Tag Archive for: Bam Adebayo

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Memphis

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

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

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

#2: The one negative defensive aspect on display.

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

#3: Tyler Herro finding an offensive rhythm.

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

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

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

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

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

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Cleveland

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The Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, which expands their winning streak to 4 games and puts them 2 games over .500. Although Victor Oladipo didn’t have the expected offensive bounce back game, he impacted in other ways, and ultimately was a needed game to give him extra run in the offense. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s switching scheme benefiting personnel, Ariza on guards and Butler on bigs.

The switching scheme was a bit interesting to begin the season since there were many breakdowns occurring through Bam Adebayo’s switch, leading to a weaker defender being stuck on a big. But now that Miami has quite the list of versatile defenders, it makes Adebayo’s life a lot easier. For one, Trevor Ariza looks much more comfortable when defending opposing guards, which is perfect due to the amount of times he ends up seeing that match-up. Another interesting element to this switching is Jimmy Butler, since although nothing has changed, his ability to guard post players is shown time and time again. It also seems like Adebayo realizes that, since he’s even more willing to switch onto the perimeter when Butler’s involved in the PnR.

#2: Duncan Robinson is still firing, making slight adjustments.

The Duncan Robinson takeaway seems to be locked into this post-game piece now, since he’s shooting the three-ball the way that many have been awaiting for quite some time. The usual DHO and catch and shoot opportunities are still there, but another element was shown tonight, as well as a lot of the games lately. The one dribble side step on the perimeter is quite simple for the offensive player, but the complete opposite for the defensive player. The amount of gravity he holds on the three-point line is well known, which leads to constant fly-outs, leading to that side step eliminating them from the play. It’s once again about finding ways to get open shots for Robinson, and that is one simple way of doing so, while some more small changes should be on the way as well to truly maximize his ability.

#3: Coach Spo goes a different route with the rotation tonight, as well as lineups.

Due to Andre Iguodala being out, it was clear that the line of wings was a bit short tonight. So, Miami went to even more of the three guard lineups, mostly with Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, and Victor Oladipo. This lack of wings also led to Nemanja Bjelica getting some run next to Bam Adebayo, which is different since them being the two primary bigs means they’ve had to constantly be interchanged. Precious Achiuwa got some run as the relief guy, meaning he was the one who fulfilled the nine man rotation. Kendrick Nunn not getting inserted into that 9 man rotation was expected, but still an intriguing discussion to be had. He wasn’t going to get minutes over Dragic or Herro off the bench, but considering he was playing some pretty good basketball before being replaced, makes this conversation a bit different.

#4: Trevor Ariza finding his offensive fit, which begins with knocking down triples.

When discussing a guy who has continually been looked at as the 3 and D specialist, the three side of it hasn’t made many appearances, while the defense side has explicitly. But tonight, three-balls were falling, and that has a lot to do with him getting a few games under his belt, which means he’s beginning to find his offensive fit. Although knocking down catch and shoot threes is an important element, the spacing seems to be the bigger concern when first joining the team. Victor Oladipo is currently going through that at the moment, but Ariza seems to have passed that point now, generating the needed space when mentioning the 4 spot next to Adebayo.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s efficiency continues to fly under the radar, while shining in wins.

Bam Adebayo’s field goal stat category is the first stat observed after a loss, since his attempts are constantly harped on, but it seems like it never gets discussed following wins. He has consistently been a very efficient player, and he’s definitely not the traditional center who just takes shots at the basket. The mid-range pull-ups are becoming a natural occurrence, while he sprinkles in many different crafty ways to score. It’s clear that he is a very unselfish player who can rack up plenty of assists with the amount of offense that runs through him, but that level of efficient offense should not be taken for granted, since although Robinson threes or Butler drives are looked at as the focal point at times, the Adebayo scoring is actually the primary element.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Win Over Golden State

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The Miami Heat extend their winning streak to 3 games on Thursday night against the Warriors. Victor Oladipo’s debut may not scream from the stat sheet, but this is the exact debut that the Miami Heat organization loves. Just lots of defensive impact, and resulting in a win. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The initial Victor Oladipo observation.

Victor Oladipo made his debut tonight, and it’s clear that offense won’t be the initial takeaway. Pat Riley’s first conversation with him was about “defense, defense, and defense,” and there’s a reason for that. He wrecked havoc on the perimeter early on, mostly since he is capable of locking on an opponent without relying on a switch. This works both ways for Bam Adebayo as well, since he doesn’t feel that he must switch every screen. The offensive side of the ball for Oladipo was a bit passive early on, which is not surprising, since he’s trying to find his fit into this unique motion offense. Once he becomes comfortable after a few games, the offense will look a lot smoother with him as the ball-handler, while the defense can be plugged in at any time.

