How the Heat Get Past Giannis and Crew Again  

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Some keys for the first round series…

 

Duncan Robinson Staying Out of Foul Trouble.

This series is massive for Duncan Robinson and him showing to the Heat he can stay on the floor in the playoffs defensively. Duncan is a restricted free agent this summer and will be seeking 17-20 million per season. Offensively he is worth it with all he does for Miami’s movement and creating for others that way. Defensively he has improved tremendously this season, but the playoffs are different, and time will tell if he is playable late in games on that end. Many games this season Duncan has picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and that takes him out of the game early and he struggles to get his rhythm back. Many of those fouls are touchy soft fouls that many other players in the league wouldn’t be called for but Duncan must avoid those. 

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Bam Being Assertive Early & Often. 

Jimmy didn’t play in any of the three regular season matchups, Bam only attempted a total of 29 field goals in those three games and only 13 free throw attempts. Thankfully for Miami Jimmy is healthy now but even with Jimmy playing Bam needs to be looking to score. Milwaukee will be playing their drop coverage and Brook Lopez will be guarding Bam a lot. Bam must make them pay no matter if that’s hitting the mid-range jump shots or going to the rim and finishing or getting fouled and shooting free throws. In the series vs the Bucks last year he averaged 15.8 combined shot attempts and free throws per game. That number needs to be much closer to 25 in this series if Miami wants to win. As Jimmy always talks about in his press conferences Bam has so much potential and you see it in so many ways. He’s an elite defender guarding anyone from point guard to center, running the offense creating for others and it’s time to see him be more consistent and aggressive as a scorer. 

 

 

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Kendrick Nunn Attacking the Drop Coverage.

Kendrick Nunn has had a roller coaster of a season going from starting at Point Guard to being out of the rotation. The Bucks are a matchup that Nunn has always been able to exploit in his career. Last year in the bubble Nunn dealt with some personal issues as discussed on the Five On The Floor podcast, he was still most productive vs the Bucks compared to any other team in last years playoffs prior to Goran Dragic’s injury. Nunn averaged over 13 minutes a game in that series and in the Pacers series only appeared in one game and in the Celtics series only played in the first three games of that series. Nunn has scored 10 or more points in 15 of the 18 games since Victor Oladipo suffered a season ending injury. Five of those games Nunn scored over 20 points including 31 vs the Bucks in their final regular season matchup. Nunn will have the midrange shots available in this series that he likes to take. If he hits those shots it will open up things for the Heat’s offense and could flip the series in Miami’s direction. 

 

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Playoff Jimmy Doing What He Does. 

Jimmy Butler is often referred to as simply Playoff Jimmy in the playoffs. Heat fans got a great look at that in the bubble. Jimmy during the regular season is still a great player but during the regular season he’s rounding his body into form to get ready for the playoffs. He is able to lock in on one opponent over two weeks and his preparation shows. Last year the Bucks had two-time reigning MVP and Defensive Player of The Year Giannis Antetokounmpo and yet Jimmy Butler was the best player on the floor. Jimmy wants to play the best and he wants to be matched up with the best in the game. During the fourth quarter vs the Bucks in the bubble Jimmy was seen yelling at the Bucks bench “He can’t guard me!” after finishing over Giannis. If Jimmy plays like he typically does in the playoffs and gets the help needed from others you have to like Miami’s chances to defeat Milwaukee on the big stage again. 

 

One prediction I will make is that Milwaukee native Tyler Herro will have a game in Milwaukee where he is the difference in a pivotal road win. Shoutout to Five On The Floor’s own Greg Sylvander who always has the guts, Heat in Five. 

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Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows.com or call 954-791-8882

Heat vs. Bucks: The First Round Matchup Everyone Deserved

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An NBA regular season filled with tons of chaos, uncertainty, and constant injury problems has come to its end. We arrived at the only logical place a constantly illogical season could come to — a first-round matchup featuring the two teams that clashed in a series that caught many by surprise in the Orlando Bubble last year. A series in which Miami thoroughly outplayed and embarrassed a Milwaukee team that looked like a deer in headlights.

The soul of the Bucks was removed and eaten alive by the Heat and Jimmy Butler. Miami would reach the NBA Finals in a run that captivated the fans in such an indescribable way. It would lead to an offseason filled with questions and doubts about the future for the Bucks and their fans. Two divergent paths paved by an unexpected series. Milwaukee would attempt to answer these questions by putting all the chips on the table for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The Bucks traded for Jrue Holiday in a move that screamed of understandable desperation to ensure Giannis Antetokounmpo’s stay in Cream City. The gamble paid off as Giannis would go on to sign a Super Max Contract later that offseason. For Miami, it was much less drastic with some minor signings here and there. The big move they did make was giving Bam Adebayo a max contract of his own.

The regular season felt as if both teams were tuning up and training for this very moment. Imagine a Rocky-like montage, only it lasted 5+ months, and if Miami’s side included even more weights (IE: a shorter turnaround + protocols) holding them down. Everyone on the outside wondered where it would all lead towards in the end. Much like a Rocky movie, the end game features a rematch scripted to perfection.

We could have gotten a Heat-Hawks series or a Bucks-Knicks matchup — but what fun would that have been? Those same divergent paths once forged have crossed each other again. This series will have either made this season worth it for one fan base or lead into another offseason filled with questions needing answers. If Miami loses, there might get an empty feeling out of “what was this year all for?” If Milwaukee falters, it could lead to the most extended look in the mirror that Giannis and the franchise will ever encounter. The same point LeBron James and the Cavaliers had after losing to the Boston Celtics in 2010.

The difference being that Giannis has already decided to be in Milwaukee for the long term. More heads will roll, and I imagine those would include Coach Mike Budenholzer and maybe a prominent player. Could that player be Khris Middleton? I’m not advocating for that, but the front office might see it a different way, especially if Middleton has a tough series.

But the feeling of pure ignorance and bliss that Miami would get from a win would fuel the supposed “Cocky Heat Fan” for eternity. A victory that would make this season worth something when it looked like all was lost. While this may seem like such a small victory, for a team that’s dealt with as much as the Heat have, it’s bigger than that. Things really do change when circumstances throw different curveballs at you.

