Tag Archive for: Duncan Robinson

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Pistons

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The Miami Heat faced off against the Detroit Pistons once again, and came away with a much needed win. They struggled again early, but battled back without Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler once again. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Precious Achiuwa the energizer, Precious Achiuwa the leader.

The player that stood out from the moment he checked in tonight was rookie Precious Achiuwa. It seems as if I discuss him in every one of these takeaway pieces, and that’s because he stands out in a certain area every night. Tonight, he showed his leadership abilities, while only being 11 games into his NBA career. When Miami began to trail big time early in the first quarter, Precious shared the floor with Kendrick Nunn, Gabe Vincent, and Moe Harkless, and Achiuwa seemed to become the voice on the floor. Communicating after plays to get the team energized, and he did just that. In both of Miami’s first half runs, Precious was on the floor, and it wasn’t a coincidence. He’s another one of those high impact players that Miami loves, and he continues to improve in all areas of his game.

#2: Kendrick Nunn gives quality offensive minutes.

Well, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Avery Bradley being out means major openings at the guard position. And even though many aren’t high on Kendrick Nunn at the moment, Coach Erik Spoelstra shows to have the utmost confidence. Kendrick did exactly what was needed from him, which was to score the basketball. He looked to have confidence in his jump-shot, and it’s great to see him showing these flashes. Now, he still may not look like rookie Kendrick Nunn, but it surely was a step up from his production to begin the year. Miami needed offensively sounded players to step up tonight without their primary scorers, and he played his role.

#3: Rebounding continues to look like the biggest Miami issue.

I’ve gone through a bunch of Miami’s issues including turnovers, lack of shot attempts, and others, but none stand out like the lack of rebounding. Obviously Detroit is a big team, but this is an ongoing thing that occurs nightly. The Pistons continued to dominate the offensive boards, which once again translates to more shot attempts. If Miami could’ve cut those offensive rebounds in half, they would’ve controlled the game with ease, but clearly that’s not the case. As many people harp on different additions that can be made to this team, a guy that can be plugged in the front-court looks to be the team’s biggest need. Many times throughout the game, Bam is the sole big on the floor, and when he flies out to the perimeter on a close-out, it leads to an easy put-back. He needs help on the glass, and it doesn’t look to be on the roster, unless Spo decides to pair him up with Precious Achiuwa.

#4: Duncan Robinson shoots Miami through this game.

Duncan Robinson looked like the same old Duncan Robinson, but in a game where Miami trailed for most of it, it’s necessary to highlight it. Miami needed a source of offense with Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro out, and Duncan gave them a huge boost after connecting on the usual dribble hand-off threes. Although his stats don’t scream off the stat sheet tremendously, it had more to do with the timing of his scores. He was the reason for Miami’s two big offensive runs in the first half. The reason he is the biggest threat when Miami begins to get momentum on a run is because he’s much better in a quick flow. When Miami begins to run and build a rhythm, Duncan becomes more and more effective as a scorer.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s scoring aggressiveness seems to come out with a Miami lead.

The big discussion throughout tonight’s game with Bam Adebayo was about him taking initiative. When Miami needed a burst of offense when trailing, he continued to facilitate and get others going. There were many moments throughout where Bam looked to have clear opportunities to try and score, but decided to defer. But once Miami got a decent lead in the second half, his offense began to be seen. Now, that could be a type of confidence that he can play free with the ball in his hands due to the game situation, but it clearly worked. This starts to make Heat fans wonder why this isn’t seen more often. He began to hit the mid-range jumper consistently, but as I’ve mentioned many times, I believe it’s more important to see him put the ball on the floor and attack.

A Breakdown of Miami’s Second Half Struggles Vs Detroit

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The Miami Heat had a rough night against the Detroit Pistons on both sides of the floor. Although they were without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, some things consistently look problematic.

