Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Strahinja Jokić’s assault case continues

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Strahinja Jokić, the older brother of the Denver Nuggets center, will continue his court case on Jan. 6 with a plea and setting hearing for a third-degree assault charge that stemmed from a savage punch against a fan at Ball Arena during a game versus the Los Angeles Lakers in April. The battering left the victim with a concussion, bruising and lacerations. 

 

A witness captured video of the incident. S. Jokić is 6-foot-9 and weighs 287 pounds. The person he struck appears to be of normal size.

 

S. Jokić came alone for his court date on Tuesday, save for his attorney, Abraham Hutt. Originally, a plea and setting hearing was scheduled, but Hutt requested and was granted extra time to negotiate with the City Attorney’s office.

 

On Aug. 21, S. Jokić’s fingerprints and photograph were taken for the case. Additionally, a protection order was enacted that day, barring him from contact with the victim, per court documents.

 

S. Jokić previously was in legal trouble in Denver in 2019. Then, he was charged with assault in the second- degree for strangling Maria Jokić, and accused of false imprisonment plus obstructing a telephone or telegraph service. He later accepted a guilty plea for obstructing a phone service and trespassing in a deferred prosecution arrangement, eliminating the charges. The trespassing charge was removed in 2022. 






Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler returns as the Heat pull off an 18-point comeback versus the 76ers

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Jimmy Butler made up for lost time in a dominating effort, and the Heat’s defense locked up the 76ers in the second half, en route to victory. On top of that the hosts started a new lineup: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo.

 

Butler carried the offense in the first quarter with a pick-and-pop jumper in the middle, a post-attack, a backdoor lob, and two fastbreak scores. But the squad missed 10 3-pointers, and some were makeable looks.

 

For the 76ers, Paul George kept maneuvering to his spots, hitting multiple jumpers at middle and close range, plus plowing to the hole for a layup and setting up Joel Embiid, beating Butler and Adebayo’s trap to the baseline. 

 

The closing of the first quarter was brutal for the hosts, too. Multiple turnovers set up quick baskets and trips to the line plus the team soiled itself covering the arc.

 

Subsequently, McCain started the second quarter scoring at close range against Adebayo in the drop, hitting a jumper in front of Herro in mid-range and spinning past Pelle Larson for a scoop layup. Two other quick baskets by Kelly Oubre in the open court piled on. 

 

At one moment, the 76ers had a 17-digit lead. Then five points from Dru Smith, six free throws from Butler and actions by Highsmith and Alec Burks ate into it. 

 

At halftime, the Heat was down 53-56. The team had 26 paint points, 10 on the break, 13 via second chances, seven off turnovers and 21 from the bench. Aside from Butler, the team was shooting 37% from the field. 

 

The 76ers had 30 interior marks, 11 in the open court, none on extra tries, 15 off turnovers and 13 from the bench. 

 

Next, Herro, Butler and Robinson emerged from intermission, connecting on four triples in nearly five minutes. After 76ers coach Nick Nurse called a stoppage, Robinson and Herro hit two trays, and the latter added two shots on the break plus a layup on a pick-and-roll set.

 

Defensively, the Healtes held the 76ers to five of 17 field goals in the third frame. 

 

Butler went to the locker room during the period and didn’t return until nearly midway into the fourth quarter.

 

The fourth quarter started with the Heat ahead 88-72.

 

Despite the Heat converting seven of 21 ventures, The crew kept beating the 76ers on the dribble and the guests’ weak side rotations were weak, too. 

 

On defense, the squad promptly bothered 3-point shots and held the 76ers to 15.5% below league-average efficiency in the restricted area.

 

The Heat won 106-89. The team had 44 paint points, 23 on the break, 18 via second chances, 14 off turnovers and 31 from the bench. 

 

Butler had 30 points on eight of 12 attempts, with 10 rebounds, five assists and one steal.

 

Herro dropped 18 points on 40% accuracy, with five rebounds, five assists and three turnovers. 

 

Robinson put up 13 points on five of 14 tries, with two rebounds, three assists, one steal and two turnovers. 

 

And Adebayo had five points on two of eight shots, with 13 boards, three assists, two steals, one block and three giveaways.

 

The 76ers totaled 48 interior marks, 20 in the open court, zero on extra tries, 17 off turnovers and 28 from the bench. 

 

McCain had 20 digits on 50% shooting, with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two turnovers. 

 

George logged 18 marks on five of 13 attempts, with six rebounds, five helpings, three steals and three turnovers.

 

Caleb Martin provided 12 points on 41.7% shooting, with five rebounds, two steals and a block. 