#2: Miami’s identity is clearly defense, but it might be scheme more than personnel. 

To further the discussion about defense, it’s not all about the addition of Oladipo. And honestly, it’s not all about the versatile personnel pieces including Butler, Adebayo, Ariza, and Iguodala. It’s mostly about the differing schemes, which becomes even more deadly when you are even average in individual man to man sets with Oladipo at the point of attack. The reason that scheme stuck out tonight was many plays where guys like Robinson and Herro would trap together on the baseline, forcing turnovers or transition offense. And although it’s very true that they’re improving from a team defense stance, the main element is that the Heat’s coaching staff is placing them in areas that they know they will thrive, or at least not get picked on. This team has a chance to be really special with the amount of weapons to swarm the perimeter, and that begins with the team’s young and versatile centerpiece, Bam Adebayo.

#3: Rotations become interesting, including Kendrick Nunn role and substitution timing.

It seems necessary to discuss the Heat’s rotation after tonight, since there were quite a few things that stuck out about it. For one, Goran Dragic being out meant the Kendrick Nunn situation wouldn’t be addressed at the moment, but I guess it was. Gabe Vincent got his name called before him even though he was cleared, but maybe he just didn’t feel 100% once the game started. The second part of this is Nemanja Bjelica getting the backup big minutes instead of Precious Achiuwa, which worked out pretty well due to Belly finding himself in the offense pretty quickly, while also spacing the floor. The last part of this includes the main guys, since Adebayo and Butler’s minutes have continually been staggered since it’s hard to survive stretches with both of them on the sideline. Although they’re capable of going to it more with Oladipo, it’s just never ideal since Adebayo’s game is not easily replicated, not only on this team, but in the entire league.

#4: It’s not about Duncan Robinson’s three point makes, but actually what comes next.

The recent talk involving Duncan Robinson has been strictly the shots he’s making, as well as the areas of growth that he is showcasing. That includes defensive instincts, a willingness to put the ball on the floor and attack, among other things. But when evaluating his jump-shot, it’s not so much about the three-point makes, as it is what comes next. One play in the first half stands out, when a possession following him making a three, led to two defenders flying high on him at the perimeter, as the ball found an open cutting Butler, which ended in an open Herro three. Those are the plays that are generated when his shots are dropping, and can ultimately impact Miami’s newest acquisition very heavily. I’ve discussed that gravity opening up the floor for an attacking Butler, since well, that was their only attacker. But surrounding Robinson with players who can penetrate may be the fix to the offensive roller coaster.

#5: Bam Adebayo continues to have flashes, especially late in games.

Enough defense has been discussed in this piece, which leads with Adebayo most of the time, but now it’s time to talk offense. Oladipo and Butler didn’t even have to be on the floor for a good amount of the fourth, since they trusted Adebayo to keep them afloat. Not only did he do that, but he gave them a major boost, sparking a run through his ball-handling abilities and active defensive hands to gain extra opportunities. This also refers back to the discussion about spreading the minutes between the three, since trusting Adebayo to lead lineups, and ultimately be aggressive when most needed in the fourth, changes a lot of things for this team in the big picture.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Knicks

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The Miami Heat ended their 6 game losing streak with a win over the New York Knicks. It was a tale of two halves for Miami, after Jimmy Butler went into takeover mode in the second half. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Well, this is Miami’s offense at times.

The reality is that this is Miami’s offense at times. Dissecting different reasons for the offensive struggles game after game have become a constant thing this season, meaning this is who they are. The leading scorer after 12 minutes of basketball from both teams was Tyler Herro with 6 points, which furthers the point about the overall stagnant offensive play. The only difference is that the Knicks went on spark runs by some of their primary players, as well as turning defense into offense. Miami wasn’t as lucky to have those scoring spurts, and it may have nothing to do with luck. There were small flashes of Bam Adebayo takeover, which never really panned out in the first half, which I will dive into next, but it’s clear that a passive Jimmy Butler in games like this always leads to them playing from behind, which turned around in the second half.

#2: Bam Adebayo having his moments, showcasing just an incredibly unique skill.

Now, I mentioned the small positive flashes from Adebayo early on, and although the Heat scored 36 points in the half, it must be touched upon. For starters, he scored 8 points in that stretch on 4 for 5 shooting, which is a major part of this. Efficiency is clearly a great attribute, but not when it’s costing the team points. Andre Iguodala having the same amount of shot attempts in the first half as Adebayo reiterates that point even more. The reason that I wanted to touch on his unique skill, which is widely known, is because he shows glimpses of realization then reverts right back. Pull-up jumpers with a behind the back dribble occurring right before seems like a moment where that Brooklyn Nets-like game takeover is coming, but the following play leads to off-ball screens and kick-outs to Miami’s different wings. Adebayo utilizes guard moves throughout the game, which is the perfect description since it happens pretty effortlessly.