The win would also push back at all the “bubble fluke” talk throughout the past year. And for Milwaukee, they would have conquered their demons and somewhat justified the offseason moves in only one round. These types of stakes make the playoffs so fun, and we should be grateful to get it this early. Everyone will get more answers in this series than they would have gotten with the other alternatives.

It won’t only be the teams and fans getting and giving these answers, but for some individual players, like I mentioned earlier with Khis Middleton. Giannis will find out if it was right of him to put this much trust in the team when he could have waited until he was a Free Agent to test the waters. Bam Adebayo will have another opportunity to show everyone why he will be a force to be reckoned with for the next decade. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro can show everyone that it wasn’t the bubble that made them such deadly snipers from 3. Jrue Holiday and Goran Dragic with an opportunity to swing the series as the x-factors they’ve been dubbed.

Kendrick Nunn out to prove to the front offices that they should stick around past this season and that the playoffs last year were an aberration. We’ll all get to see so many of these storylines unfold in a series that will be the most fun in the Eastern Conference. Personally, I’m very excited to see the chess match that Erik Spoelstra and Jimmy pull on the Bucks and Mike Budenholzer. We’ve seen the adjustments and lengths Coach Spo is willing to go to throughout the course of a playoff series. Budenholzer may have shown a willingness to do new things during the regular season, but these are the playoffs. It’s an entirely new kind of animal in comparison. And we all know the mind games Jimmy Butler can create to throw you off balance. I look forward to seeing what he has in store this time around.

Milwaukee played everyone in their last regular season to lock up this matchup, indirectly saying they’re ready for the Heat. Miami squandered a couple of games they should have captured during the regular season but played their best basketball during the last month and a half to ensure their place. These are the beds that both these teams made themselves, and now they’ll have to lie in them. Well, more like fight in them to make sure someone gets a good night’s rest.

The basketball is going to be amazing, chippy, and filled with memorable moments. Everyone will get the answers they seek. There’s no waiting around for the second round of the conference finals. The time is now to see what they’re made of. No one flinched when this matchup was on the horizon. Now we’ll see who blinks first when it comes to the actual games. In a season that felt so empty, this is an opportunity to make it feel slightly filled. The NBA’s first-round series are rarely as compelling as this one will be. Let’s bask in the fun that’s about to happen in front of us.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows.com or call 954-791-8882

Chris Bosh: Unique, Dynamic… and a Hall of Famer

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Dynamic tends to describe the action of events in the reactionary. We view, we process and we describe. Christopher Wesson Bosh never waited to be described as dynamic. He just was.

Over the course of a 12 year career he defined himself by being indefinable. Iconic moments and legendary stories laid in the wake of his dominance, and while he did dominate the basketball court, he also dominated our fascination. It was Chris’s world, and we were just along for the ride. So lets take one more trip with him back in time and recap five of my favorite Bosh moments:

 

1. Game 7 June 9th 2012 Eastern Conference Finals — Heat/Celtics

When a dunk in Game 1 of the Indiana series sidelined him, surgery must of been on his mind, after watching Mike Miller suffer a similar injury earlier in the season. You would have never known it was though. Chris stayed positive, and that positivity was rewarded with a MRI that reflected no tear in the abdominal muscle. He would return, it was just a matter of how, and when.

While Chris rehabbed and began treatment, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had to adjust. We all remember the “stare” from LeBron James, and what he did to the Celtics in TD Garden to save the season, and possibly Spoelstra’s tenure, in Game 6. But it wasn’t just him. Bosh was on the floor, and he made an impact: 19 points, 8-for-10 from the floor and eight rebounds. The King of Dragons himself (favored nickname in china, no seriously!) played a critical role in holding Kevin Garnett to one of his worst games in the series, all while still playing in pain. 

 

2. Feb 7, 2007 — Orlando/Toronto 41 points

Bosh was already a 2-time all star, and that year was selected to the game with the 2nd most votes for a forward. On this night in the Air Canada Centre, the arena echoed with MVP chants, with a smile all over his face.

41 Points | 8 RBs | 3 AST | Bosh had arrived.

 

3. The Rebound — Game 6 2012 SAS/MIA  

One of my favorite tweets from Chris Bosh was sent on Jul 7, 2020. It quote-tweeted Jeff Eisenband, who asked to describe a favorite sports moment. Chris responded in customary fashion: “I got a rebound and made a pass.” So Chris. So everything he exemplified in a heat uniform. The constant pro, always deflecting, always lifting up his teammates. Ray Allen’s shot saved a season, but Chris Bosh’s rebound saved legacies: 13 men stand today with their hands a little heavier from rings because Chris did the thing he always did since entering the league. Gave maximum effort, and complete willingness to be the best teammate he can be.

Can you hear the Mike Breen call in your head too?



 

4. The Video-bombs…

Chris is a goofball, he understood the importance of levity to team chemistry. Since he was one of the more learnt, introspective men in the league, I must assume this videobombing was a calculated decision. What made some of those heat runs so entertaining and so damn enjoyable was the love that came across in his interactions with teammates. Specifically you knew that as the 27-game win streak was growing in 2012, so was the brotherhood, the camaraderie….and their title chances. Ill never forget those winner circle postgame interviews and I like to think, as much development happened there as on the practice court.

 

 

5. His Miami Superman Moment: Dec. 29 2013  in Portland

There’s something so iconic about LeBron rushing the court at Portland with a strained groin, to then take some shots at Chris’s chest before draping a cape over his shoulder. (In retrospect that probably had to hurt)

It’s easy to forget, after watching LaMarcus Aldridge play last year, but he was a dominant force at the time for the Portland Trail Blazers, a difficult task for any defender. Bosh’s 37 points may be the grabber, but the battle in the trenches with Aldridge was part of the story too. Aldridge put up 20 shots that night. The team continued to trust his offense and Bosh continued to trust his grit. Limiting Aldridge to 22 points on those attempts puts Miami at the end of the game to call up one play.