 

And Embiid registered 11 points on five of 11 tries, with eight boards, five assists, one block and two turnovers. 

 

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said the new starting lineup understands the core tenets and that keeping Butler “physically youthful” is the priority.

 

Observations:

 

1. McCain was taken by the 76ers one pick after the Heat chose Kel’el Ware. The former is a polished, confident offensive player and likely this year‘s top rookie. This doesn’t mean choosing Ware was a bad pick, but he’s barely in the rotation now. 

 

2. The Heat made nine of 11 baskets in the paint in the first half. They made nine of 20 attempts in the last two quarters. 

 

3. Butler had his top showing of the season. Seven of his eight baskets came in the paint; the other one in the corner. They were logged against Embiid, Martin and Guerschon Yabusele.

 

On top of that, he was pressuring the backline at a high level and was rewarded with 13 free-throw attempts, making all. 

 

4. Burke’s second-quarter boost was badly needed. All three of his field goals- the corner jumper behind Smith’s pin down, the scoop layup, and the step-back two-pointer over Martin- helped dig the Heat out of a hole. 

 

5. Dru Smith was accurate and had three steals- one was a strip and two were in the passing lanes. 

 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Another Herro fourth-quarter masterclass wasted

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The undermanned Heatles were behind the all-game in a failed effort to snatch two straight victories at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The guests shot poorly in the square, were hurt in the open court and were outrebounded by seven. 

 

In the first quarter, the Heat was late to contest three-point shots and missed its own deep looks, save for 17-year veteran Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson, who prevented early annihilation. But Pascal Siakam did most of the damage for the Pacers with seven consecutive points at the end of the first quarter, dribbling into the lane for jumpers and splashing a triple.

 

The Heat entered the second frame down eight points. Indiana’s TJ McConnell and Siakam successfully fired in the interior on the dribble. Myles Turner flushed a powerful open-court jam on Nikola Jović and made a 3-pointer as the trailer. And the Pacers scored instantly on three Heat giveaways.

 

But the guests countered with Robinson and Josh Richardson canning two transition trays plus Bam Adebayo nailing a mid-range jumper and finishing twice at close range. Defensively, they allowed two of nine 3-pointers and forced two turnovers in the passing lane in the sequence. 

 

The Heat was down at halftime, 49-52. Additionally, the team had 16 paint points, 14 on the break, nine via second chances, 12 off turnovers and 23 from the bench. 

 

The Pacers had 28 interior marks, 11 in the open court, zero on extra tries, nine after turnovers and eight from the reserves.

 

Afterward, the Heat deployed a 2-3 zone and Adebayo carried the offense, making four of eight attempts. But the Pacers throttled to a 16-point lead via multiple trays, a trip to the line and Turner plus Siakam attacking the close-range mismatch. 

 

The Heat entered the fourth quarter down 75-85. Then Tyler Herro lifted the crew from the gutter with 19 points, burying five of six trifectas and taking two trips to the line, never missing. He also set up Adebayo’s second 3-pointer. And Robinson tied the game, making a deep shot on the left side over Siakam. 

 

But Tyrese Haliburton responded, pouring in back-to-back 3-pointers. Turner finished the fourth quarter with 10 points on four of eight shots. And Siakam scored on a mismatch against Rozier from the top to the cup. 

 

The Heat lost, 110-119. The team had 28 paint points, 16 on the break, nine via second chances, 18 off turnovers and 42 from the bench.

 

Herro had 28 points on eight of 18 shots, with four rebounds, four assists, one steal and a turnover. 

 

Adebayo put up 24 points on 50% accuracy, with eight rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. 

 

And Robinson had 20 digits on six of 10 attempts, with four rebounds, four assists and two turnovers. 

 

The Pacers had 62 interior points, 18 in the open court, nine on extra tries, nine off turnovers and 22 from the reserves.

 

Turner dropped 34 points on 14 of 23 attempts, with nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks.

 

Siakam had 23 points on 81.8% shooting, with four rebounds, three assists, a steal and two turnovers. 

 

Bennedict Mathurin logged 21 points on six of 10 looks, with 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a turnover. 

 

And Haliburton had 16 points on 30.8% accuracy, with three rebounds, 13 assists and two blocks.

 

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said the Pacers “were able to control big muscle areas of the game.”

 

Observations:

 

1. It’s time to bench Terry Rozier. His best work was providing four offensive rebounds, scoring on two of them up close in the first half. But he misfired all five of his 3-point attempts and was not an impact player down the stretch.

 

In 2017, Spoelstra cut Dion Waiters’ minutes, then eventually put him back in the starting lineup when he earned it, and he blossomed before popping his ankle. It may be time to do the same thing with Rozier. 