Here are some video breakdowns referring to the collapse in the second half…

– Defensive Awareness

At the beginning of the third quarter, Bam Adebayo and KZ Okpala continued to wreck havoc on their switches in the pick and roll. On this play, they look to do that again, as Kelly Olynyk slides over to cut off Jerami Grant on the drive. Instead though, that cut off was not needed, since Bam would’ve had the angle regardless. That led to an open corner three for Blake Griffin on the wing. The reason awareness plays a part is because Grant had it going at this point and Griffin had not shot the ball well, so it made sense to cut him off. But when it’s KZ and Bam on the perimeter, it’s necessary to just worry about your guy off the ball.

– Duncan Denial

When I discuss Duncan Robinson’s gravity, this is part of the reason. There is constant denial as he runs around the perimeter, and when he gets the ball, he has zero room to get a shot off. This was great for Detroit to do, especially at this point in the game since the offense was choppy from everyone on the floor. When this begins to happen, it usually allows guys like Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro to benefit, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Goran Dragic usually benefits from these spurts as well, but he did not have it going at all.

– Stagnant Offense Turns Into Forced Offense

 

As mentioned previously, the offense was clearly stagnant at this point, where Miami couldn’t get into their usual efficient offensive sets. To that point, Goran and Bam run a quick pick and roll, while Dragic forces a lob pass over the top just inside the free throw line, leading to a turnover. Usually when Miami’s turnovers begin to kick in, Goran is the one to settle them down. But that wasn’t the case yesterday, and it was even more necessary with Tyler and Jimmy out. The clear issue has been turnovers, since it leads to easy baskets, and less shot attempts.

– Turnovers to Points

After the careless Goran Dragic lob showed previously, Jerami Grant runs the break. Miami is clearly out of sorts in their transition defense, and it leads to Miami basically giving up on the play at the end of the possession. Bam runs into the picture late, and ends up standing out on the perimeter. And that’s the reason for poor defensive possessions: Standing around. As Bam explained after the game, that’s not Miami Heat defense. Some stuff is obviously schematic, but most of it seems to be about actually take pride on that end of the floor. And Miami hasn’t been doing that.

– Poor Spacing Leads to Poor Shots

Miami’s spacing on these possessions toward the end of the third quarter were non-existent, especially since Bam and Duncan were on the sideline. Andre looks to give Goran a dribble hand-off, but Goran pops out instead while Precious sets a screen. This causes three defenders piled up in one spot on the floor. But the worst part is that it led to an Andre Iguodala three with 13 seconds left on the shot clock. It almost seemed as if Miami gave up on a lot of possessions when things didn’t go their way.

– No Initiative 

Now, the biggest thing that stood out from Miami’s offense last night was the expectation level from many players on the team. They were waiting for somebody to take initiative and create offense, but nobody chose to do so. That resulted in many empty possessions like the Iguodala three showed before. I don’t want to continually harp on the players they were missing, but Jimmy and Tyler help tremendously with taking initiative with the ball in their hands. When nobody takes initiative, over-passing begins to occur, and that leads right back to the turnover issue.

– Poor Defensive Execution

The game was over at this point in the fourth quarter, but these are the type of defensive breakdowns that continued to occur from Miami throughout. KZ Okpala didn’t make a quick enough decision to go out and double team or stay on his man, which meant the passer has the ability to find the open man. Goran slides down to the big, while his man cuts to the basket for an easy bucket. It just doesn’t seem to be one issue on that end of the floor. With some players it’s decision making, while others may need a bit more “heart” as Bam Adebayo said post-game.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Loss to Detroit

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The Miami Heat faced the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, which was a game that the Heat were expected to win, even without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. Although Miami led at the half, the Pistons exploded in the second half to beat Miami. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: KZ Okpala is unleashed early on.

Well, KZ Okpala got the start tonight, and it went as great as any Heat fan may have hoped. He scored 10 first quarter points in demanding fashion. The three point shot looked good, he was active on the offensive boards, and looked great off the dribble. His confidence with the ball in his hands stood out, which had to be something the coaching staff discussed with him heading into the game. He’s a player that needs to play with self confidence on offense, since he has everything in there, but it just needs to be put together. He was also all over the place defensively, constantly moving but showed to be impressive with one-on-one assignments. Once Miami gets their entire team healthy, that second unit may include KZ Okpala moving forward.