#3: Precious Achiuwa struggles again, turning eyes toward buyout market.

The continued discussion surrounding last minute pick-ups for Miami have included the addition of a back-up big for the Heat. The non-Adebayo minutes have become just as bad as the non-Butler minutes lately, since they don’t have that big man who can keep them afloat. Achiuwa had flashes early in the year, but his offensive limitations and undersized build allow him to get lost rather quickly. Although most of the guys that are currently in the buyout market get labeled as “past their prime,” that attribute may be more helpful for this team than an inexperience rookie. It’s obvious that Miami will make a move in that area pretty soon, but the consistent hole in that spot should speed that process up in the coming days for the Heat’s front office.

#4: The Jimmy Butler takeover.

As I mentioned before the game, as well as halftime, a Jimmy Butler takeover was necessary. When offense is stagnant like it was tonight, it’s important for him to search to attack, but it’s even more clear when all of the signs are pointing in that direction. Butler seemed to be locked in as soon as some back and forth occurred between him and the Knicks, both the players on the court and sideline. When he’s locked in like that, he’s a hard man to stop, since it’s obvious that he is more than capable to score at the basket whenever he chooses. So, he did just that in the third quarter, turning a 36 point first half into a 39 point third quarter. And although the points he scored will be harped on, the intensity and energy that he brought changed the game for Miami.

#5: Duncan Robinson with one of his best all-around performances.

Duncan Robinson hit some nice shots on the outside, which may have sparked him moving forward, but that’s not what I want to discuss. The part that must be mentioned is that this game may be one of Robinson’s best all-around games of the season. For starters, he put the ball on the deck at an exceptional rate, which led to some very impressive passes. When defenses continue to fly out at him, that element will be essential, and adding the dump-off on the move to the cutter takes it to another level. The second part of tonight’s game for him was on the defensive end, which could’ve been one of his better defensive games of his career. Not only some big steals and deflections to get Miami into transition, but he also stayed in front of his guy individually much better than usual. This type of performance is all he needed to get back to normal, so we will see how this progresses.

5 Takeways from Heat’s Late Loss to Portland

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The Miami Heat fell late to the Portland Trail Blazers, after a foul was called with 1 second left to put Damian Lillard on the line. Although it was a tough result, Miami showed incredible grit with only 9 available players. So, here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: No Jimmy Butler leads to early Bam Adebayo aggression.

In a game that Miami was without their star Jimmy Butler and newcomer Victor Oladipo, Bam Adebayo was clearly going to be needed. Not only as the primary play-maker and focal point of the offense, but also as the needed scorer. And well, that’s exactly what he was early on, getting to those 10 foot push shots that he loves, while also competing on the defensive end each and every play. An efficient 15 point first half is one thing in a short term view, but it’s quite interesting to dive into it in the big picture. As much as many may think this will lead to even less Adebayo scoring with Oladipo joining, I believe it’ll be just the opposite. It eliminates teams sending constant doubles when Adebayo receives the ball in the nucleus of the offense, which could lead to an even more ideal situation for him.

#2: Post trade deadline Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson performances.

Now, before discussing Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson early on in the game tonight, maybe it’s important to address a primary reason. It’s not an overstatement to mention trade rumors getting into the heads of certain players, and it’s no surprise that it played a role in the recent struggles. Robinson came out immediately with an apparent confidence in his jumper, while Herro began to heat up as the game progressed. He kept Miami going when Adebayo exited which was key due to the many players Miami were without. Although many will harp on the three-point shooting being the only change for Herro tonight, I believe it had more to do with the on-ball situations. He attacked consistently throughout which led to easy buckets, and that’s the area that will fully elevate his game over this next stretch of games. And well, a Lillard range three pointer in the fourth quarter against Damian Lillard pretty much solidified the point about relief occurring after trade rumors, leading to Herro’s comfort zone of straight confidence.

#3: Oladipo may have been most useful on the defensive end tonight.

Not to link everything from tonight’s game to Miami’s newest trade acquisition, but CJ McCollum’s scoring explosion made that come to mind immediately. Although the Heat’s interchanging defensive schemes may hide some of Miami’s weaker defenders at times, it has still been clear that point of attack defense needs a boost. McCollum’s 29 first half points shouldn’t be completely pointed to Miami’s guards, since they actually contested well on many possessions, but when it’s his night, there’s basically no way to slow him down. This is where Victor Oladipo comes into play though in the big picture, since Butler is constantly the guy who is forced to guard opposing team’s best guard on a nightly basis. Other than the scoring boost, it’s a great amount of weight off Butler’s shoulders through the different defensive match-ups.