 

2. Adebayo made his eighth and ninth 3-pointers of the season. He’s now shooting 30% from deep (9/30). 

 

3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. hurt his right ankle, stepping on McConnell’s foot after missing a baseline jumper in the third quarter. He was assisted to the tunnel and then limped to the locker room.  After the game, he said that he would have a better idea of the severity of the injury by Monday. 

 

4. Herro entered the fourth quarter with three of 11 baskets logged. His 19 points make him the seventh Heat player to log at least that many in the fourth quarter of a regular season game. The others were Dwyane Wade, who did it seven times, plus Kelly Olynyk, Goran Dragić, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo and Duncan Robinson.

 

5. Haliburton had 13 dimes and zero turnovers. He picked the Heat apart on the break and in the half-court, finding cutters.

6. Two back-breaking plays: the corner triple Jović gave up to Turner in the last three minutes because he was sagged off too far. And Turner hit a right-wing pick-and-pop 3-pointer because Jović bit on a pump fake.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat defeat Pacers in Indiana in Emirates Cup Group Play

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The quest for the Emirates Cup continued in a winning effort for the visitors, 124-111 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse versus the Pacers. Bam Adebayo returned to All-Star form, leading  six other Healtes in double-figure scoring. And the team logged 123.7 points per 100 half-court plays, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

The Heat was down 26-29 at the end of the first quarter, failing on seven 3-point attempts and conceding five of 11 to the Pacers. Heat killer TJ McConnell added five points off the bench via rim attacks, too. 

 

The visitors survived the opening run, hammering the paint in the half-court plus transition. Haywood Highsmith was the leading man with eight digits from baseline cuts and fast break attacks. Herro had five points at the line as well. 

 

Then the Heat connected on five of 11 trays in the second quarter. Adebayo also set up Nikola Jović on the break and hit a mid-range jumper, helped by Duncan Robinson’s down screen. The rest of the Heatles made five of 13 shots. 

 

But Pascal Siakam countered with four of six baskets at short, medium, and long distance plus he drove into the zone to set up the outside sniper. And Tyrese Haliburton swished two triples on the catch and scored in transition to end the half. 

 

The Heat was up at halftime, 61-55. Additionally, the team had 26 paint points, 14 on the break, six via second chances, eight off turnovers and 25 from the bench.

 

The Pacers had 20 interior marks, three on the break, none on the second chances, seven off turnovers and 18 from the reserves.

 

Subsequently, Kevin Love splashed three trays plus finished three baskets in the restricted area to start the third quarter. After Herro’s fast break left-corner triple following a Myles Turners’ freebie, coach Rick Carlisle called a stoppage for his Pacers as the Heat took a 13-point lead. Then Herro set up Love at the rim on a pick-and-roll set and Terry Rozier made an 18-foot shot while the defense permitted nothing, causing Carlisle to call another timeout 53 seconds later.

 

But a 22-digit lead was sliced to 10 via three trifectas and dribble penetration.

 

Next, the Heat started the fourth quarter ahead by 13. The Pacers reinserted the starting lineup—Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Siakam, and Turner—but the Heat kept pouring in long, mid and short range baskets. Adebayo devoured the coverages before him and intercepted two passes by Jarace Walker, carrying the Heat to the end line. 

 

The Heat won 124-111. The team had 44 paint points, 19 on the break, nine via second chances, 20 off turnovers and 35 from the bench. 

 

Adebayo had 30 points on 10 of 17 shots, with 11 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and two giveaways.

 

Herro dropped 20 points on 37.5% accuracy, with three rebounds, five assists and four turnovers. 

 

Love had 15 points on six of eight looks, with seven rebounds, two assists and four steals.

 

And Highsmith was immaculate from the field on six tries, registering 14 points, a rebound, an assist and a steal.

 

The Pacers had 48 interior marks, 11 in the open court, 11 on extra tries, 15 off turnovers and 54 from the reserves.

 

Obi Toppin had 21 points on 80% shooting, with three rebounds and a turnover. 

 

Haliburton put up 18 digits on seven of 14 attempts, with two rebounds, eight assists, one steal and a turnover.

 

Siakam totaled 14 points on 42.9% accuracy, with five rebounds, two assists and one turnover. 

 

And McConnell had 14 points on six of 10 looks, with three rebounds, four dimes, one steal and three turnovers. 

 

At the post-game presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said it was deflating to get on the plane to Indiana following the Heat’s loss in Detroit. Spoelstra atypically forgot the Heat didn’t have a timeout, and the Pistons won on the technical free throw on Tuesday. “We had a great day yesterday of work.”