#2: Turnovers still impacting this team negatively.

Thirteen first half turnovers definitely weren’t ideal, with most coming throughout the first quarter. They were spread out pretty evenly across the team, and I feel they had more to do with forcing passes than carelessness. It usually happens out on the perimeter, when a guy picks up their dribble and they try to find their primary ball handler. These issues cause Miami to have less shot attempts, which is the last thing you would want on this team. They shot 59% from the field in the first half, and only led by 4 against the Detroit Pistons. Once those issues begin to be leveled, everything else will begin to fall in place.

#3: Bam Adebayo looks impressive offensively in the first half.

Bam Adebayo scoring 18 first half points after missing some time with Covid protocols is pretty impressive. He was 6 for 7 from the field, and 6 for 6 from the free throw line. Not only is a scoring Bam Adebayo great to see, but an efficient Bam Adebayo was even better. The jumper looked as good as it’s ever been, which many will point to his and-1 baseline jumper before the halftime buzzer. As many have alluded to in the past, he has an elite offensive ability in his package. It just comes down to when he decides to use it. And on a night where Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were out, it showed great awareness on his part to step up, but obviously it wasn’t enough.

#4: Bad looking third quarter shines light on other Miami Heat players.

It got to a point in the third quarter where Miami just didn’t look good on either end of the floor. There are obviously defensive holes on this team, but the offensive struggles were the real issue in the third. Miami had terrible spacing, and just couldn’t get anything going. And well, that all transpired as Bam Adebayo took a breather on the sideline. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro not playing also contributes to the struggle on that end, but you’d think lineups with Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson could spark something. It obviously has a lot to do with Miami just having an off night offensively, but it also shades light on Miami’s main staples. Jimmy Butler is clearly needed, but more importantly it isn’t sustainable to have Bam off the floor when Jimmy’s out.

#5: Duncan Robinson shot attempts must increase, especially in spots where offense is choppy.

If there was any takeaway from this game, it would have to be the shot attempts from Duncan Robinson. Although the stat line may not make you think he needs to get more up, it was clearly necessary in the game flow. Obviously he’s getting absolutely blanketed at every moment of the game, but a contested Duncan three holds more value than many player’s open threes. There always seems to be spots in the game where you think to yourself, where is Duncan Robinson? His gravity alone should continually be harped on, since it is important, but it doesn’t hold as much value when the entire offense can’t get going. I’ve discussed Duncan expanding his game a bit more, but I believe it’s more about increasing the volume of his own strength.

A Breakdown of Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent

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Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent are two interesting players to look at following the two match-ups against the Philadelphia 76ers. Duncan had an increased role in the offense, since he was forced to put the ball on the floor more than usual. And Gabe just had a huge increase in playing time, and it allowed him to showcase his overall game.

Here’s a look at the parts of their game that shined…

Duncan Robinson:

– One Dribble Pull-Up

Now, this is the one attribute in Duncan Robinson’s game that I’ve been discussing since the beginning of the off-season. It’s known that Duncan is on the top of scouting reports now, which leads to defenses chasing him off the three. But to open up the perimeter for him, the mid-range will need to be utilized. It doesn’t need to be a huge change though, as seen here, a one dribble pull-up seems to be in his offensive package. And that one move can change his entire game.

– Confident Attacker

Duncan doesn’t get associated with the word attacker much, but it was needed in a game with no Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. On this play, Robinson gave a quick jab step and attacked right off the dribble. Dwight Howard came down to help, but Duncan gave a quick scoop layup with the off-hand. He may not take others off the dribble much, but he seems to be creative at the basket when he does.

– Creative Play-Making off the Drive

After Duncan got to the basket a few times, as seen in the last clip, it causes the defense to collapse down low. On this play, three Philly defenders crash once Duncan gets to the basket, and he seems to get caught in the air. He then has to make a quick decision to pass the ball to the corner or the wing, since there was only one defender on the perimeter. Robinson looked at the corner which caused Mike Scott to drop down, and he threw it out to an open Kelly Olynyk for a three.