#4: Trevor Ariza looking quite impressive in all aspects of the game.

I think there is general confidence that Trevor Ariza can become an ideal plug and play guy at the 4, mostly as a a catch and shoot threat. But in only his fourth game with the Miami Heat, he looked to show other areas of his offensive package, headlined by an ability to put the ball on the deck and get to the basket. He has some length to him and seems to have a great ability to utilize that length when slashing down the baseline. Now, the more important aspect is the element he brings moving forward, which is the perfect balance at the wing spot for Andre Iguodala. This gives Erik Spoelstra some options to decide between a versatile offensive player who can defend and an elite defender who can facilitate offense. Either way, the Ariza acquisition looks to have an even bigger impact than originally expected.

#5: Oh, the Heat will insert Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo, and Goran Dragic into this.

A major takeaway from this game, other than individual boosts from needed players, is the heart they showed with only nine available players. Not only through the trade deadline being over, but this game being a scheduled loss basically propels this team to play freely. But other than that being noted, a clear takeaway is that Butler and Oladipo will be awaiting to be inserted into this starting lineup, while Dragic can be thrown into that scrappy bench group. And that’s not even mentioning Nemanja Bjelica and a possible LaMarcus Aldridge pick-up. The reason this is being noted is to highlight the ceiling of this team, which is far from being seen, but much higher than many may expect.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Suns

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The Miami Heat lost to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in the last game before the trade deadline. Since there wasn’t many takeaways from this game particularly, I took some turns into trade additions. So, here are five takeaways from not only this game, but the team overall…

#1: The shot-creating/play-making absence apparent.

Instead of utilizing my first takeaway to discuss shooting struggles every single night, it’s important to instead evaluate the reasoning or replacement necessary. The shot-creators are the ones who are currently being discussed in possible trades, and tonight’s game only furthered that point of need. One example is the box score half-way through the second quarter. Miami’s bench included Trevor Ariza with 1 shot attempt, Tyler Herro with 3 shot attempts, Andre Iguodala with 0 shot attempts, and Gabe Vincent with 0 shot attempts. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, it just shows the areas that Miami takes a major decline in when Butler steps off the floor, which the struggles tonight were actually with Butler on the floor as well as I will discuss next.

#2: An off Jimmy Butler night early basically digs Miami a deeper hole.

When Butler finds himself on one of these pieces, it’s usually in a very positive manner. But tonight just was not his night, as he just looked out of sync on offense early on, leading to a 15 point deficit at the half. The point of this discussion is not to talk about Butler struggles, since an off-night was pretty much due. But it furthers the point about the supporting cast, since although the Heat have struggled on exceptional Butler nights, they just have zero chance when he has the slightest of issues. Now, not to insert the trade possibilities into every point, but this is another reason for that being a necessity. That Kyle Lowry or Victor Oladipo type is the guy who makes the difference when that occurs by taking over as an on-ball threat.

#3: The Bam Adebayo element: Reading the situation.

Bam Adebayo has a unique gift to read the floor, attack match-ups, and make the right decisions as an extraordinary play-maker. The only issue with that is sometimes that unselfishness takes control, leading to the constant worry of getting other players going. Butler has been a culprit of this as well over his Heat tenure, since he’s capable of dominating as soon as the ball is tipped, but decides to get his teammates into a flow. But this situation is completely different, since it’s been a common theme of offensive struggles with the over-reliance on role players. It’s just a clear area that may need a bit more selfishness inserted in order to give the team the best chance to win, since forcing back-door bounce passes to get another player into some sort of rhythm actually doesn’t help all the time.

#4: Kendrick Nunn silently having one of his better games of the season.

Now, while a lot of people may want to only hear Kendrick Nunn’s name when it’s attached to a trade deal, his performance tonight must be noted. When it seemed as if this game was clearly out of reach, Nunn battled in the third quarter scoring 13 points, and cutting the Suns’ lead down slightly. It’s no surprise that he can score the ball, especially after an incredible run after being inserted into the starting lineup, but then he began to fall off a bit for this last stretch. And well, that’s the Kendrick Nunn story, since consistency can’t really be counted on. Either way, his fight throughout this game to either try and win or to boost his personal stock seemed to work, as he showed the upside to his game, which begins and ends with scoring.

#5: Who could this be the last of with Miami?