 

In the locker room, Jović was asked if he is the Serbian Jimmy Butler. He said, “Or he’s American me?”

 

Regarding the second unit, Jović said that he, Jaime Jaquez, Robinson and Richardson are a great unit. “We can bring a lot to this team.”

 

Adebayo said he was motivated by Love’s scoring spree to pick up his game. 

 

Observations:

 

1. Highsmith had his third game of the season in double-figure scoring while providing sharp defense. Most of his offensive actions come on the catch, and he has the lowest turnover percentage of all starters for the season. 

 

2. Adebayo made one of four baskets in the first half, but was stellar in the last two frames, making nine of 13 shots. His face-up drives and rim rolls were fruitful plus the hook and jumper were falling. He also made consecutive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. 

 

Defensively, he was impactful as the dropped pick-and-roll protector and a menace in the passing lanes, picking up four steals; his other one was a strip on Walker under the rim. On top of that, Adebayo led the team in deflections (4) for the game. 

 

The win was one of the best regular-season performances of his career.

 

3. Love’s defense was in mid-season form, producing four takeaways in the passing lanes, too. 

 

4. The Heat guarded Toppin in single coverage, but he was moving without the ball and scoring mostly on the catch at close, medium and long distances. He beat Highsmith, Kel’el Ware, Jaquez, and Herro.

 

5. Jović had another strong performance off the bench. Despite making 25% of 3-point tries, he played well off the ball and had one impressive possession, taking the ball upcourt defended by Siakam and hitting a seven-foot floater over him.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat notes in week four of the season

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Despite the Heat’s inconsistent 4-6 start, the team is much better than what it is showing. The latest loss in Detroit for the Emirates Cup match went down to the end of overtime, and uncommonly, coach Erik Spoelstra’s mental lapse- calling a timeout when none were available- sank his team.

 

That night, Tyler Herro became the first Heat player to connect on 10 trifectas in multiple games. The only other past and present Heatles to record it once were Brian Shaw, Mario Chalmers and Duncan Robinson.

 

Through 10 outings, here’s how the Heat rank in important categories:

 

-25th in rebounding percentage (48.4).

 

-23rd in paint scoring (45).

 

-12th in fastbreak points (16.4).

 

– 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94).

 

-28th in second-chance points (10.6)

 

-10th in points off turnovers (18.8).

 

-20th in opponent 3-point percentage (36.5).

 

Regarding the rebounding, second chance points and point-of-attack protection, the Heat must reclaim its identity as the self-anointed, “Hardest working. Best conditioned. Most professional. Unselfish. Toughest. Meanest. Nastiest team in the NBA.”

 

There is optimism for a turnaround if Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler pick up their play. The former’s accuracy has plummeted after a shift in offense- fewer middies and more threes. And for whatever reason, he is not comfortable in his sweet spot- the paint non restricted area.

 

The latter hasn’t returned from time off with a sprained ankle, but he was not pressuring backline defenses as he used to. If motivated Butler shows up full-time, plowing his way to the line, swarming passing lanes plus ball handlers, a good chunk of the Heat’s problems will evaporate.

 

Once Butler returns, Haywood Highsmith, Duncan Robinson, Herro and Adebayo should start with him. Terry Rozier has not played well enough to keep going with the initial rotation, and the cohesion isn’t always there. Perhaps he can find his groove, producing points in a hurry off the bench. In this scenario, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kevin Love must step up for the front-court reserves.

 

When the team wanted Damian Lillard, it envisioned a player who could take a lot of offensive pressure away from Butler and Adebayo. Herro is not quite at Lillard’s level, but he can take on more offensive responsibilities now that he’s taken a leap. Of all guards in the east who have played at least 10 games, Herro is seventh in effective field goal percentage (64.3) and eighth in true shooting percentage (66.8).

 

Herro’s time of possession and usage have not increased from last season and his playmaking is sharper than ever. Consider this: the only players this season besides Herro to log at least 45 3-pointers and 50 assists are Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and LaMelo Ball. Notably, Herro is the most accurate of the group from 3-point range, making 47.9% of his 9.6 tries nightly.

 

If this play continues for Herro- 24.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game- he will have a real case to make his first All-Star team.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s misfits come out of the Wolves’ den with the win

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The Heat went into the Wolves’ den, scraping away with victory. Kevin Love made his season debut with the starting lineup, and Haywood Highsmith was inserted into the group in place of Nikola Jović, who made the game-winning play for the Heat.

 

Jimmy Butler was absent with a right ankle sprain.