– Great Feel Leads to Separation 

Once again, Duncan doesn’t get discussed from these perspectives on offense due to his elite shooting, but it needs to be acknowledged. Here, Duncan comes off of a curl to cause a 2 on 1 with Precious Achiuwa. He has Danny Green right on his hip, which is exactly where he wants him. He sees Joel Embiid on his heels, so it’s obvious he’s taking the shot. But instead of shooting it as a jumper, with the chance of it getting blocker since Green is on his left, he puts up a one-hand floater. This mirrors his overall offensive feel in spots other than the catch and shoot.

Gabe Vincent:

– Pull-Up Three in Transition

This attribute of Gabe Vincent can be displayed all day due to the amount of times he shoots on the move in transition. As seen here, he is very comfortable when shooting a pull-up three, mostly since he can shoot over the top of people, even at 6’3. This was an example of the catch and shoot, but he also pulls up in transition off the dribble. This is very hard for a defense to maintain, especially since he continues to showcase his ability to attack. The reason he is able to shoot this way while running up, is because of his lower body frame. He is one of the most balanced shooters you can watch, since he can stop on an absolute dime to get into his normal shooting motion.

– Off-Hand at the Rim

I’ve alluded to Gabe’s ability to score at the rim lately, but what stands out more is the way he scores at the rim. He’s very comfortable using his off-hand on layups, and even floaters. As shown here, he drives to the basket and kisses it off the top of the backboard with his left hand. A few minutes later, he goes right at Joel Embiid to lay it in with a left handed finger role. People describe Tyler Herro with the word confidence frequently, but Gabe fits that description just as well.

– Reading what the Defense Gives Him

One of the biggest things that stands out to me when watching Gabe Vincent is his ability to read a defense, which is even more intriguing when facing a top defender in Ben Simmons. There are four minutes left in the 4th quarter, and Simmons is guarding Vincent. Gabe gives him a pump-fake which freezes him, and drives right to the basket for a layup. And yes, it was another off-hand layup. Shortly after, he comes off of a screen with Joel Embiid in front of him and Ben Simmons trailing, so he stops on a dime knowing Ben will run right into him. It’s the small things that are seen in Gabe’s offensive game that are so intriguing.

– Fundamental Offensive Game

One of the areas that Gabe has surprised me the most was his passing. He seems to know the offense very well, which has a lot to do with the absence of the G-League, since he’s been in every practice with this Heat team. On this play, he notices Joel Embiid sliding over to him, which puts him out of position to stop Kelly Olynyk. He throws a perfect bounce pass for an easy layup. This has a lot to do with the previous clip about reading a defense. He can see the court very well, which is impressive considering the fact that he hasn’t had major floor time.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Short-Handed Loss To Philadelphia

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The Miami Heat faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers in a game where Miami was missing half of their team, but fell short in overtime. They were missing Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, among others but still showed plenty of heart throughout this game. Some late game Tyler Herro heroics weren’t enough, but still a great sign moving forward. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Well, Duncan Robinson was Duncan Robinson, but showed flashes of growth.

Coming into this game, it was obvious that the coaching staff can get a look at a lot of these players from a different perspective. The main one being Duncan Robinson, since he always thrives when he shares the floor with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Tonight, he had to figure things out on his own, and he did. He hit 5 first half threes, after shooting poorly from deep to begin the first quarter. And during that stretch of struggle, his play-making abilities began to get showcased. He was forced to put the ball on the floor and drive, which led to him throwing some nice bounce passes to the cutter or cross court skip passes to the opposite corner. We know exactly what Duncan can do from the perspective of shooting, but it’s great to see flashes in the other parts of his offensive game.

#2: Gabe Vincent gets his opportunity, and takes advantage of it.

Gabe Vincent began to get into a flow offensively early in the game, and it wasn’t only from the three point line. Although he looked good from beyond the arc, which many know he is capable of, his ability to attack the basket stood out. Miami didn’t have many players that are primary attackers, although Tyler Herro looks to be at times, which led to Gabe driving and using his craftiness around the rim. He’s going to be an interesting name moving forward, since he could be a player that can help this team now. Since Kendrick Nunn hasn’t made many contributions as of late, Gabe is a guy that can slide in front of him awaiting an opening in the rotation. He got an opportunity and made the most of it, which was definitely noticed by the Heat’s coaching staff.