The final and overall takeaway from this game is the looming thought of what this team may look like past the deadline. The Heat’s next game is on Thursday at 7:30 while the trade deadline is on Thursday at 3:00. So, that means this could be the last game for a few players wearing that Miami Heat jersey, or it could just be yet another game of many if they elect to keep this same team. While that may not be a statement many want to hear, it’s just something to prepare for if these discussed trades don’t work out. Now, in my opinion, instead of diving even deeper into trade packages, player fits, and more, this game tonight was basically the icing on the cake of this team needing a spark. And well, there are some “sparks” on Miami’s current radar.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Overtime Loss to Indiana

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The Miami Heat lost in overtime to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon. It was a roller coaster of a game for Miami, going from constant struggles to great offensive runs to end regulation, then finishing overtime in a disappointing fashion. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: A nightly takeaway: Miami’s shooting continues to be the downfall.

The first takeaway seems to be a copy and paste version on these pieces following every game, mostly since the issues being discussed hasn’t changed. Miami shooting 3 for 18 from beyond the arc in the first half is clearly no change in the offensive issues. Now, it must be noted that there aren’t many offensive adjustments to be made regarding three-point shooting, since the team’s personnel can’t afford to go away from it. They’ve lacked extra attackers in the rotation, which becomes even more apparent when the shots aren’t falling. Although it’s pretty much the entire team that is enduring these struggles, Duncan Robinson hasn’t made it any better, since his story went from lack of attempts early in the season to a lack of makes currently.

#2: Bam Adebayo early aggression kept Miami alive, and brings a bit more clarity.

Bam Adebayo was one of the few bright spots for Miami in the first half, since he not only brought the needed aggression, but also the essential energy. And that’s not just because of a highlight dunk early on, since the jumper was looking consistent as well. The non-Butler minutes are continually harped on for obvious reasons, but the non-Bam minutes looked even worse for Miami today. Now, this clarifies two things. For one, although Adebayo’s high impact play isn’t as clear when others are shooting poorly, it just makes his natural talent to score the ball more apparent. He continued to take advantage of switches when he got the ball in the paint, mostly when Myles Turner was off the floor or out of the play. The second element to this is the clear need for a front-court addition, since adding veteran wings to supply Butler is important, but Adebayo needs some relief guys or sidekicks since Achiuwa has become a non-factor.

#3: Jimmy Butler is Miami’s offense.

Well, here we are again, discussing the Miami Heat’s offense even more. Instead of looking at the exact numbers and reasons for the struggles, it’s important to note the only reason Miami continues to compete with teams considering the offensive trouble. Two words: Jimmy Butler. When you talk about consistent play this season for the Heat, you’d probably start and finish with Butler, since he finds himself with a similar box score every night. And with the lack of three-point shooting, his downhill impact is even more important. He put his head down per usual to flow into his close bank-shot or go-to floater, mostly since the usual drive and kicks are a non-factor in games like this. The way that Butler can keep this team competitive no matter the circumstance should truly not be overlooked.

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#4: A longer observation for Heat’s newest addition, Trevor Ariza.

Trevor Ariza got some increased run in today’s game against the Pacers, even becoming the first player off the bench in the second half. He played a major role late in the second half, as well as overtime, which says a lot about him as a player for the trust to already be that high. He hit a nice corner three, a solid drive, and some very positive defensive possessions throughout this game It just furthers my earlier point about that front-court addition, since when Adebayo has a versatile, small-ball four next to him who can shoot and get to the basket, it just creates for a natural flow on both ends. Although it’s unclear this early if Ariza will be that guy to that extent, it’s just a clear hole that he can possibly fill when he gets to his peak abilities at this stage.

#5: The two-way guys: One with a productive day and the other waiting to be utilized.

Gabe Vincent stepped into that back-up point guard role with Goran Dragic out, and he was probably the only guard who gave Miami any type of offense, while also competing on the defensive end. Miami’s 2-2-1 press is utilized religiously when Vincent is on the floor, since the tandem full-court with Andre Iguodala has proved to be highly effective. The other two-way guy, Max Strus, was not a factor in today’s game since he didn’t get any playing time, but it’s still a conversation to be had. Continued shooting struggles when being wide open is one thing, but not experimenting with a pure shooter during those spurts seems a bit interesting. He’s also another one of those guys who compete on the defensive end, which raises some question marks about the decision.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Pacers

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The Miami Heat lost to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, due to Miami’s rugged offense and Indiana’s explosive offense. Miami loses two straight games for the first time since the West Coast trip, but they will play this same Indiana team on Sunday. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s defense struggles early, but offense somehow stands out more.