 

Anthony Edwards took the first bite out of the Heat’s defense, splashing a left-side tray with Highsmith covering him closely. He also tallied a basket, piercing through the lane, but missed seven shots. The rest of the Timberwolves logged five of 16 looks.

 

On the other side, the Heat hunted Rudy Gobert in pick and roll, plus were the superior defensive team, deploying zone and man-to-man coverage as they raced out to a 27 to 20 lead through 12 minutes without much offensively from Adebayo.

 

Then the defense loosened up, permitting the Wolves 12 of 20 baskets, including six of seven in the restricted area.

 

On offense, Herro rattled off seven points in a row. He made a shot on a  pick-and-roll set with Adebayo, beat Jaden McDaniels from the top to the cup for a layup and swished a 3-pointer against Gobert in drop coverage. The rest of the Heatles made six of 14 shots in the period.

 

At halftime, the Heat led 52-51. Additionally, the team committed 10 turnovers and had 24 paint points, 12 on the break, five via second chances and 24 from the bench.

 

The Timberwolves had 26 interior marks, two in the open court, eight on extra tries, 15 from the reserves and eight giveaways.

 

Subsequently, the Heat came out of intermission crashing on offense courtesy of the Wolves blowing up actions. They lasted six-and-a-half minutes without a point until Jaime Jaquez Jr. connected on a corner tray shielded by a pin down, then made a left-handed layup on the left side over Gobert. On the other side, the hosts took and built a lead on a 3-pointer from Naz Reid plus consecutive triples by Donte DiVincenzo.

 

The fourth quarter started with the Heat down 68-71.

 

Herro buried a pull-up mid-range shot in transition and nailed two 3-pointers.

 

But Minnesota’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker connected on a layup and triple plus dribbled past Terry Rozier for a layup on the left side. And then Jaden McDaniels tracked Mike Conley’s long-range miss, putting it back to take a two-point advantage for the Wolves.

 

With nine seconds left and the Heat down 92-94, Jović cut backdoor from midcourt, caught the sideline inbound and scored through a foul. He then took the lead, making a freebie.

 

Next, Conley failed to make the corner triple out of the inbound for the Timberwolves.

 

The Heat won 95-94. The team had 44 paint points, 26 on the break, 13 via second chances, 23 off turnovers and 36 from the bench.

 

Herro had 26 points on 60% shooting, with six rebounds, three assists and eight turnovers.

 

And Adebayo had nine digits on three of 11 looks, with seven rebounds, seven dimes, one steal, three blocks and four turnovers.

 

The Wolves had 42 interior marks, four in the open court, 19 on extra tries, 20 off turnovers and 35 from the bench.

 

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “That’s the hardest we’ve played in any of the regular season games.”

 

In the locker room, Jović said these games “help you keep building” and that it was an important win for the team.

 

Observations:

 

1. Highsmith was a powerhouse on defense, recording five steals by stripping Anthony Edwards twice and seizing the passing lanes thrice. He also blocked Edwards’ corner shot on a closeout.

 

2. Bam had another poor offensive performance- nine points on three of 11 baskets- against Gobert, McDaniel and Reid. All of his jumpers outside of the lane bricked, too.  His best move was blowing past Reid on a face-up move from the key to the basket for a powerful jam.

 

Gobert gave him most trouble, forcing a miss on multiple face-up jumpers and on looks off the catch.

 

Still, he helped out his teammates by being an offensive lineman. He set four screen assists for nine screen assist points.

 

On top of that, Adebayo blocked Edwards once and Randle twice before intermission. Edwards was denied on a baseline attack. Randle was stopped on a drive from the top to the cup and in transition.

 

-Jović had 15 points on six of 12 tries, with seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one turnover. He had one of his toughest games of the season two nights prior, losing in Denver to the Nuggets. Multiple players checked in off the bench before him, but his hunger was still burning.

 

-Despite logging eight turnovers, Herro was the Heat’s strongest player, continuing the trend for the season. He made nine of 15 baskets, including four of six in the lane.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fail to pull off comeback in Denver versus the Nuggets

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The touring Miami Heat were overmatched by the Denver Nuggets in Jamal Murray’s return, suffering its third straight loss. Nikola Jokić created overreactions for himself and his teammates. Vintage Murray torched the perimeter. And the Nuggets shot 61.7% from the field, including 51.4% from deep.

 

The Nuggets only needed four minutes of action to take a double-digit lead, thanks to multiple made threes and baskets on the break plus Nikola Jokić attacking the close-range mismatch. Then, they kept pushing the pace.

 

But Tyler Herro kept the Heat burning with a score in transition, attacking the Joker on the left side and setting up Nikola Jović and Bam Adebayo in the paint.