Spoelstra likely knew he needed to go the guy who had earned the moniker Big Shot Bosh. The problem was he wanted to tie, and Chris, wanted to win. The play that won the game was changed, because the player who always accepted the moment,saw the opportunity to write his own ending. The ball is inbounded from Norris Cole to Dwyane Wade, who bobbles slightly before driving to the basket, pulling Aldridge away, allowing Bsh to clear far behind the arc. The pass is made, the shot is fired, the rest is history.

Though with Chris Bosh, making history would become habit.

 

 

Ready or Not, The Miami Heat Are Arriving

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The Miami Heat have experienced more than the usual ups and downs of a regular NBA season this year. And who could blame them with such irregular circumstances clouding this uncertain season? From the lowest points of starting Gabe Vincent for almost a week. To losing to shorthanded Clippers and Warriors teams in back-to-back games in February. The dark grey cloud of underperforming and the “bubble fluke” moniker looked as though it was starting to accumulate mass the further the season went on after a loss to the shorthanded Hawks in Atlanta.

Little did the fanbase know the team was slowly getting their rhythm together and smoothing the edges as they worked in Trevor Ariza and Dewayne Dedmon. The loss in Atlanta may still be frustrating, but it looks more like a hiccup than a reflection of what the team is starting to represent. After all of that work of building consistent habits — we’re witnessing the fruits of their labor come together now. The team you’re starting to see on the floor may have taken a while to get revved up, but it’s got a full tank of gas (unlike most of Florida) now and is ready for the race of the Postseason.

Those games in January where everything was as off-kilter as you can imagine didn’t help much. Neither did the roster’s construction that took until about a month ago to finally start making sense. Everyone was getting a late start into this unholy mess of a season. But now that the mess is clearing itself up by way of the trade deadline burden being gone, the PF spot filled up by Ariza, and the bench giving huge contributions. This team is finally resembling Miami Heat basketball.

Everyone has settled into and thriving in their respective roles at the perfect time. Jimmy and Bam are the 1-2 punch leading the charge. Kendrick Nunn has settled nicely as the starting guard playing within himself alongside them and giving timely baskets when he can. Duncan Robinson is not only hitting three-pointers at a nearly automatic level but has made amazing strides on the defensive end. The bench duo of Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro has been on fire since Tyler came back from his injury, shooting 57% from 3 with a +20 Net Rating. Dewayne Dedmon and Trevor Ariza have plugged those holes the team desperately needed while not taking any mess from anyone.

This is all everyone wanted to see shine through as the light at the end of the tunnel. Now we see the usual “March” run that Erik Spoelstra teams go through, only it’s slightly delayed due to the scheduling around this chaotic season. “I want to win. We just know what we’re capable of,” Jimmy Butler said after the blowout win against the 76ers. They know they’re starting to break the shackles of this covid season towards what could be another memorable postseason run.

The trials and tribulations of this year could have broken them. They just as easily could have said, “it’s not our year,” and packed it in like the Boston Celtics. The loss versus Atlanta might have been the final blow for any other team in their position, but they pushed through. Jimmy Butler gave them a kick in the pants they so desperately needed not too long ago, both on and off the floor. Their record since Butler’s returned from his Covid-related absence stands at 32-19, which is 4th best in the east during that span.

That kick that Jimmy gives is like that of a horse you never want to be on the wrong side of. You’re either riding with him, or you’re getting bucked off as swiftly as possible. And this Heat team looks like they’re ready to be the cavalry. This recent stretch has felt like them sending a message to the rest of the league that they’re not afraid of anything, anyone, and any team. Jimmy Butler said to TNT, “nobody intimidates us.”

It certainly looks that way when you watch that killer instinct start to return to them. Udonis Haslem’s game against the 76ers was the perfect encapsulation of the energy the team is manifesting right now. No fear only pure unwavering action, boss. They’re not afraid of a team led by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. They have Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Not to mention a coach in Erik Spoelstra that knows what it takes to adjust throughout a playoff series. They’re going to throw everything and everyone imaginable at Philadelphia in a series should they meet.

Atlanta? New York? The lack of a homecourt advantage doesn’t scare them. They’re battle-tested, unlike those likely first-round opponents. Milwaukee? Sure they added Jrue Holiday, but that mental space Miami owns in their heads can’t be overlooked. I’m not saying this will be easy by any means. I’m not even guaranteeing a win for Miami either. But do you want to doubt a Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra-led team to vanquish Giannis and Coach Budenholzer once again?

I’m not here to tell you Miami should be considered the favorites. But there’s a path here for them to get to the Conference Finals once again. As last year proved, a path is all they need as long as Jimmy Butler is the one leading them through it, no matter how treacherous it may seem. There’s no better guiding light.

And what a delicious dish it would be to serve to the bigger outlets and “bubble fluke” pushers than another deep playoff run. Do you think the guys in that locker room don’t hear those whispers themselves? We’re talking about a team filled with guys who have been counted out and misunderestimated numerous times. We’re in for a wild ride this postseason, and I would not have sounded this enthused only a month ago. As one of Jimmy Butler’s favorite singers, Taylor Swift, said, “these things will change. Can you feel it now?”

Erik Spoelstra never sacrificed throughout the year for a few cheap regular-season wins here and there. He stuck with his plan and now it’s paying off. Jimmy Butler is averaging the lowest minutes of his career thanks to this plan. That lift on his jumper looks as good as it ever has in his Miami tenure. Butler is more than ready to be fully unleashed on whichever opponent wants to try him. The offense looks like that well-oiled machine we’ve grown accustomed to. They’ve been a top 5 team in terms of offensive rating since April. Imagine telling that to someone not too long ago.

It may have been a bumpy right filled with plenty of unexpected stops, but this is what the fans have been waiting for. Everyone seems to have found their guts. Nothing is scarier than a Miami Heat team with rhythm, led by a top 2 Coach, a rested proven playoff superstar and a fear of no one. The team will take the battle to whoever stands in their way. I’m ready to watch them fight and to make their opponent never feel comfortable. I hope you’re ready too.