Although the Indiana Pacers scored 68 points in the first half, while the Heat put up 58, the issues on the offensive end seemed much more important to note, even though Miami pretty much allowed Indiana to skip through the lane to get to the basket. The reason for that is due to the overall perception of the offense, from inconsistencies to the lack of three point shooting all of a sudden. Miami shot 19% from beyond the arc in the first half, which has become a common theme for this team as of late. This reflects onto Miami’s plethora of guards, mostly the two in the starting lineup, in Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson. Nunn has looked to lose that overall scoring confidence with the ball in his hands that he regained when being inserted into the starting lineup, while Robinson has struggled in the adjustment from the sprinting DHO’s to other unique spacing. Until those two things are cleaned up, it’s hard to see Miami’s offense coming together.

#2: Tyler Herro keeping Miami afloat in first half, in an interesting way.

If there’s been anything that I’ve reiterated time and time again about Tyler Herro’s next big step, it’s that getting to the line elevates his game. Now, 3 for 9 from the field through 16 first half minutes may not scream keeping a team afloat, but the 6 for 6 from the free throw line does. He has a natural trait to avoid contact when taking it to the basket, instead of drawing the contact when defenders rise, but he actually drew more fouls with his jumper today. Not even through a pump-fake, but just through his natural shooting motion off the dribble. He was one of the few players for Miami that flashed any sense of an offensive run, since once the game flows into a rhythm in Miami’s favor, it’s when Herro truly begins to thrive on that side of the ball.

#3: Bam Adebayo early aggression was much needed for lack of spark.

Other than Herro’s short spurts discussed previously, Bam Adebayo was actually the guy who kept Miami going throughout. For one, he started off the game with 8 straight points, but I’m not so sure that’s a positive thing when evaluating the team as a whole. He also had 5 free throw attempts in the first half, which is when you usually know that’s he’s being aggressive on that end. When the team is shooting that poorly from deep, it’s even more important for him to generate offense through his individual actions with the ball in his hands. But even when he shoots 6 for 8 from the field in the first half, there are still moments that the offense must work through him instead of the repetitive drive and kicks. When he flashes that free throw jumper early, it seems like a good call to alter the offense a bit to find him at that free throw line to work from there.

#4: Indiana’s shooting catches fire, not only in third quarter, but throughout entire game.

The Indiana Pacers are one of those teams that just have plenty of options, and are a clear representation of “depth.” And well, that deep shooting rotation was shown tonight, since the efficiency numbers were through the roof from a shooting aspect. For one, Miami was giving up clear drives early on, mostly since tough offensive possessions result in poor defensive follow-ups. But the three point shooting was actually the aspect that began to kill Miami, since Indiana began to catch fire, while Miami couldn’t knock down one. I’m not exactly sure the high percentage shooting from Indiana can all be due to Miami’s defense, since they actually had some pretty good contests on a lot of their jumpers. Either way, this ties back to the first takeaway involving lack of offense and playing to Indiana’s pace.

#5: Kelly Olynyk struggles offensively, but that can be fixed with one change.

One of the main points I’ve made involving Kelly Olynyk proved to be true following Adebayo’s absence in that recent stretch. The offense ran through him on the perimeter, which basically allowed him to thrive in other facets of the game than three point shooting. Now, although the numbers say that the fit next to Adebayo is effective, it seems like a minor change may do him justice, as well as everybody on the team. It’s hard to truly evaluate Trevor Ariza after his short stint, but it seems like some type of small ball 4 can alter some offensive struggles, especially since Spoelstra loves to go that route come playoff time. When evaluating the current roster for changes, aside from the trade market, that may be the only possible rotational change that can make the difference.

A Breakdown of Miami’s Final Possession Troubles

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The Miami Heat fell short against the Memphis Grizzlies last night, after Ja Morant went coast to coast for a layup to go up 2 with 1 second left. Now, Miami clearly didn’t put themselves in the best spot to win after an awful offensive performance, but they still had an opportunity to send it to Overtime with one final stop after the game-tying free throw.

So, let’s take a look at this defensive breakdown that occurred on this final possession…

Now, to start this off, let’s look at the set-up and spacing on this offensive play for Memphis. The most important part is the placing of Brandon Clarke, since he’s being guarded by Bam Adebayo, which he stands in-between half-court and the three-point line without setting a screen.

This eliminates any type of switch or readjustment on the defensive end to regather a certain angle of the cut-off.

The next element of this occurs at half-court with Ja Morant, since Butler makes a minor mistake. Instead of sinking in slowly against a speedy Morant, he moves up for a slight cut-off against him, leading to that advantage once he passes mid-court.