#3: Precious Achiuwa steps up into new role and thrives.

It’s not normal for a rookie in his ninth NBA game to step into the starting center position to guard the best center in the NBA, Joel Embiid. Precious looked good in the match-up with Joel in the first half, defending him well throughout, as well as showcasing some nice offensive moves. One of the biggest highlights from the game was when Precious took Embiid off the dribble for a wide open dunk. Joel Embiid began to look like Joel Embiid in the third quarter, absolutely taking over. When he began to do this, it was when Chris Silva was on the floor matched-up with him, which forced Coach Spo to send Precious right back in. It was a very unique circumstance that the game was being played, and it was a good thing that rookie Precious Achiuwa was a part of it.

#4: Kelly Olynyk third quarter, Tyler Herro fourth quarter.

As I mentioned before, Joel Embiid had it going throughout the third quarter. And when it looked as if Miami would be put away then, Kelly Olynyk kept them in it. Miami’s offense began to grow stagnant, and Kelly hit two straight threes when they were needed most. That is what Kelly Olynyk does. Tyler Herro, on the other hand, took over in the fourth quarter which is no surprise. When it looked like the game got out of reach once again, Tyler Herro put on a scoring clinic from all three levels to give Miami a comfortable lead. It is promising to see that even when Miami is without their three best players, they still have plenty of guys capable of stepping up in crunch time.

#5: This game will be looked back on down the line, as the moment players took a leap.

Although this game may not seem to hold much value, it does in the big picture. This game allowed many of Miami’s players to get outside of their comfort zone, which it’s important for players to go through stretches that are uncomfortable. Duncan Robinson being forced to drive and play-make was one that I discussed before, since I believe it’s something we see more of moving forward. Precious Achiuwa continued to put the ball on the floor, which is something he hasn’t done much of up to this point. And of course Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, who didn’t necessarily take a leap, but took their initial step forward. We may see certain players that I mentioned have an expanded offensive package from this unique NBA game that was played tonight.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over OKC Thunder

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The Miami Heat were coming off of a poor offensive performance on Friday night against Dallas, but came out tonight with a purpose against the Oklahoma City Thunder to get the win. Not only were there some pretty great performances all around, but also some clarity on this team moving forward. Here are my five takeaways….

#1: Jimmy Butler gets going out the gate.

Jimmy Butler ended up with 14 points at the end of the first half, since he came out with a purpose to get to the basket. And if it wasn’t a bucket in the paint for him, it was a pass to someone else around the goal for a basket. It has been discussed that the key to the Heat getting back to normal revolves around Jimmy. He was needed to set the tone, even in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he did just that. And as discussed, having another ball-handler and play-maker on the floor makes everybody’s life easier. As many were wanting, Jimmy Butler played like Jimmy Butler tonight, and it was necessary heading into a match-up with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

#2: Duncan Robinson’s shooting back to normal.

Duncan Robinson shot 1-8 from three last game against the Dallas Mavericks, and 0-5 in the first half. And well, Duncan ended up going 4-7 from three in the first half tonight. That has a lot to do with Jimmy playing like Jimmy as well, since as I’ve mentioned, Duncan’s offensive game revolves around the production of Butler. When Jimmy begins to penetrate, the defense begins to shift and crash the interior, which allows Duncan to get open on the outside off of Bam Adebayo screen assists. It’s not that Duncan shot incredibly tonight, he just shot like himself. It was needed tonight since getting in a rhythm after that last game was important, especially approaching a big game against Boston as I mentioned prior.

#3: Tyler Herro looks good all-around, but still has flashes of hesitance.