Dewayne Dedmon Revived a Dying Heat Bench

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The death of the NBA’s traditional big man has been well documented for the past decade. Traditionalists have pointed to the league’s infatuation with the three-point line as the main culprit — as well as players not looking to score on the block like Tim Duncan or Hakeem Olajuwon. In reality, big men have adapted and come in so many different shapes and sizes. You have Nikola Jokic punishing guys on the inside with his lumbering post moves that feel like the world’s most violent pillow fight. But he also can step out to the three-point line and serve up a sweet jumper or dissect you with his passing on the elbows.

Then there’s Joel Embiid and his brute strength, touch, and array of moves mesmerizing from the low block in his own way. Even if you’re not in this elite class of Centers, there’s still room for you in today’s game. You can be a rim runner who provides rim protection or a stretch five coming off the bench for spacing. This is a league where there is room for Rudy Gobert, Nerlens Noel, Dwight Powell, and Kelly Olynyk.

But for the Miami Heat this season, it’s been a roller coaster of finding any semblance of a solid backup Center. The only player who that could have been, in Kelly Olynyk, was forced to start alongside Bam Adebayo due to the team’s lack of Power Forward at the time. Chris Silva and Precious Achiuwa were far too up and down (mostly down) for any semblance of a steady bench big.

After the trade that sent away the long-haired Canadian, Miami’s search would get even dicier. Nemanja Bjelica was seen as the obvious plug-in for Kelly. But the Belly Olynyk experiment failed in only a week. Precious Achiuwa was called out of the bullpen once again by Erik Spoelstra. Those minutes went as well as you would guess. Would Coach Spo and the team find that solid backup Center that seemingly every team in the league has? Where would their Nerlens Noel/Dario Saric/Marc Gasol/Naz Reid come from?

No one could have guessed that the answer would come in the form of a player who hadn’t seen an NBA court for over a year. Dewayne Dedmon arrived in Miami and secured the role with only a couple of auditions under his belt. The name wasn’t flashy like Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, or LaMarcus Aldridge at the time. Everyone was skeptical if he would even get playing time when the team inked him for the rest of the season. It seemed to the public Miami had only done the signing to avoid being fined for not having enough players on the roster.

But as always, Erik Spoelstra and the staff knew something we didn’t. They had a plan for the 7-feet tall big man with a 7’4 wingspan. They worked him in little by little until he had earned the minutes and trust from Coach Spo. The activity on the offensive glass was akin to Brian Grant in his heyday. The ability to set such solid screens and give the guards even more room to operate despite not being a spacer. Dedmon offered legitimate vertical spacing off the bench that was reminiscent of Chris “Birdman” Andersen.

He was filling in a role the Heat and their fans had yearned for so long—a backup center allowing you to rest your star in Bam Adebayo while simultaneously giving you a boost. They’re no longer buying time with their backup big. The team is making actual runs with their bench units — which were foreign to the team for most of the year. Dedmon has allowed a much better balance all around and given roster flexibility to the team as a whole. It isn’t as important as having a healthy Victor Oladipo, but it’s still important for a team dealing within the margins like Miami is doing.

Dedmon has been malleable in terms of fitting in with so many of the Heat’s important perimeter players. The Net Ratings of lineups featuring Dedmon with the rest of the regulars include a +27.2 with Jimmy Butler, +31.1 with Trevor Ariza, +26.7 with Kendrick Nunn, and a +18 with Goran Dragic. That last number is important because Dedmon and Dragic will see many of their minutes together for the rest of the season. Goran has talked about their chemistry and how hard Dedmon plays while still being really smart in his limited minutes. It’s given him a pick and roll partner who sets punishing screens and allows him to operate in more space.

They’re still working out the kinks, as Goran admitted in a recent postgame presser. But if this is what tinkering looks like, then it’s a good sign for what it’ll look like once they seriously start gelling. While the defense hasn’t been as impressive as the other end — it is still miles ahead of where the team’s bench was not too long ago. Dedmon’s size and wingspan are more of a deterrent to players who get into the lane. Bjelica and Achiuwa weren’t providing that same juice.

Dedmon has also shown the staff that he is willing to learn different coverages and adapt to those styles, whether coming out and blitzing or dropping back. He is much better at meeting the offensive player at the screen than Bjelica was while providing the necessary time for his teammates to recover and getting back to his initial man. He’s a vet who has seen every coverage in the book and won’t hesitate to adjust to whatever the team needs from him.

Everyone wanted the big flashy name during the transaction period a couple of months back. The DeMarcus Cousins of the world were constantly brought up as if they were the saviors of the season. The Miami Heat didn’t need a savior; they needed solid. They needed what the Washington Wizards had gotten when they swiped Daniel Gafford from the Chicago Bulls. The league is filled with so many rotation-level big men that could come in and give you a solid 15-20 minutes. Players that you don’t need to sign to big contracts because they’re easier to replace, in a way that the Running Back has become in the NFL.

The Heat finally found their Dion Lewis or James White after a search that looked like it would end in more Precious Achiuwa minutes. He may not start a game this season, but the productive change of pace he gives on a nightly basis was more than I expected him to give. The big man isn’t dead; it’s still around and playing a key role all around the league, as guys like Dedmon have demonstrated. It may not be flashy, but they’re getting the work done. Work that Miami has finally found getting done after so many applicants.

Miami Heat Respond to Jimmy Butler’s Tebow Moment

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It was a rough time in Dadeland. Fresh off winning six of seven games, the Heat lost three-straight to the Suns, Nuggets, and Timberwolves by an average of 15 points per game. Each contest saw Miami jump out to big first quarter leads only to get manhandled in the second period of play.

Then, to cap it all off, Miami fans had to watch from afar as the embodiment of Heat Culture, Dwyane Wade, traded in bunuelos for wheat bread and took an ownership stake with the Utah Jazz. Seeing D-Wade getting a standing ovation in Salt Lake City is like seeing Ronald McDonald eating a Frosty; it just did not feel right. Nothing felt right. Not until Jimmy Butler stepped in with a quote that will one day be recited when Heat scholars tell their pupils, “please turn your pages to the Book of Butler, chapters 28-28.”