And well, this leads us to the biggest breakdown on this possession. Butler no longer has the correct angle in front of Morant, which means the cut-off is majorly needed from Duncan Robinson, and Butler seems to expect this to occur.

Robinson was in position to stop the ball, but he flew out to the wing to eliminate the pass as soon as Morant got inside the arc. An interesting element to that, other than Robinson just making the wrong read, is a possible charge opportunity even if Morant made that pass. He wouldn’t have been able to stop his momentum if he swung the ball, which would’ve been a huge change for Miami.

It’s always important to force the ball-handler to make that extra pass at this point in a game, and live with the result of the jumper instead of the layup. But once again, this could be an important learning moment for this team, especially since they’ve found themselves on the winning side of things in most of these games that have gone down to the wire.

The final inbound play with one second to go has been a main topic from this game for obvious reasons. Adebayo is the trusted in-bounder on this play, which as Coach Erik Spoelstra said, he trusts “10 out of 10 times.”

For starters, the drawn up play here was actually something that can be highly effective. Robinson runs up to the top of the key to clear out, while Dragic sets the back-screen for Butler, which leads to the primary option of a Butler lob pass.

Although that’s the type of play that has a chance of working, Kyle Anderson reads it perfectly, sliding down to cut-off the alley-oop. The main issue here though is exactly how Adebayo described it post-game, which was a “predetermined decision” to make the pass to Butler.

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To that point, go back and take a look at Adebayo’s eyes on the play. He’s looking and turned towards the rim the entire time, which most likely had an impact on Anderson’s read of the play.

This game was a clear representation of the second night of a back to back, due to late-game miscues and offensive issues throughout. But it’s still important to discuss these types of moments, since it’ll allow the team to look back at it down the line as an area of growth.

A Breakdown of Miami’s Late-Game Execution

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While the Miami Heat are at the halfway mark of the regular season, it seems necessary to reflect on their first 36 games. Although there hasn’t been much consistency to this point, mostly due to the inconsistent rotations with players in and out of the lineup, Miami’s late game offensive execution must be noted.

It’s pretty clear that the Heat are always in a dog fight down the stretch, no matter the game situation, which may be a positive thing in the long run. So, let’s take a dive into some of Miami’s offensive possessions late in games.

– A Jimmy Butler shooting display

Why not kick off this dive into late-game situations with the one fresh on everybody’s mind. It’s pretty clear that a big portion of this article will include Jimmy Butler, since he’s the guy who will have the ball in his hands in these situations.

On a night without Bam Adebayo, a lot of the sets for Butler were running through Andre Iguodala. The first play was a normal DHO for Butler, which got denied and circled back through it. With zero hesitation, he pump-faked and got both defenders in the air, leading to an and-1 triple.

At this point, he was clearly feeling it, flowing into a tough step-back three over Eric Bledsoe, instead of taking it to the rim per usual in these situations. But I’ve highlighted this Butler ending in a past article, which is why the Iguodala part is important to mention.

One of the most widely known things about him is his high IQ and ability to read a defense. And on this play, he notices a very out-of-position Pelicans defense, and attacks the basket since there’s no protection. This sealed their .500 record before the All-Star break, putting this game out of reach.

– The Butler-Dragic PnR

Miami faced the best team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, a few games ago, which went down to the wire as well. It was a 2 point game with 30 seconds to go, and the last thing you wanted to do was give the ball to a very effective Jazz offense.

Miami flowed into a Butler-Dragic pick and roll, which is something they go to frequently, with either Butler or Dragic as the screener. Dragic screened for him on this possession, allowing Butler to do what he does best. He had a much smaller Mike Conley back-pedaling, and put his shoulder into his chest, which sent him flying.

He hit a much needed floater to put Miami up two possessions, but the options on this play must be noted. For one, he could’ve dumped it off to Dragic for a wide open mid-range or floater, which would be the first option after the shot attempt. But also Duncan Robinson sliding from the corner to the wing could’ve been utilized, since Donovan Mitchell got caught watching Butler on the play.

It’s not a coincidence that late-game offense flows better with Butler controlling it, since the spacing is usually crisp when he puts his head down to attack.

– The normal Butler-Adebayo PnR, reading the situation

Now, there are a couple things to evaluate on this possession for Miami. For one, they have a comfortable 6 point lead with 30 seconds to go, but a bucket would put them up three possessions.

Of course they run the usual Butler-Adebayo pick and roll, which leads to a perfect dump-off to Adebayo for the lay-in. But the part to discuss is the ability to read a situation, as I mentioned in the past. The Raptors were running a very small five to close this game out, which means the clear plan should be to give it to Adebayo in the paint.

Once again, this highlights the comfort level and natural flow when Butler is the decision maker late in games, which is something a few top teams in the East lack.