When watching Tyler play tonight, it’s just clear that scoring isn’t his number one priority as it has been in the past. There were plenty of times that he beat his defender, but passed out to the corner instead of getting the ball up. There were also times that he made that extra pass, when the better shot would’ve been the opportunity that he got. Now, this definitely isn’t a huge knock against him tonight, since he played pretty well, it’s just something to look out for moving forward. He continued to look good as a passer, which looks even better when he shared the court with Jimmy Butler or Goran Dragic. And his rebounding abilities were on display as well, which is needed since Miami is last in the league in rebounds. Those extra efforts can make the difference to win you a basketball game.

#4: Miami finds a comfortable 9 man rotation.

Kelly Olynyk got inserted into the starting lineup tonight, which was the 6th different starting lineup in 6 games. But after getting a look at the rotation, it seems as if it may be here to stay. For one, I’ve been a proponent of keeping both Avery Bradley and Andre Iguodala on the bench, since they cause defensive havoc on the perimeter when they share the floor together. Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa also have a great offensive connection that they don’t want to mix up, which is why they’ve been labeled as the core four bench unit. Now, the fifth starter has been in question, but Kelly Olynyk makes the most sense. He fits well with Bam Adebayo, and it allows Bam to slide to the power forward position. Also Kelly spaces the floor perfectly for Bam and Jimmy to penetrate, which means a much more functional offense. It seems like this 9 man rotation will be one that will be seen on a nightly basis.

#5: Kelly Olynyk became an offensive spark once again.

Although I discussed Kelly Olynyk a bit previously moving forward in the rotation, I couldn’t allow his overall performance tonight to get overlooked. He has been looked at as an offensive spark for this team over the years, since he is very capable of putting on a shooting display that he put on tonight. But although you get nights like this from him, some not so good ones come with it. And that’s a risk this team will take, since adding size to this team was essential individually, but having that in a guy who can knock down 6 threes is even better. Many have been talking about that 5th starter not being on the roster, but I believe he might be. Well, at least for now. Kelly gives this team exactly what they need, especially since he seems to be the perfect fit next to Bam Adebayo.

Who Benefits Most from a Jimmy Butler Return?

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Jimmy Butler is probable for tonight’s match-up against the Dallas Mavericks, and although they came out with a win without him on Wednesday, he will clearly be needed today.

One thing that is always discussed when talking about Jimmy Butler is his impact when on the floor. That was obvious after Miami got obliterated by Milwaukee on the first night of the back to back, since most of the guys just don’t seem comfortable when he’s not on the floor with them.

Every single player benefits when Jimmy shares the floor with them. It allows Goran Dragic to take less of a load from the last game and it gives Bam Adebayo added security on the defensive end.

But who profits the most from his return?

Well, that would most likely be Duncan Robinson. When people discuss the player that helps Duncan out the most, the name Bam Adebayo usually comes up, and rightfully so since the dribble hand-offs they run are un-matched.

But Jimmy Butler being on the court opens up the floor for Duncan tremendously. The word gravity is always tied with Duncan, but it should be tied with Butler as well, since the worry he puts on a defense when putting his head down to attack should not be understated.

Not many on this team attack the basket at the level of Jimmy Butler, except for maybe Goran Dragic, but he’s usually not looking to create for others on the perimeter when he drives in.

In the first game without Jimmy, Duncan was 1-4 from three, and followed that up the next day going 2-4 from three.

Only attempting four threes is something that must change for Duncan going forward, since he is their key to a successful offense. But just watch how many shot attempts Robinson gets up tonight when Jimmy returns.

Jimmy Butler will probably have to guard one of the leagues brightest young stars, Luke Doncic, tonight at times, so it’s clear somebody will need to step up on the offensive end to take the load off of him.

And I would expect that guy to be Duncan Robinson.

A Look Into the Impact of Duncan Robinson

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Some people think they know who Duncan Robinson is as a player. A guy who can knock down 7 threes in a game on the big stage on Christmas Day.

But that’s not who he really is. More importantly he’s a guy that impacts winning.

30 seconds into the second quarter, Duncan knocked down his 5th three of the game. And yes that’s right, his fifth.

It’s clear that the number of threes made at that point is impressive in itself, but what that led to was the true definition of Duncan Robinson.

After that shot to begin the second quarter, I tweeted to watch what happens for the rest of the team from that point on. And well, Miami went on a 27-7 run after that shot.

