Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Knicks

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Heat led the entire way against the New York Knicks on Friday night, yet folded late in the 4th.

They were outscored in the 4th 38-15. Clearly, problematic…

#1: A different look bench group gives Miami a decent boost.

When looking at Miami’s bench unit no matter who is playing on any given night, it’s always guard heavy. The way to know that is because Caleb Martin and Max Strus switch off playing the 4 from lineup to lineup. Yet tonight, those two guys were the smalls in the bench lineup. With Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, and Victor Oladipo out, those two along with Markieff Morris and Dewayne Dedmon were the 4 next to one starter. I was a bit skeptical about the offensive spacing, but it went way above expectations. The reasoning: Morris and Dedmon spacing the floor effectively allowed it to work. Morris hit two threes and Dedmon added in a corner triple in that first half, opening up the motion sets for Strus and a driving lane for Butler. That group clearly didn’t lack size, which is a good change of pace from previous games.

#2: Jimmy Butler assertive and dishing early.

After the bench altercation in the last game against the Warriors, Jimmy Butler came out in the exact manner that you’d hope. Not only for aggression purposes, but using that into his facilitating favor. He had 6 assists in that first half, but that doesn’t illustrate the “over-passing” he was providing on the floor, which I’m not sure was coincidental. His chemistry looked as good as ever, as two late buckets in the second quarter consisted of him waving on the opposite side of the floor in direction of Kyle Lowry, while the Knicks were shooting free throws. Lowry bombs it, Butler takes advantage. He was taking smart shots, getting to the basket when he wants, and was really physical in the painted area. A good thing to see at this point in time.

#3: Caleb Martin is the ultimate Swiss Army knife, but why didn’t he close?

When hearing Coach Spo talk about Caleb Martin after games, you often hear the phrase “swiss army knife.” The reason is that you can place him in so many different lineups, against so many different match-ups, and a new thing that was picked up on, in so many different positions and spots on the floor. As I said a little earlier, Martin saw a shift up to the 3 with Morris and Dedmon entering the lineup. But forget the 3, since he actually went from corner spot-up and dunker spot spacer to running Miami’s actions. It’s clearly not his biggest strength, but he can get the job done, by making insert passes and exploding to the rim from time to time either for a bucket or some needed rim pressure. We know he’s a rotation lock, but this stuff can’t just slip under the radar. And more importantly, when Strus is getting hunted late like he was, Martin needs to be utilized as a closer. But that’s not on him.

#4: Bam Adebayo having moments as tough shot maker, yet quickly blends into team closing issues.

After Bam Adebayo finished off his third quarter stint, he walked to the bench with 16 points on 6 of 6 shooting. Usually when you see those type of clean and perfect field goal percentages, it equates to easy looks or more opportunities as a roller. Yet, that wasn’t really the case. His shots were far from easy, as he was taking some tough shots while knocking them down at a high rate. Early on, he went to a half spin fake before spinning baseline twice in a small portion of time. Why is that important? Well, for one, it felt like that was just added to his bag recently. And secondly, it was showing that his on-ball usage was a bit higher, for the lack of guards that I mentioned before. He even ran a few inverted pick and rolls with Kyle Lowry, which shouldn’t have the adjective “few” attached. When that is seen, good things happen. But lastly, good things didn’t happen late for this team tonight. All of the good I talked about from top players, disappeared in closing time, which continues to be a mystery.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Jimmy Butler vs Udonis Haslem? Here’s my final statement:

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Warriors

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, and it wasn’t your normal game.

Golden State got hot without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, which caused chaos on the Heat sideline. A Udonis Haslem-Erik Spoelstra-Jimmy Butler scuffle occurred, pretty much sparking this group through and through…or the exact opposite.

Anyway, here are some takeaways from this game…

#1: Kyle Lowry completely shifting the nature of this offense.

The Heat had some rough patches, as I’ll get into shortly, but if you were reflecting back at halftime, Kyle Lowry should be your primary takeaway. When you imagine one specific part of his game that needed an increase, it has always been that pull-up three. He’s an incredible play-maker in the PnR, but the way to elevate that is to take that pull-up when it’s there, which eventually shifts the defense. That happened in the second quarter, when after he buried the deep three, Miami’s offense turned. Next possession, he took a baseline drive after the shot fake, pulling the entire defense his way before looping a pass to Dewayne Dedmon in the corner for three. Right after that, he speeds pace back up by bombing it to Jimmy Butler for the lay-up. All of that is great, but it all spirals from that pull-up triple. Not by making it, but simply by taking it.