“It’s not frustrating because we do it so often,” Butler said, via ESPN. “It’s almost like it’s expected, in a bad way to put it. We just think we’re such a good team, and then reality hits us, we’re humbled. And I’m glad, because that’s what this game does for you. Home, away, no matter what opponent you’re playing against, you just stroll into the game thinking you’re nice, you’re good. This is what happens. I’m glad it happened to us. And if we don’t fix it, I hope it continues to happen to us.”

“We’re just being soft. That’s it,” Butler said. “Not getting into bodies, scared of some contact. Soft overall.”

Heat players being soft? What’s next? Kardashians looking physically natural? Tok Tok stars acting well-adjusted to society? Samuel L. Jackson cast in a PG movie? It just does not compute. Miami responded well to the call-out from their teammate, however, as the Heat reeled off a pair of wins. On Sunday afternoon, Bam Adebayo hit a buzzer beater to take down the James Harden-less Nets 109-107 before completing the back-to-back with a 113-91 demolition of the Houston Rockets, both games without Butler.

Miami will have to take that same attitude and apply it to the stretch run. There are 14 games remaining, with only two of the next nine coming against teams currently with winning records: the Hawks and Mavericks. Then, they close out the year with a pair of potentially vital-seeding games in Boston before coming home for a tilt with Philadelphia, then road games at Milwaukee and Detroit.

While some of pointed to Butler’s quote as further proof to the narrative he is a difficult teammate, I choose to view it as the opposite. Nothing has emanated from the Heat locker room about Butler being a bad teammate, and if anyone thinks blowing big lead after big lead culminating in a loss to the hapless T’Wolves is anything but soft, then well, they’re soft. Instead, I view it as more along the lines of Tim Tebow’s “Promise” which he delivered following a home loss in 2008 to Ole Miss. Afterwards, the Gators won their final eight regular season games, all by at least four touchdowns, before defeating No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Oklahoma to win the national title.

Some say in life one has to hit rock bottom before realizing they need to change their actions. If losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves isn’t basketball’s equivalent to waking up freezing and destitute in a gutter, then what is? Miami (30-28) gets back to action Wednesday night with a road game in San Antonio.

Bam Adebayo Belongs in Defensive Player of the Year Discussion

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The 2020-2021 NBA season is nearing its home stretch, and there’s a lot of awards talk starting to surface. The MVP race appears to be down to Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic. The Most Improved Player award is being delivered to Julius Randle’s house as we speak. The Rookie of the Year might come down to whether or not LaMelo Ball finishes out the season with a certain number of games.

However, the Defensive Player of the Year award has been quite the topic recently among the basketball zeitgeist. You can hear the passionate pleas from Jazz fans pushing for their rim protector to win once more. You can also hear the case being made for Ben Simmons by Ben Simmons. The 76ers Point Guard has said he believes the award should be his. In a recent interview, he’s even pointed out how he thinks he’s the only one in the league who can guard guys like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Those comments sure seemed to rile up Jazz fans who believe Rudy Gobert’s elite rim protection is more than enough to warrant the award. But no one in the general NBA stratosphere batted an eye, as they (and Ben Simmons) failed to realize there’s a 6’10 tall Center with a 7’3 wingspan in Miami who has been doing those things Simmons talked about. Bam Adebayo isn’t one to toot his own horn. And he isn’t one to make an extensive campaign for a regular-season award. That’s not how he’s wired, despite being as good as he is.

He’s not going to be out here doing interviews about how he can defend Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon in the same game at a high level. Adebayo lets his game do all the talking for him. It’s a far cry from the Center Miami used to employ not too long ago. And maybe that’s why Bam has been even more careful of being a team-first guy on and off the floor. He saw how Miami dealt with Hassan Whiteside’s brashness about awards and individual numbers and didn’t want to be seen as that kind of player in any way.

But I’m not Bam Adebayo, and I’m here to let you know that this 23-year-old star needs to be in the DPOY discussion of every pundit, message board, Twitter thread, and barbershop. Adebayo is a truly astonishing defensive player to watch on a nightly basis. He puts on defensive masterclasses every game. When you watch him on every possession, he does so much to muck up the opposition’s game plan. He’s the powerful wrench Erik Spoelstra can unleash to make most offenses second guess their next move.

Rudy Gobert is an elite rim protector and can deter so many people away with his presence. But it’s not like Adebayo is a slouch on that end, allowing a -6.6 DIFF% at the rim. It may not be Gobert’s -13.8 or Myles Turner’s -13.7, but it doesn’t need to be because Bam doesn’t allow guys to get to the rim in the first place. Turner and Gobert play in systems that funnel guys into the paint for them to deter. Adebayo plays in a system where he’s out on the perimeter as the first and then the last line of defense. There is no Heat defensive system without the unicorn that is Bam.

Myles Turner is an amazing rim protector, but I’ll scoff at you if you think he should be in the conversation ahead of Adebayo. Bam has to fill the role of point of attack defender while also being the rim protector. He hasn’t been able to rely on any of his guards all year, especially with Oladipo out with injury. The defensive burden he’s had to carry this season is truly remarkable.

The man blows up so much of what most teams like to do by presenting the opposition with a Rubix cube of defensive wizardry. Coaches and offenses have to find their way around the Adebayo conundrum. Recently teams have begun to use Bam’s willingness to switch against him by getting mismatches in the post. The unnecessary switches are something Bam does need to clean up, and I’m sure he will. He has the right coach and assistants for the job.

Think of how much of a First Defensive World Problem that is? The starting Center is so elite on the perimeter that teams can’t go at him with their Guards and Wings. Teams are changing the way they play to get around dealing with him. And man, how those teams hate dealing with his perimeter defense. This is a Center that held Kyrie Irving to 0-8 shooting. On the season, he’s held All-Stars like Steph Curry to 1-5 shooting, Domantas Sabonis to 2-6, LeBron James to 2-8, Giannis Antetokounmpo to 5-13, and Julius Randle to 7-22.