– Tyler Herro shooting in rhythm

There’s one mutual reason for Tyler Herro’s shooting elevating late in games. Although it usually links to confidence, it’s actually the level of rhythm he shoots with in these situations.

Once again, it begins with a Butler-Adebayo PnR, while Herro loops around to the perimeter while his defender sinks a bit on the penetrating Butler. It seems as if the defender catches up to him when he gets the ball, but it’s too late for him to recover when he shoots with absolutely no hesitation.

Another thing to note here about Herro is the level of lift on this shot, on top of the amount of rhythm. It’s the main reason I discuss his recent struggles relating to missing some time, since when he gets a few games in him, the rhythm shooting becomes a given.

– Butler getting to his favorite spot on the floor

In a very important game on national television in an NBA Finals rematch, Miami needed to get back on track on the road trip after some tough losses. They were up three with less than two minutes to go, but this very possession ended up being the most important.

It is no secret that Butler will try to get to the free throw line at all costs late in games. On this play, it looked as if a dribble hand-off was going to occur, but Adebayo gave Butler the ball sooner, which basically meant drive baseline. He did just that, and went up rather slowly with his methodical movements, drawing the foul to put Miami up two possessions.

Although the late-game execution could’ve went in the total opposite direction with a turnover on the final play on an inbound pass, leading to an Alex Caruso miss, that cross-court pass to Butler is something they utilize regularly on the inbound. That basically means it was just a miscommunication, but still essential to mention while on this topic.

– A different plan down the stretch

Miami had trouble generating offense at this point of the game, which is why this exact play is important. Yet another Butler-Adebayo pick and roll begins the play, which is exactly why I wanted to dive into this type of article, and leads to a defense dissection.

Immanuel Quickley sinks into the paint, which further proves the amount of gravity Butler has when going downhill. Kelly Olynyk reads it perfectly and dives down the baseline, leading to a much needed and-1 finish.

This was the other play that must be shown in the same game against New York. It seemed like Miami would hold the ball for the entire shot clock to milk as much time as possible, but well, that was until the ball got to Tyler Herro.

He decided to end the game right then and there, which fully describes the type of player Herro is. Although this doesn’t really fall under the category of execution, since the primary plan on this possession wasn’t really executed, it still ended up in a positive manner, icing this game for Miami.

– Making winning plays

In a game without Dragic and Herro, while Adebayo had fouled out, Miami’s usual offensive sets could not be utilized. Obviously there’s expected offensive clutter at this moment, which is why the plan was to try and have Butler make a play late in the shot clock.

He missed a tough fade-away off the front of the rim, but Olynyk tipped it out for an extra 14 seconds on the possession. This ended up in a Kendrick Nunn three, which also clanked off the rim, but yet another tip-out from Iguodala this time, forced Houston to foul.

On some nights, you’re going to have to play in the mud down the stretch, which is something that favors Miami with the amount of gritty players they have on the roster.

– Butler-Bully-Ball to excellent defensive execution

I’ve dove into quite the amount of offensive plays from Miami, so let’s take a quick look at a defensive one. For starters, Butler decides to just go to work on Harrison Barnes, while being down 1 with 40 seconds to go.

But we’ve had enough Butler scoring talk for one article, which is why the defense is the focal point here. Butler goes for an excellent double on De’Aaron Fox late in the shot clock, leading to a pass to Richaun Holmes with Adebayo defending.

He got a piece of that shot attempt, which ended the game and snapped a 3 game losing streak. If there’s anything you want late in the game if you’re Miami, it’s Butler and Adebayo leading the charge on the defensive end, hounding the offense with constant switches and doubles.

– No Butler, no problem. Well, sometimes

Heading into this game, Miami just came off an unexpected loss to this same Pistons team. Obviously this was a very important game for Miami, even though they were without Butler and Herro.

And since those two guys were out, why not give it to the 34 year old veteran down the stretch, who always seems to bail them out when they most need it. They run a Dragic-Adebayo pick and roll on this play, while Dragic surveys the floor when he gets inside the three point line. As Mason Plumlee continues to drop, Dragic realizes the amount of space he has and hits a mid-range bank shot.

But let’s finish off this deep dive with another defensive possession. Jerami Grant looks to take Adebayo off the dribble, which doesn’t seem to be a great choice one-on-one. Grant looks to have beat him to the rim for half a second, but Adebayo angles it perfectly to cut him off, and rises up for an incredible block to clinch this game.

There are plenty of common themes when evaluating this team’s play late in games, but the overall takeaway is that a healthy team increases the amount of offensive options down the stretch majorly.

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