#2: The ups and downs of Miami’s offense and defense.

Aside from the positive of Lowry in that first half, one other thing strictly stuck out about this team: the inconsistency from play to play. Part of that may be that there’s 10 games left in the regular season, so they are coasting, but that just shouldn’t be the case. The offense came out flowing really well, but hit a wall. That wall could also be referred to as Jimmy Butler being subbed out on a night the team is without Tyler Herro. But we’ve talked enough about the offensive issues recently, while the defensive droughts are new. As they were out-hustled and out-energized in Philly, there were glimpses of that in this one. The paint numbers for the Warriors were wild, just due to the defense overplaying ball-handlers and allowing easy back-cuts, specifically baseline. That stuff needs to be cleaned up. Part of that was Victor Oladipo adjusting and Max Strus simply getting burnt off-ball, but consistency defensively is a major tool.

#3: So we saw Markieff Morris? And Dewayne Dedmon? Yes, and that’s the playoff theme.

When watching Markieff Morris to begin this game, it wasn’t his best stint in a Heat uniform. He was a primary reason for the interior scoring being so lopsided, and his defensive quickness just wasn’t there completely. With that said, Miami needed some type of shift, so Coach Spo quickly looked in the direction of Dewayne Dedmon to give them some size, rebounding, and an interior deterrent. But as I’ve said a lot, this team won’t have a back-up big when the post-season rolls around. They will have multiple. The fact that the coaching staff has been getting an extended look at Morris at the 5 has nothing to do with Dedmon exiting. There are match-ups where the spacing will be more important in that 8 minute stretch, and there will be nights where the size and rebounding is much more useful. They’re role players, so the role will shift depending on the series, and even the night.

#4: Jimmy Butler vs Udonis Haslem?

Jordan Poole hits another wild three to cap off a 19-0 run to begin the third quarter. As the Heat go to the bench, things go south a bit. Jimmy Butler and Udonis Haslem going at it, players jumping in to pull them away, Erik Spoelstra fuming. It a moment that represented two things: either the floor opening up beneath this team as the beginning of the fall. Or, the spark this team needed, not just in this game, but this season. Well, the next stretch pretty much gave you that answer for the time being, as Bam Adebayo and company made the subs go sit back down in the third to finish what they started. Offensive and defensively, they were locked in. Not stupidly, but they were locked in. That’s the energy this team has missed, and Udonis Haslem may have just done something.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Bam Adebayo is the key to this team’s success.

I can sit here and have minor discussions about PJ Tucker’s post split success, the excellence of Butler and Lowry when they’re clicking, or even the consistent scoring burst Tyler Herro adds. But if I can be completely honest, through all of that, Bam Adebayo is the key to this team taking that next post-season leap. In that big third quarter, it was a bit blurry with all of the off the court stuff that occurred, but Bam Adebayo continued to have moments of interior dominance just due to the fact he had more energy than anyone else on the floor. He looked like an alpha. But the issue is that he only has moments as that alpha. If both him and this team want to jump to that next tier, they simply need alpha Adebayo. Can they get that? Yes. Will they? I have no idea.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to the 76ers

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced a short handed Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid and James Harden, yet couldn’t slow them down.

Tyler Herro continued to get hunted late for all of Philly’s offensive possessions, and Tyrese Maxey couldn’t be stopped.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: So, about this group’s energy in this one…

We often talk about this Heat team in a bright light of high energy and not taking defensive possessions off. Yet, in this one, I couldn’t give this team those adjectives. We’ve seen a trend where less talented teams catch Miami off guard through playing with more energy or purpose, and that was the case in this one with no Joel Embiid or James Harden. The only guy on this roster that was playing with his usual energy was Caleb Martin, since his close-outs and off-ball sticking wasn’t down by any means. And speaking of those close-outs, that’s the easiest way to judge a team’s energy in the game of basketball. We saw that picture the last time against Philly where Embiid was surrounded by 3 Heat jerseys, which clearly means there’s a mental step back when reading that injury report.

#2: Jimmy Butler keeping Miami alive early offensively.