 

The Heat was down 27-40 after the first quarter.

 

The visitors started the second frame in the 2-2-1 press and the 2-3 zone as Jokić rested. By the time Denver’s reigning MVP came back, Herro, Adebayo Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, and Josh Richardson pulled the score to 37-40.

 

Subsequently, Murray blasted deep protections in the corner and top of the key against drop coverage plus finished up close on a post-up. Christian Braun and MPJ added three trays in the period.

 

Next, the Heat were down at halftime, 60-71. Additionally, the squad had 22 paint points, seven on the break, four via second chances and 22 from the bench.

 

The Nuggets had 26 interior marks, 16 on the break, four on extra tries and five from the reserves.

 

Then Highsmith started the third quarter instead of Jović, but it didn’t matter. The Heat went down 15 points further as the Nuggets rattled off five of six baskets at the rim and from deep, forcing Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to call a brief stoppage.

 

But the Heat kept clawing as the Nuggets took their feet off the accelerator, and eventually, the fourth quarter started with the crew down 14 points.

 

 In the last stretch, Herro, Adebayo, Robinson and Highsmith cut the deficit to seven points with four minutes left. But the team ran out of juice.

 

At the postgame presser, Spoelstra was asked about the transition defense in the first half. He said three or four of Jokić’s long passes zipped past the team’s ears.

 

Observations:

 

1. The Heat converted 47% of attempts in the first half, with just four turnovers and a lousy 115.4 defensive rating. The Heat’s defensive rating in the second half was 125.5.

 

2. Adebayo didn’t finish with the most efficient line- 20 points on 38.9% shooting-but he was anchoring the defense in the back mostly well, save for the times Murray beat him in drop coverage.  When asked about that in the locker room, he said it was about picking your poison. In that case, it was wrong because threes count for more.

 

Most of the plays Jokić went at him were defended well, but they still went in. As usual, Adebayo’s at his best when zooming to the rim on offense.

 

After the game, Adebayo was doing weighted calf raises with one of the trainers.

 

3. Nikola Jokić made easy work of the defense on 10 close-range baskets. He logged a triple-double before the third quarter ended. And he made Miami’s rookie pay. When Kel’el Ware checked in, Jokić went at him in the post and finished on the break after the novice’s ill-advised mid-range floater put the Heat in trouble.

 

4. Highsmith continues to be a bright spot for the Heat on both sides. He was perfect from the field in three tries in the fourth quarter for seven points, too.

 

5. Jimmy Butler defended Michael Porter Jr. early, giving up a curl cut through the middle and was successfully shot over on the left side. He played under seven minutes because he sprained his right ankle on a hard stop.

 

6. Jović was benched after his first stretch in the first quarter until midway through the third frame. Spoelstra didn’t give him much leash after getting scored on multiple times in the half-court and transition. After Spo decided to put him back in, the Nuggets picked on him.

 

When asked what Jović could do to stay on the court longer, Spoelstra said his forward is an easy target for blame, but that standards wouldn’t be sacrificed.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat notes in week three of the season

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The Heat are 3-4 after soiling themselves in Phoenix. Each of the losses was versus a quality opponent, and the wins were against the bottom of the league. The squads that have beat the Heat (Orlando, New York, Sacramento, Phoenix) amass an 18-14 record. The teams the Heat defeated this season (Charlotte, Detroit, Washington) have a combined record of 8-15.

 

The team’s next outing is Friday in Denver, facing off with the Nuggets. 

 

Let’s review what stands out through week three.

 

Observations:

 

1. Jimmy Butler’s free-throw shooting and close-range finishing have fallen off a cliff. He converts 12.6% less freebies and 15.3% less makes at the rim while decreasing his tries in that zone by five percent. 

 

Additionally, he is 10th in the NBA in drives to the basket (15.9), attempting five field goals nightly on the go. He averaged 5.26 shots per game on drives in the five past seasons with the Heat, but he isn’t taking over like he used to.

 

Butler was a no-show against the Magic and was missing in action versus the Knicks. He was excellent in the second half of the Heat’s last-moment loss to the Kings. And his production was insufficient in Phoenix while also passing out of the last play, letting time expire.

 

Unless he and Bam Adebayo rediscover their abilities, the Heat’s season is toast.

 

2. Adebayo has lost his touch from his favorite spot, the paint non-restricted area. His efficiency has dropped 18.2 percent at the zone. To boot, most of his attempts have been guarded tightly, per the NBA’s tracking data, and he’s making 40% of those. The league defines guarded tightly as a defender within 2-4 feet of the player. Notably, in 2023-24, most of Adebayo’s tries were guarded tightly, but he made 55.2%.