And by the way, that is not a coincidence. When an opposing team has one guy who hit five threes on them in only 12 minutes of play, adjustments are made.

But that’s exactly what Miami wants.

The reason the word gravity is associated with Duncan is because of that very reason.

In that 27-7 run, almost all of their points came from a layup, dunk, or the free throw line. This is when guys like Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo can begin to do what they do best, which is attack the basket in the open floor.

We often discuss spacing being essential for the production of Duncan on offense, but spacing is actually much more beneficial for the rest of the team once created by Duncan.

This offense relies on Duncan, not to hit seven threes in a game, which can happen on any given night, but actually to just be a decoy at times so others can thrive.

And not to get back into past trade packages, but that is why this team will hold on to Duncan for as long as they can.

He’s more than a piece. He’s more than an asset. Duncan Robinson still is making leaps, even if he is already 26 years old. The guy is just absolutely special.

27-7 run. That run can be the difference in a playoff game. And 7 threes can also be the difference in a playoff game.

He’s playing at a very high level at the moment, while many of his peers haven’t even gotten going. So just wait til the starting lineup begins to click.

And that offensive chemistry will have a lot to do with impact of Duncan Robinson.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Christmas Day Win

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The Miami Heat got to kick off a display of Christmas Day games against the New Orleans Pelicans, and got the win 111-98, after their fair share of ups and downs. Miami wanted to make it a priority to clean up their defensive issues, which they did, but the offense continued to show some struggles. Either way, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Duncan Robinson sparks Heat run, after hitting the occasional three.

It’s no surprise that Duncan Robinson can shoot the ball at an elite level, and that continued today. He knocked down 6 threes in the first half on 75% shooting, but what that led to was what stood out. Miami couldn’t get in a rhythm in the first quarter, but Duncan set the tone. And after he began to hit three after three, it was clear the entire offense would open up. And it did. He was in a lineup with the rest of the bench unit, which I will discuss next, and it allowed Goran Dragic and others to thrive. That is why the word gravity always surfaces when talking about Duncan, since he has so much control over the opposing defense.

#2: Miami’s bench looks impressive, both on defense and offense.

There’s a reason that depth has been discussed so much with this team heading into the season, and that’s because there are a few reserves who can be starters. The starters did not have it going offensively early, but once Goran Dragic and company came in, they took control. Goran obviously played a huge role, which I will discuss next, but others showed out too. For one, Precious Achiuwa still seemed to look more comfortable than most of the guys on the floor for Miami. Avery Bradley and Andre Iguodala also looked impressive on the defensive end, since they were causing havoc on the perimeter all game when on the floor together. I feel we will always discuss Goran and Precious, but Andre and Avery will be a big part of this team going forward.

#3: Goran Dragic puts on yet another offensive display.

Now to Goran Dragic individually. The dude is 34 years old and playing like he is 24. As I explained after the season opener, he comes right in and controls the pace of the game. And with a roster full of youth, that is much needed. He looked good scoring the ball again, but looked even better as a distributor, dishing out 6 first half assists. It’s already known that Goran holds major value on this team, but I don’t think many expected him to continue his elite bubble play into the start of the season. This team needs a veteran like Goran who can take over for the team when Butler isn’t on the floor, and that’s exactly what he did.

#4: Tyler Herro’s struggles have to do with role change.

Tyler Herro seemed to struggle early in the game once again, but I don’t think people should begin to worry. He told media in his press conference yesterday that the issues aren’t point guard vs shooting guard, but instead starting role vs bench role. It’s not easy to adjust from a spark into a guy that needs to set the tone, which is why it’ll take some games for him to get back into a rhythm. And as I’ve discussed, it needs to be remembered first and foremost that he’s a pure scorer, and the passing will come after he gets going. A lot of times he seemed reluctant to shoot, which pretty much altered many jumpers. He’s a guy that plays off of confidence, and that needs to continue. Tyler will be just fine after he gets acclimated with his role, but for now it’s time to learn.

#5: Life without Jimmy Butler changes some things.