Jimmy Butler finished the first half with 15 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, which seemed like he was the only guy able to efficiently dissect this Philly defense and keep Miami’s offense alive. A lot of that refers back to past points about rim pressure, since 7 of his 15 came from the free throw line. When guys like Tyrese Maxey would switch onto him, he would take advantage, which is the only thing you could ask. Big picture, this defense looks a lot different without Embiid, which changes up the usual Herro PnR dissection that we’re used to, but it kicks right back in Butler’s facor with constant switching and inside presence. In this one, he was it in that first half.

#3: For future reference, a key exploitable element against Philly in the post-season.

To zoom out a bit more, and away from the Butler dominance against switching, it should be mentioned that won’t be a Philly post-season wrinkle. Most lineups will consist of drop with the occasional blitz, which is why guys like Herro are mentioned often in this match-up. But along those same lines, Duncan Robinson is a big piece to this match-up. Looking at this game tonight, there’s been a trend whenever Philly faces him that they’re going to overplay him a ton. They will double out, push him away from the 3 point line, and have Mattisee Thybulle trail him all night. And that type of stuff opens up the back-side actions a ton. Miami wants that focus to be on him in that way, so others can counter, which happened in moments in this one, referring back to Butler’s first half attack. But if there’s a playoff match-up for Robinson, he can really open things up in a potential second round series against the 76ers.

#4: Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo: the need for consistency in shot profile.

As Philadelphia got in a rhythm defensively by stopping Miami’s primary attacks, something was noticed. It consisted of a lot of funneling inside the lane, which is usually a formula for big time rim protectors. In this case, it was just altering Miami’s looks. That blended into a Kyle Lowry realization, where he all of a sudden began pulling that three-ball as they would go under on screens. Nobody is worried about that shot dropping, but it’s just about taking it so Miami can open up their main sets. The other guy who works into the convo of shot profile consistency is Bam Adebayo. He got on a roll in the third quarter, and he did it in one simple way: using his body around the rim. When he takes contact, it gets him in a rhythm to go up and score, which gave him 10 points in half the quarter. But like I said, the ability to consistently go to it just wasn’t there. It’s situational.

Loading
Loading...

#5: A reference point to rotation questions.

If you want to know what the Heat’s nine man rotation may look like in the post-season, it felt like this game would be a great reference point. For starters, there are many advantages to playing with Markieff Morris as your back-up big, but it’s also not a consistent thing they’re going to lean toward. With that said, it fits perfectly with what’s been said about Dewayne Dedmon and him switching off as the back-up 5, not only series by series, but game by game. The reason we’re comparing Morris and Dedmon, and not Morris and Martin, is because that isn’t a conversation at this stage. Martin is a complete lock, and it’s for reasons that can go unsaid. The final evaluation includes the hot and cold nature of Max Strus. The reason I’ve been calling him a situation piece who can plug in when needing a boost, is due to the ups and downs that we’ve seen. When he’s cold, it’s hard to stick with that move, since it bleeds into defensive problems heavily. He will still be used, but not as a rotation lock in a series.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Cavs

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third time this season on Friday night, and things looked differently.

Not only that it ended with a win for Miami, but Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo matched up with them for the first time this year.

So, here are some things that stood out in this one…

#1: Heat offense stagnant early, but Tyler Herro breaks that statement solely.

Although the Heat found themselves with a 1 point lead at the half, 58-57, I wouldn’t say you walked away feeling comfortable about their offensive attack. You felt comfortable with Tyler Herro’s offensive attack. After Miami came out the gates with a 9-0 start, stuff began to tail off. PJ Tucker’s recent struggles mean that weak-side defender can loom around a bit more to force you into that skip, while there was a general lack of movement across the board. But Herro’s 3-level scoring boost keeps Miami in games nightly. Not only is he reading his defender at another level in terms of screen navigation, but he’s getting into the teeth of the defense in a way that makes up for Miami’s stagnant possessions. That’s major for this team, but it also raises an eyebrow that if Herro doesn’t provide that one game in a playoff series, what happens?

#2: Darius Garland foreshadows players Miami will see in playoffs, but Heat adjust well.

