Miami Heat need to be ready for balance of Clippers

As the Miami Heat get ready to take on the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night, they have to be ready for the multi-faceted attack Los Angeles brings to the table. They are a balanced team, and succeed well in all areas.

Take for example Kawhi Leonard. He is third in the league in steals per game with an average of two per contest. He also has 27.1 points per contest. That is seventh in the entire league. He brings to the table a multi—faceted  game that has suited Los Angeles well. With an average of 9.6 field goals made per game, that puts him sixth in the entire league in that category. His 20.6 average field goal attempts per game ranks him fifth in all of basketball.

Montrezl Harrell is a tough defender, but he can also shoot the basketball really well. He ranks 11^th in the entire league in field goal percentage. Shooting at a 57.2% clip, he brings both toughness and efficiency to the table.

Paul George brings a multi-level offensive game to the table. He is apt at shooting the basketball . He can also get to the free-throw line and make his chances. With a 90.9 free-throw conversion percentage, George certainly makes the most of his opportunities when he is at the line. The best thing the Miami Heat can do is not foul him. Otherwise, it’s essentially guaranteed free points.

Miami Heat have challenge ahead of them.

With this balance Los Angeles possesses, the Miami Heat certainly have a tough challenge ahead of them. The biggest thing that they should do Friday night is move the basketball offensively. Keeping the Clippers on their toes defensively could be a key to victory.

Defensively, it will be hard to combat the likes of George and Leonard without allowing at least a few baskets. Rotating defensively and not allowing the Clippers to get comfortable will be key. Staying in front of their man will help eliminate drive to the basket. Making Los Angeles work offensively will slow them down. They are going to get their points, it’s just a matter of limiting the damage.

The Miami Heat will be challenged on Friday night. This will  be a good test to see where they stand against the Western Conference. They will certainly have a lot to think about on both sides of the ball. Slowing down the Clippers will certainly not be an easy task. It may be a question of allowing the Clippers to succeed in some areas if it means taking away others.