Lost in those statistics are the shots they don’t take because of how pesky Bam can be. They try some dribbling and basically throw in the towel because they can’t get around a mobile wall that moves laterally. Players look like they’re dribbling the air out of the ball instead of running an actual offense. Bam stands his ground like a soldier protecting his fort. Sliding his feet in a perfect defensive stance that would make any level of basketball coach proud. The sheer intimidation he gives staring at the offensive player’s soul, knowing they don’t have a plan. He feels powerful therefore rendering the opposition powerless. They’ve already lost before they can even think about the next move.

The ones who are lucky to see the rim will still be met with a fight they’ll need to win by K.O. There’s a reason his most famous playoff moment was a stunning block on Jayson Tatum. He still has the timing of a Batman villain obsessed with clocks. Don’t think treading lightly in the paint will do you any favors. Bam works so tirelessly to keep you from the rim and if you’re lucky enough to make it there, you’ll be met with his powerful presence there too.

This is only the beginning of Bam’s journey. If he doesn’t win this year, he’ll more than likely get one before it’s all said and done. Why do I feel so certain about that? Because he’s one of the hardest workers the team’s ever had. Everyone raves about his work ethic and how much he strives to get better. Any smudge in his defensive game, he’ll look to clean up with gusto. Be grateful that this tireless leader is your franchise player, Heat fans. Players like this don’t come around often, and you’ve had the privilege of seeing both Alonzo Mourning and now his rightful defensive heir.

An heir pulling triple duty as Miami’s rim protector, perimeter wrench, and intimidating help defender. Bam’s keeping your team away from the rim and away from your usual playbook. It seems as if Ben Simmons and the DPOY voters haven’t heard of Bam Adebayo: but his defensive play is all you need to hear. The Defensive Player of the Year conversation is seen as a two-horse race when there’s a thoroughbred in the stables quietly awaiting his turn.

Jimmy Butler’s Needed Boiling Point

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MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 29: Bam Adebayo #13 and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Arena on October 29, 2019 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

It was an ugly night of basketball once again for the Miami Heat against the last-place Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the same story Miami had seen over the past two games against the Suns and Nuggets. A decent first quarter followed by an immediate avalanche of disappointment. All the defensive habits they had built up were getting torn down brick by brick in the past few games. Those tendencies had now spilled over to a game against a much worse team than those Western Conference contenders they faced. A wrecking ball seemingly tore down what little remained.

It was all crumbling down in front of the team in so many ways. The face on Jimmy Butler throughout the game said it all. He looked around the floor for any semblance of a spark from that same flame that used to burn so bright. A flame that allowed him to entrust the team with a portion of his genius-level athletic prime that we’ve been so lucky to witness. Butler rarely ever hides his emotions on the floor. You can always catch him laying onto guys when they’re not where they’re supposed to be — but this was different. The amount of slumped shoulders from Jimmy were eye-opening. It was as though he couldn’t recognize who these guys on the floor were. He rarely needed to go Alpha Mode for them last year – another reason he adored the 2019-2020 team.

The guys he fell in love with, like Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro, aren’t rewarding him, in the same way. But there he was going Finals mode, posting a 30 point near triple-double with that same elite defense we’ve grown accustomed to. But to need that against the Timberwolves? It seemed like he was starting to realize what everyone else could see.

Those same dreary thoughts that probably occurred on the floor seemed to have made their way onto the postgame Zoom calls. And it was jarring to hear if you’ve followed Jimmy Butler’s tenure with the Heat. Jimmy’s always believed in the guys he shares the court with — but this was not the same spiel everyone had heard before. “A loss is a loss to me. We don’t deserve to win when we take these things lightly. We look bad.” These words are a far cry from the usual “we know what we’re capable of” talk that Jimmy had kept saying in previous pressers. Now you hear stuff like “we’re just being soft” because he’s tired of coddling this group, and it could not come any sooner.

He came to Miami because he knew everyone held each other accountable as much as possible. He’s putting on his Big Boy Pants and letting the team know that the leash is getting shorter than Erik Spoelstra’s on KZ Okpala. “I don’t know what team is going to show up on any given night.” Jimmy is echoing the sentiments felt by so many of the fans and, more than likely, the front office as well.

The unquestioned leader of the Heat is taking it upon himself to hold up the mirror to the rest of the group. He’s letting them know that this isn’t going to cut it. This isn’t the same team he put his faith into. The player who famously called out the very same Timberwolves they just lost to doesn’t want those same tendencies crawling their way into the Heat. He’s already dealt with that once, and he certainly doesn’t want to put on his Rolex and embarrass Tyler Herro in practice. It’s only appropriate that he also spoke after the game about wanting more from his fellow All-Star in Bam Adebayo. “I want Bam to attack the rim because nobody can stand in front of him. I like the mid-range jumper, but he lets people off the hook.” I say it’s appropriate because this came against his former teammate in Karl Anthony-Towns, who similarly frustrated him.

Jimmy sees something more in Bam, and so does the rest of the fanbase. These comments seemingly contradicted Erik Spoelstra’s earlier ones about how Bam’s offense isn’t his main issue or the number of shots he’s taking don’t matter to him. Jimmy Butler knows it’s time to unleash that lion from his cage of passing tendencies. You could almost see the Jack Nicholson nodding gifs from the Heat fans after these comments. He’s almost as tired of hearing about the aggressive comments as everyone else on Twitter seems to be.

Jimmy Butler is in “I’m done being nice” mode. He’s finally laying it out on the table. He wants his teammates to justify his love and confidence in them. If putting on some tough love is what it takes, so be it. It feels like he knows it’s a breaking point of the season. Maybe he knows that the Victor Oladipo injury might have taken the air out of the room that was starting to regain its oxygen. “I don’t know what team is going to show up on any given night,” Jimmy exclaimed at the press conference. He wants to go back to that team he knew he could count on to give their all and instill their will on opponents. He wants that team that showed up against the Trailblazers, but consistently.