Watching Darius Garland in that first half, then looking at a stat sheet at that point may not seem like linking factors. It may have said he had 14 points, but he was also 2 for 8 at that point in the game. Translation: he was getting to the line in similar ways that Butler likes to do nightly. The reason I bring this up is that Garland being so slippery in open space provides such problems against teams like Miami that double and blitz. While it may look like they have him in a box, his ability to turn corners at abnormal speeds can counter Miami’s rotation reliance rather quickly. Looking forward, there are teams like Boston or Chicago that have similar players in that sense. It just comes down to backing out of that coverage before it’s too late, which is exactly what Miami did in the third. They used it much more situationally, which threw off the Cavs offense for a decent stretch, triggering a 12-0 run for Miami.

#3: A minor, yet major, first half reflection: a lack of shot attempts from select few.

We’ve had moments in the season where we constantly discuss the lack of aggression from Heat center Bam Adebayo. The lack of taking advantage of opportunities is just as bad as an inefficient night, which caused plenty of discussions. Yet when reflecting back at halftime, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry combined for the same amount of shot attempts in the first 24 minutes as Dewayne Dedmon. That can’t be the case. Butler was at least able to counter some of that by getting to the line, but that length still was clearly deterring his strong attacks. But more importantly, the scoring factor of Lowry’s game is going to need to be seen more often. His structure in the offense is definitely noted, but there are too many times where the pass is forced instead of trusting his skill. With as many PnR’s as he runs, the pocket pass just can’t be the outcome in every one, which will need to be the post-season tweak.

#4: Aggressive Bam, patient Bam, interior Bam.

When looking at this match-up with the Cavs, there were two components that were in question: Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Why? Well, neither of them have matched up with this team so far this season, while obviously Cleveland is without Jarrett Allen on the other side. That said, Bam Adebayo was decently aggressive throughout this game, but it doesn’t end there. Schematically, it was a nice change of pace to see him catching, posting, and sealing in the interior, which said that his initial touches they wanted much lower than normal. With that, it’s one thing to highlight aggression, since that always feels linked to quick scoring bursts, but that wasn’t how he was doing it. He was patient on the catch, worked his pump-fake, then rose up with aggression for plenty of buckets around the rim. That was a third quarter synopsis, since he was a big reason they were able to make that run.

Loading
Loading...

#5: A game of runs. A team of runs.

We often hear about how the game of basketball is a game of runs, but there are teams within that bracket that fit the description much better. The Miami Heat this season have shown to be one of them, as many of their bench pieces are offensive sparks that can create runs. But as much as the offense may stand out when seeing a 25-6 run, the defense is equally as important to hold the opponent to 6 points over an extended stretch. And that’s the theme of this Heat team. Yes, Herro’s pull up triples and side step crowd explosions may seem crucial, but back to back possessions of Jimmy Butler steals on the perimeter for transition dunks transcends that. The playoffs may be a half-court game for sure, but that only makes this point more valuable for this team defensively. The offense may have a low floor in certain droughts, but the defense has as high of a floor as it gets.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Rockets

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat played the Houston Rockets on Monday night, but that wasn’t the important headline.

It was Dipo Day.

In Victor Oladipo’s return, it started out a bit rocky for the team, but nothing was rocky about Dipo’s composure on both ends in this debut.

Anyway, here are some takeaways from Heat’s win over Houston…

#1: There are rhythm players. And then there’s Tyler Herro.

On Dipo day, Tyler Herro quickly seemed to turn the second quarter into Tyler time. 8 of 9 from the field. 5 of 6 from three. 21 points. Those were just the stats from the second quarter if you are wondering. We saw a continuation of Herro’s recent PnR on-ball surge, where he kept getting by that initial defender and began to make plays. Not many players were making plays around him, so he took it upon himself. Began attacking the drop defender, drawing two defenders regularly, yet continuing to prance into pull-up jumpers or simple swings and relocations. But the key there is “relocation.” As the increased number of bodies begin to rotate over to him on the ball, it opens up his off-ball game. He can move without the ball and make defenses pay. Plus, aside from the X’s and O’s, he’s just the rhythm player of all rhythm players.

#2: Houston’s shot making providing early problems.