Jimmy Butler did not come back out onto the floor after halftime, since he had some right ankle stiffness. His first half stats included 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, but his time out further proved the impact that he holds on this team. I think everybody is aware of the role he plays on defense, but he truly controls the offense just with his presence. For one, his ability to put his head down and attack allows the shooters to get the spacing they need. And since there were some ball-handling issues when Goran Dragic was off the floor, it’s obvious that had a lot to do with Jimmy not being out there. Miami had to play a different type of game after Jimmy Butler went out, which means adjustments were made by Spo in that second half. Jimmy’s impact on this team is known, but it needs to be appreciated.

5 Things to Expect in Heat’s Second Preseason Game

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The Miami Heat will be playing against the Toronto Raptors in their second and last preseason game. Now that they got a look at the raw talent of their young guys, there are now new expectations. Here are five things to expect tonight…

1. Goran Dragic getting some minutes, most coming with Avery Bradley.

Goran Dragic mentioned yesterday that he’s going to play tonight a bit, which most likely won’t be much. It’ll be good to see the exact level that his health is at currently, but if he’s playing in a preseason game, my guess is he’s fine. In those limited minutes tonight, I’d bet that Avery Bradley lines up next to him in most or even all of his minutes. For one, it’ll be interesting to see how Avery looks next to Goran, especially since we know how Goran plays next to the other guards. They will also be coming off the bench this year together most likely, which makes me think Spo throws that lineup out there. We will see what he does with these two tonight, but as I mentioned, the most important thing is the evaluation of Goran Dragic.

2. The young guys game-to-game adjustments.

As I’ve mentioned lately, I expect some adjustments to be made involving KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa. KZ Okpala seems to need a bit more confidence in his game right now, since he was reluctant in the first preseason game. If he tries to be involved a bit more offensively by attacking the basket, it would be huge for him. Precious Achiuwa, on the other hand, just needs to improve on the small aspects of the game, involving dribble hand-offs and picks and rolls. After him watching a bit of film, I think we see him begin to set some good, hard screens on the pick and roll, while giving better hand-offs. This is something the coaching staff definitely brought up heading into tonight’s game, which is why I’m interested to see if he fixes it right away.

3. A Kendrick Nunn possible bounce back.

I expected a better first game performance from Kendrick Nunn on Monday night, mostly since he’s the one guy whose role is unknown. After his struggles in the bubble, he needs to show people once again that he can make an impact on this team. One thing I noticed on Monday was that spacing was a bit of an issue when he was on the floor. And after some missed opportunities early in the game for him, that usually means it’s hard for him to bounce back. But if he comes out tonight with a purpose, and has confidence in his game to score the basketball, we may be having a different conversation heading into the first game of the regular season. But first, he needs to show the coaching staff and team that his scoring abilities can help this team right now.

4. A true Moe Harkless evaluation.

It’s hard to truly evaluate Moe Harkless from that first game, especially on the defensive end. He’s not going to be guarding Zion Williamson every night, since he’s just a unique player who can overpower his opponent once he gets the ball inside. Now Moe will get to match-up with Paschal Siakam, which will be a much more interesting defensive assignment, since he can showcase his perimeter play instead of his interior defense. The main thing that has been discussed when Miami signed him was that he can truly help guard the perimeter, since it was a need on this Heat team last season. The Raptors were one of the main teams that Miami struggled in that area against, due to their offensive perimeter play, as well as the two point guard lineups. This game will be a great one to evaluate Moe’s overall game.

5. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro play off each other offensively.

One thing that has never been discussed much with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson is their impact together, mostly since the lack of defensive abilities are hard to play together. But one thing I noticed on Monday was that they played off each other a lot more, utilizing the pick and pop frequently. Tyler has greatly improved his ability to attack the basket, which is why they’re able to use this a lot more. And when Duncan is on the floor, most defenses make it a priority to follow him wherever he goes. Consequently, Tyler’s improved passing abilities allow Miami to create a lot of offense out of this. We may not see it a lot tonight, since there’s no reason for Spo to show it in a preseason game, but what you can expect is these two guys playing off each other quite a lot.