Butler is finished guessing and is trying to reignite that flame that fueled them all the way to the Finals last year. He’s tired of seeing a listless, lifeless, and sometimes disjointed team on the floor. It’s not only a boiling point for Jimmy Butler but a possible turning point for the team going forward.

These aren’t “toxic” quotes of a man who’s looking to leave — these are needed musings of a frustrated superstar. Sometimes you need to delve into the messy part of yourself as a leader. He’s put the metaphorical ball in the court of his teammates; now it’s up to them to take the ball and go home or go strong to the hole. This coming month and a half will tell us what this team is made of. Maybe they hear that Victor Oladipo is on his way back and get a lift from it, as well as the Butler comments, and proceed to go on a run. Or maybe they hear he’ll be out for another 3 weeks, and they’ll crumble like a Jenga tower during an earthquake. One thing’s for sure; Jimmy’s going to do everything in his power to raise the ceiling. It’s up to everyone else to put in their end of the deal, or there might be drastic changes to the team this offseason.

Trusting the Defensive Process of Erik Spoelstra

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Erik Spoelstra is a known mad scientist when it comes to the atmosphere of the NBA playoffs. He knows what the strengths of his team are and how to maximize them to their potential. Last season, we saw the team go from a drop-centric scheme throughout the regular season into a high-flying hyperactive switching group of maniacs with Jae Crowder’s insertion into the starting lineup. It’s no secret that Coach Spoelstra is a master of adapting his scheme to the roster’s strengths and weaknesses. The guy squeezed a top 10 defense out of a lineup that had no business in doing so in 2016-2017. You give Erik Spoelstra lemons, and he’s making lemonade with a 4-course meal on the side.

In his tenure with the Heat, he’s made sure to help his team build habits throughout the course of a season. Spoelstra has never worried about a singular regular-season game but about what direction the team trends in the season as a whole. He knows the goal should be to smooth out those edges so that in the playoffs, you know your identity just as well as you know the back of your hand. This then allows you to enforce your will on your opponent to the point where they’re succumbing to it. Doing all of this while still being flexible enough to make adjustments in the margins is what makes him such an outstanding coach.

Fans of the team recently had some questions about the defensive scheme they played against the Memphis Grizzlies. Everyone wondered why they continued blitzing pick and rolls with guys like Grayson Allen or Killian Tillie as the ball handler. When, in reality, the fans should have been asking why the rotations weren’t up to snuff. Or why they allowed so much dribble penetration even though limiting such action is a staple of Miami’s identity.

At that moment, it seems easy to ask, “why are they not switching to a drop coverage?” Yes, I asked similar questions, but everyone needs to take a step back for a minute and remember what coach you’re dealing with. Coach Spoelstra has only so much time left before the playoffs begin and plenty of new additions he’s looking to integrate into the system. He knows he needs to start nudging the pieces closer and closer together. The Grizzlies found the seams in the defense, and Miami wasn’t sharp on their rotations, and the team knows that. Coach Spo, after the game, stated that a lot of their open looks “weren’t scheme related.” Bam Adebayo shared similar sentiments when he said “late rotations, lock of communications” and “defensive reps” were the cause of the trouble. It’s not really something fans want to hear, but you realize just how far off the Heat were in executing their game plan when looking back at the game. The inordinate amount of dribble penetration to the lack of knowing who would be where on the weakside help.

In the play above, you can see Miami blitzing Ja, as is their game plan, but Duncan Robinson sits in No Man’s Land for the slightest second after the blitz. He relaxes for a millisecond, not really guarding anyone before realizing Jimmy has Kyle Anderson and that he needs to head over to the man in the corner. Props to Duncan for even getting a semi-contest in this spot, though. He did well enough to get out there, but this is also credit to Memphis for making the right read and keeping Miami on their heels as they did all night.

Above is an example of the rare dribble penetration allowed throughout the game. Jimmy takes a really rare bad angle on Brooks as soon as he heads towards the ball. Iguodala and Bjelica both give a semi-dig, but they’re worried about their men getting an open corner 3 or a dump-off pass. These sorts of plays happened a lot, and if it wasn’t a layup like the play above, it was a Grizzlies player collapsing the defense and forcing scrambling rotations.

It was a mess all around, but it’s a necessary one for a team who wants to make sure these sorts of things don’t happen once the playoffs come around. It’s a process, and the coaching staff knows it. They’re not trying to hunt wins – they’re trying to get ready for the primary hunt that is the playoff beast. In doing this, the team and staff hope that the wins will start stringing along as those smudges get cleaner and cleaner.

It was no surprise that in the next game against Portland, the rotations and communications were about as crisp as it gets. The team learned from their mistakes and were back to that defense everyone had grown accustomed to. Everyone was making the rotations a second faster than before, and a second in NBA game terms is a lifetime. The defense that Miami wants to run requires those rotations to be on point and you need to get as much cleaned up in the meantime as possible.

Whether it’s against Grayson Allen or Damian Lillard or Jayson Tatum in the future, the Heat knows what they need to do to reach another level. The switching style they play is going to pay dividends once the postseason starts. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler blow up so much of what the opposition wants to do already. It’ll be even better in the homestretch as Jimmy Butler continues being a better Free Saftey than prime Earl Thomas. The defense they’re playing right now will be important for their playoff success more than switching to a drop scheme for a game in the middle of a messy covid protocol-filled season. Good habits are built stronger if you don’t deviate from them, and Miami will make sure that they have those habits now so that they don’t have to do it in the middle of a playoff series.

This definitely doesn’t mean Miami won’t adjust when it comes to the playoffs. Again, Erik Spoelstra is a magician when it comes to in-series adjustments. But they need to have an identity they can rely on to help get them there. Remember when not too long ago, the fans were even questioning what exactly their identity was? They’re already in a much better place than they were not even two and a half months ago. And having a defensive identity isn’t anything new to Miami Heat teams since Erik Spoelstra took over. Since he became the Head Coach, the Heat have been top 10 in defensive rating 9 of his 13 seasons (including this year.) And 3 of those remaining seasons, they were right on edge sitting at 11th. Hell, it’s been that way going back to when Pat Riley arrived in 1995. So those messy nights may happen here and there, yes. It’ll just be up to the team to make sure they don’t happen too frequently. Ironing out the mistakes in the regular season will lead to a smoother time in the playoffs. As always, Trust the Spocess.