 

3. Nikola Jović is not ready to be a starter. He doesn’t provide much in the half-court besides waiting for the kick out and scoring on the occasional cut. Defensively, players of comparable size or larger can take advantage of him. Wednesday’s match was the second consecutive game he was benched early after 12 minutes. 

 

Consider this: the starting lineup of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Butler, Jović and Adebayo, only averages 39.9% of attempted field goals and has a hopeless 119.5 defensive rating. 

 

Haywood Highsmith should start over him while keeping his seven fourth-quarter minutes. Despite being five inches shorter, Highsmith is a stricter defender and more impactful offensive player. 

 

4. Another Heat problem: Terry Rozier hasn’t been a good fit for the starting lineup because quick or bigger ball handlers can expose him. Also, his shot selection is suspect, and he’s logging only 38.4% of tries, including 39.6% from deep.

 

5. Tyler Herro has been the Heat’s best player through seven outings. He and Highsmith kept the team afloat in Phoenix on Wednesday until the end of the fourth. Herro was also the strongest player in the loss against the Kings. 

 

He has the highest effective field goal percentage (63) and true shooting percentage (66.1) of the starting lineup while taking the most shots on the team. This year, he is taking three fewer two-pointers and nearly one more triple nightly while providing the best off-ball work of his career.

 

Additionally, the Heat have been dependent on him carrying the offense early. Only four players who have logged at least six games- Jayson Tatum (12.3), Anthony Edwards (9.8), Damian Lillard (9.4) and Anthony Davis (8.9)- score more in the first quarter than Herro. But Miami’s guard records a higher field goal percentage in the frame (67.6) than all.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kings seize Kaseya Center after halftime ceremony honoring Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jović and Erik Spoelstra

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Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and the crew failed to stop the Kings from their second-half flurry.

 

Tyler Herro initiated the offense with 13 first-quarter points. Adebayo finished a lob through the lane and made a putback over Domantas Sabonis. Yet, the squad made the remaining two of 12 shots in the frame and led by three points going into the second quarter.

 

For the Kings, Sabonis was the only one who made multiple first-quarter field goals.

 

Subsequently, DeMar DeRozan ascended for the visitors, nailing mid-range baskets and slashing through the paint to score, making five of eight shots. And Trey Lyles added five points on four looks. 

 

The Heat countered with Larson hitting three trays and dribbling into the lane for a layup off the catch; Duncan Robinson splashed two 3-pointers;  and Adebayo hit a 15-footer over Sabonis, made a hook via pick and pop in the paint and downed a step-back jumper on the left side over Alex Len. 

 

At halftime, the Heatles led 61-48. Additionally, they had 16 paint points, one on the break, five via second chances, six off turnovers and 25 from the bench.  

 

In the first half, the Kings put up 22 interior marks, three in the open court, nine on extra tries, six off turnovers and 10 from the reserves

 

During intermission, Adebayo was honored with a second Olympic banner as he stood watching next to Spoelstra and his mother, Marilyn Blount. And Jović got a video tribute for his bronze medal. 

 

Then the Heat came out of the break, getting massacred in the turd quarter, 37-17. Butler and Herro were the only Heatles to make multiple shots. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox butchered the defense with his speed, and the rest of his team logged eight of 12 shots in the period. 

 

The fourth quarter started with the hosts down 78-85. DeRozan inflicted extra baskets on the Heat from mid and long-range. And Sabonis tallied seven points, including the putback floater off Fox’s miss to win the game.

 

And a strong final stretch from Butler and Herro could not save the unit. 

 

The Heat lost 110-111. The team had 38 paint points, five on the break, 13 on extra tries, 16 off turnovers and 26 from the bench. 

 

The Kings had 54 interior marks, five in the open court, 15 via second chances, 12 off turnovers and 20 from the reserves.

 

At the postgame presser, Herro said, “We’ve been winning every quarter but the third.”

 

 Spoelstra said, “At some point you have to take a stand in these third quarters. Enough is enough.”

 

Observations:

 

  • Fox got anything he wanted, attacking the lane and shooting from mid and long distance in the third quarter for 16 of his 28 digits. His best play of the game was when he accelerated into close range, bumped Rozier out of the picture, hesitated to throw off the help defense and made a four-foot jumper.

 

  • Rozier was powerless to stop Fox’s dribble and from scoring on other possessions, too. Rozier was a dud on defense overall. Plus he failed to supply enough on offense (three of six makes).

 

  • DeRozan’s three-pointer in crunch time came with a bonus point from the line because Herro had his hand on the shooting arm—as soon as the King of the Fourth recognized it, he pulled up. DeRozan’s previous shot a minute earlier was more impressive—isolating Adebayo on the right side and canning a step-back two-pointer in his face. 