Looking across the Rockets’ roster tonight, guys like Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr popped due to their high level shot making ability and freedom to get plenty of shots up. Green opened up that dialogue by knocking down an early 4 threes, which should be said weren’t easy shots. The Heat were doing the thing where PJ Tucker would switch onto the big as Bam Adebayo switched onto Green or Porter, leaving them with a tough shot each possession. The issue was that when that switch wasn’t made, and he was pulled away from the possession, Miami’s rotations weren’t there. That was kind of expected, as this team is the anti-Bulls. They play their game against high level competition, but play down to teams like the Rockets. That’s what happens after a tough gauntlet of a week, but should be noted in terms of game flow.

#3: Jimmy Butler doing Jimmy Butler things early.

If it wasn’t for Tyler Herro going absolutely nuclear in that second quarter, Jimmy Butler’s name would be thrown around much more often in that first half. Herro settled them and gave Miami that much needed boost, but Butler was consistently himself, which is all they need. He was finishing well around the rim, but more importantly, he was getting to the line per usual. To tie these two guys together a bit, as they combined for 39 in the first half, we saw some empty corner PnR’s between the two. The reason that’s important is they were adjusting to what was happening. Herro was placing major pressure on the Rockets defense, meaning an empty corner eliminates strong side help. And with Butler looking strong on the interior, using him as a roller in space is useful. When Butler’s post efficient and getting to the line, that’s all you need.

#4: The Miami Heat’s interesting rotation questions.

As Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo return on the same night, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus get caught watching on the sideline as Erik Spoelstra rolls out a nine man rotation. I feel like that was an expected element to all of this, partly in preparation for the post-season. The way I’ve come down on the whole process is Caleb Martin is the true lock to the bottom half of the rotation, due to his big moments late in games and overall length he provides defensively. With that said, Vincent and Strus, but Vincent more specifically, are the sparks on either end when needed. If the point of attack has some holes that needs to be patched, Vincent enters. If the team needs some type of scoring guard play in light of a rough night for Herro or Dipo, Vincent enters. If it’s a rough go for Duncan Robinson, enter Max Strus potentially. As great as Vincent has been, situational sparks may be their late playoff role. But in terms of the regular season, guys will be in and out, meaning he will still have plenty of minutes, and even a few starts.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Oh yeah, Victor Oladipo is back.

So the highly anticipated return of Victor Oladipo is upon us, and well, I’d say it went well. Before dissecting what was seen, it should be said that I’ve been saying for some time that the defensive end should be the area to watch instead of the potential rust offensively. With that said, that was my initial observation. Aside from the two charges drawn, he really looked sound on that end from the jump. He doesn’t give up any ground 1-on-1, and more importantly, he’s not a guy that derives strictly off speed. He’s a guy that uses his body to his advantage, and knows how to keep that ball in front of him. On the other side of the ball, there were clearly moments. He had an early corner triple, a nice 1-on-1 drive off the attack a bit later for a right handed scoop, and a fourth quarter hesitation and burst in the PnR for an explosive dunk. It’s only game one, and things will evolve, but that entry level defensive showing is a very important element.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over 76ers

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night, and a relatively healthy group without Kyle Lowry took care of business.

Zone defenses were a highlight element of this one, but as Philly edged back late, Caleb Martin came up big time on both ends, completely shifting the feel of the game.

Anyway, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Once again, Miami simply loves inside the arc offenses, and it relies on two specific things.

When evaluating this Heat defense against this Philadelphia 76ers offense, we didn’t get the true full look. The reason is that although I’ve been saying Miami can excel against this offense for this very reason, James Harden changes things clearly. But well, it was shown tonight why it falls in Miami’s favor. For one, the one-on-one match-ups are clear, which is that PJ Tucker will guard Harden, as he did against Tyrese Maxey tonight, as Bam Adebayo sticks Joel Embiid. They do that to predict the switch, which is winnable on both ends. If they attack Tucker with Embiid on the block, that second defender is coming. Then a third. When watching this plan that we all expected play out, the obvious thing that sticks out is the swarming group in Embiid’s face. But what makes that all possible is the back-side rotations, due to the fact they can afford to fully double and leave their individual assignment. That’s the difference with this group.

#2: The three-point element, but more importantly, the Duncan Robinson element.