 

Marco Romo can be found at @MarcoRomo_ on Twitter

 

All Jimmy: The Heat’s Extreme Reliance on Butler

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After one-half of this current chaotic whirlwind of an NBA “season,” the Miami Heat find themselves at 18-18. It was more of a matter of survival for Miami in the first lap around the track. They somehow pulled through and endured countless COVID and injury-related absences. Going through portions of the season playing 2-way guys major minutes and having all of their offseason signings contribute little to nothing in the process. But thanks to the East not running away from them amid the chaos, they held on and still have their sights set on homecourt in the first round. All of this thanks in large part to their alpha in Jimmy Butler. It only seemed appropriate that Butler, who survived his own Covid-related absence, would be the rope that led them out of the dark well they were stuck in. The man who came to the Heat because of its ethos and identity continues to be the engine that drives the team through every grueling mile.

How much have the Heat relied on the man they call Jimmy G Buckets? Their record with him so far sits at 14-8, which would put them near 3rd in the East. But without him, they are a measly 4-14, which puts them in the same class as the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. Although many of those games also featured quite a few of the other important Miami teammates being out.

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Still, it’s pretty apparent just how much Miami has relied upon their All-Star to make their team go. His importance can also be felt when he’s not on the floor in games he plays in, mainly on the offensive end. The team sports a 110.9 offensive rating when he’s out on the court, compared to the 104.2 they have when he sits. The difference is even more noticeable when you watch the film. Jimmy’s ability to get downhill despite defenses knowing his cruel intentions for the rim is masterful. And when that rim pressure isn’t there, the offense gets stuck with constant aimless passing around the perimeter, hoping something eventually cracks. It has definitely helped to have Goran Dragic back to be that downhill threat off the bench, but relying on an aging point guard with a million miles on him to be that guy is a dangerous game.

Miami needs to find that same identity, or at least a facsimile of it when he’s sitting and Dragic isn’t available, which is likely due to where he is in his career. Butler plays every minute with such a constant intensity that would make John Malkovich cry in his sleep. You can’t lean on him to this extent this early in the year when you expect him to take it to another level come playoff time. Not to mention that those Tom Thibodeau minutes can leave a mark on you.

Thankfully for Miami, Erik Spoelstra has monitored his minutes quite well, to the tune of 33.1 minutes a game. But in those 15 minutes and games that he’s not out there, the team can’t seem to keep that same identity. This is where Bam Adebayo comes into play. Bam, as Jimmy calls him, is the heart and soul of the Miami Heat. They need Adebayo to be that facsimile, especially in the inevitable games that Jimmy Butler will miss. Everyone and their mother knows that Bam can and should become the heir apparent to the Heat franchise and can be more than a facsimile. Hell, he’s probably that right now, and he might be the only one who doesn’t know it. Everyone knows it’s frustrating and certainly isn’t helped when Adebayo continues to end Zoom Pressers with “I need to be more aggressive.” Fans forget how painful growing pains can be until you’re experiencing them.

The Heat are a team of equal opportunity offense, but even Jimmy knows when it’s time to go into the do-it-yourself kit and give a jolt to an otherwise dead possession. Bam needs to find that kit himself and keep the team well above the tidal waves that hit them when Butler sits. It shouldn’t be a tsunami-like hit every time he goes to the bench, especially with Adebayo still being at the helm of the levees. That might be the final step the team needs to take to hit another level in the second half of the season.

I would love to see Miami run more reverse pick-and-rolls with Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson, forcing the defense to react to the near 6’10 bull that handles the ball and can make the smart pass whenever the opposition reacts. It’s not that Bam can’t bend a defense without Jimmy; it’s about the opportunities and willingness to do so. Last season Bam’s on/off numbers looked a lot better to the tune of a 5.0 net rating when on the floor. But those numbers have dipped considerably down to -0.4 this year. Both due to teams scouting the Adebayo-Robinson dribble-handoffs and Bam playing plenty of games with less than ideal rosters on the floor. Those handoffs don’t have the same juice, and it’s why I implore the team and Bam to try new avenues that could propel them to greater heights. It’s frustrating for fans because they have seen Adebayo answer these questions in spurts dating back to last season’s playoffs. Hopefully, the young ever-growing jewel of the team’s eye can realize it himself soon enough.

So much of this shouldn’t be on Adebayo’s shoulders but the rest of the team as well. Everyone needs to fill those gaps in their own way. Last season Miami had 8 guys who played major minutes contribute a positive net rating, compared to this year’s 3. Plenty can be attributed to guys playing a few spots too high in the rotation leading to a less than ideal distribution of minutes. In my opinion, a trade or two might help to shore up some of these problems, but it’s also up to the guys on the floor to do their part. It doesn’t matter how they do it, but they need to find that same balance and calm that comes when a guy like Butler steps on the floor. Or at least something close to it.

Miami shouldn’t take these Jimmy minutes for granted. What he’s doing is something special and rare. The only other players to put up at least 20-7.5-7.5-1.9stls on 57% True Shooting are Michael Jordan in 1988-89 and Magic Johnson in 1980-81. Don’t let these ever fleeting seasons fly by without a proper show of appreciation. This is the player who chose to make Miami his home because he identified with so much of what they do. Now he’s the team’s entire identity on a nightly basis. Miami needs to reward him even more by echoing that identity and carrying that torch he keeps lit with his burning fury. The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler have become synonymous with each other. To survive the second half of the season, they need to make sure the relationship is more symbiotic than codependent. Jimmy won’t let this team down, and it’s up to them to do the same for him.

 

Marco Romo will be found on Twitter again soon. We promise.