 

  • Sabonis was boxed out by Adebayo in the last seconds of the game, but Miami’s center jumped too early for the miss. To most people’s horror in the building, Sabonis recovered the ball in a loaded lane and shot back the dagger. 

 

  • Jović didn’t look fluid. He started the game unable to take advantage of Keon Ellis, who is six inches shorter and 30 pounds less, in the post. He also bricked an open shot at the rim on the break,  was forcefully denied by Keegan Murray under the basket, and he missed a makeable tray over DeRozan. He was benched after 12 minutes. 

 

  • Coach Erik Spoelstra can’t ignore Pelle Larson in the rotation. He gave the Heat impactful defense and connected on four of six attempts. His best possession was guarding Fox and forcing him to pass out to the perimeter on a drive in the first half.  

 

  • The Kings were merciless in the paint, registering 27 of 41 attempts. The Heat were ordinary in that space, tallying 19 of 40 tries.


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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The reality of the build

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Bam Adebayo snapped out of his early-season funk against the Washington Wizards in Mexico City, leading the team to its third win in five outings. His jumper was falling, and he was dynamite at close range. The rival was 2-2 before that, but it was a tune-up game that he must build on going forward and likely will.

 

But there’s still a more significant concern: the Heat have only beat low-level outfits and aren’t getting enough from Jimmy Butler. Before Paolo Banchero hurt his oblique against the Bulls, the Heat was drawn and quartered by his Magic squad on Pat Riley appreciation night. Then the Knicks derailed them in the second half of the game on Oct. 30.

 

Butler, age 35, underwhelmed both nights, looking more like a JAG than a franchise player.

 

Perhaps they’ll atone with a convincing win in Phoenix. And maybe, they’ll finish above the Magic in the standings as their 1A is out indefinitely. But the Heatles don’t stand a chance against the Celtics and Cavaliers because they are too small, not as talented and Butler has presumably slowed down.

 

The reality of the build is that too many things had to go right for Butler and Adebayo to win a championship. Perhaps the former had the juice to be the kingpin on a title squad, but Josh Hart jumped into his ankle in 2023, then the Trail Blazers refused to swap Damian Lillard for Miami’s background players months later, and Goran Dragic plus Adebayo were wounded in 2020, so we’ll never know.

 

This much is clear: Adebayo is at best the third-best player on a championship unit. Management has failed to bring in someone with extra polish offensively for over a half-decade as rival execs were not and are not wowed by the trade bait. Adebayo is unqualified for the Robin role because his offensive arsenal isn’t diverse enough and his effective field goal percentage and true shooting decrease with higher usage.

 

Adebayo has added a hook and mid-range jumper, but those moves aren’t reliable enough, and the deep shot is still in its elementary stages. He is best as a rim roller due to his supreme athleticism.

 

Consider this: he’d be the sixth offensive option on Pat Riley’s Lakers behind Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo and Byron Scott.

 

Adebayo’s defense is far superior and is rarely equaled. Most players around him can guard well as a team, but the Heat needs stricter pests to maximize him. The group finally got size around him with Nikola Jović, but he plays just 23 of 48 minutes nightly and can get exposed by speed.

 

After five seasons into the Butler and Adebayo mold, the team shouldn’t have any untouchables. They overachieved by making two Finals appearances and winning at least four series they weren’t favored before it tipped off. That’s a special run those who lived it will never forget. But there isn’t extra fuel to burn.

 

Where is Pat Riley? Can’t he see that no gut check will save them or that his successor, Erik Spoelstra, has expended every ounce of gas from the club? If only it were as simple as Spo lining up his troops, Full Metal Jacket-style, and having Riley and Alonzo Mourning stand face-to-face with them, sizing them up and demanding more.

 

Bearing in mind Butler’s age and decreased impact during the last year of his contract, management would get something decent back in return for trading him, but they have until Feb. 6.

 

Adebayo is the top trade chip for the team, but he can’t be moved until mid-December. If a real white whale whale becomes available, he along with a couple of role players and multiple first-round picks, turns into an attractive package. In that hypothetical scenario, snagging the star and figuring it out later, like the team has done before, is the way.

 

Sure, the team could move Butler and proceed with Adebayo as the top dog, but it’s too hard to build around an offensively limited player. Don’t forget how the Heat resists the tank, so they’re not drafting a stud unless the teams above them blow it with their scouting evaluations. If this is the route chosen, the only salvation is if a star successfully demands a trade to Miami at the expense of their reputation.

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