and there’s a reason that I see that happening. If you asked me Holiday’s biggest defensive strength, I would immediately point to his ability to constantly navigate around screens without getting lost. And that description points directly to Robinson.

He will be an even bigger part of Miami’s offense in this series, as shown in my offensive breakdown, since he’s the one who will get Miami into their base sets. To that point, it just seems obvious that’ll be the route they go as the series moves forward.

This has become an interesting debate over the last few days, but as mentioned earlier, it’s semi-useless to a degree with the amount of cross matches that will occur. Milwaukee shifting into a switching scheme at times means that Butler will be able to handpick who he wants guarding him, which makes this series so interesting for him.

As much as the focus is on the starting lineup here, the real exploit should occur with both bench units, since Miami will need Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro to pick up the slack again, as the Bucks adding Bryn Forbes, PJ Tucker, and Bobby Portis means they feel good about their second unit as well.

The match-up discussion is pure, but the main match-up that will not be debated in this series is Erik Spoelstra and Mike Budenholzer. If you don’t think Spo has completely different adjustments up his sleeve for this series, you are completely wrong.

 

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