The Heat started out pretty hot from beyond the arc, while the 76ers began in just the opposite fashion. Six different Heat players knocked down at least one three in that first half, but it’s more about how they’re generated. Hence, the Duncan Robinson element. With Joel Embiid planted in that deep drop, it’s single coverage for a hand-off guy/screener and the movement shooter. So when that pairing is Adebayo and Robinson, it just comes down to the elimination of the defender on that individual shooter. That means it all comes down to Robinson hitting the shots that he has hit so consistently across his Heat career. We don’t know how seeding will shape out, but Robinson would be absolutely essential to set them apart in this Philly match-up. If he causes the 76ers to shift their defensive base, point Miami.

#3: Jimmy Butler returns in attack mode.

Jimmy Butler’s 14 point first half tonight was a bit surprising since it came in the natural flow of the offense. That number might’ve shocked some when reading it at the half, and that’s when Butler is most impactful. He combined the two elements that shifts his offensive outlook: efficient scoring at the rim and free throw shooting. He got to the line 6 times in the first 24 minutes, and that is another key aspect in this potential series with the pace setting Embiid and Harden with getting to the line. But if this Heat team is going to try and capitalize on elite defense on the other end, while neutralizing Embiid and the 76ers strong attack on the boards, efficient nights at the rim are important. The bunnies were dropping, he was getting to his spots, and like I said, these weren’t isolations. It was coming naturally within the offense.

#4: The Heat’s need to dissect what they’ve mastered: 2-3 zone edition.

We’ve spent a lot of time of talking about the Miami Heat and the 2-3 zone, but not in this specific manner. They’ve mastered it themselves, but tonight, the Philadelphia 76ers threw it right at Miami to see how they’d react, which wasn’t well. Miami likes to edge up the guys on the box in their zone, as Philly elects to rise up their man in the middle. It mucks up that middle of the floor entry pass, and forces you to make quick decisions. For the first 6 minutes of the third, it was clear they had no willing zone buster on the floor. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler splitting reps in that spot of the floor, but neither would take that willing mid-range jumper. And if you don’t take that, every other option on the floor is restricted. Which speaking of restricted, that essentially ties PJ Tucker’s hands behind his back offensively. The only willing zone buster was Tyler Herro, as he continued to attack and split the front two, as he flowed into that coveted floater. But to force Philly, or any teams, out of it, you have to capitalize on that middle of the floor option.

Loading
Loading...

#5: A Heat lineup to keep in mind.

There’s a lineup that has stuck out for quite some time, and it’s probably not one you’d expect. A bench lineup of Gabe Vincent-Tyler Herro-Max Strus-Caleb Martin-Dewayne Dedmon has provided a clear spark when healthy, but one shift within that lineup has been even more flexible. With Bam Adebayo exiting earlier, he then enters for Dedmon for a pretty versatile and young group. It’s a perfect combination of shooting and defense, and gives the veteran group a healthy breather. Tonight, we saw both of those variation for a decent amount of the fourth quarter, and they cracked the code on Philly’s defense for stretches. That has a lot to do with Herro doing Herro things, but even Vincent bailed them out possession after possession. Victor Oladipo could potentially plug into that spark lineup, but it’s something to keep in mind for now.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Chicago

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat played an anticipated one on Monday night against the Chicago Bulls, and well, they came out to play.

Gabe Vincent came out firing, the team’s defense was absolutely elite, and they had production 1 through 10.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: The nightly takeaway of Bam Adebayo defensive dominance.

Another half-time evaluation of Bam Adebayo, another mesmerizing exercise. We know how good he is on the defensive end, specifically when watching a highlight reel of him locking up your favorite player on the perimeter, but it transcends that stuff. We see plenty of great perimeter defenders, and plenty of in-action defenders. Bam Adebayo, ladies and gentleman, is both. When looking at the latter, a play from the second quarter sums it up well. Coby White and Nikola Vucevic running a pick and roll, means Adebayo ends up on White. After blanketing him on the attack, White makes the correct read to lob it up to Vucevic. What happens next? Adebayo turns around fully, goes up in the air, and gets the block. It sounds simple when explaining it in these terms, but in real speed, it’s just simply not normal. But it’s just another night for Adebayo on that end of the floor.

#2: Gabe Vincent-Caleb Martin stepping up in their own ways.

Gabe Vincent had to step right up into the starting role with Kyle Lowry out due to personal reasons, and man did he come out firing. 14 points at the half, but it’s more about how he’s getting those points. We know about strong attacks or off the catch threes, but the mid-range play from him has been something to keep an eye on. Running down the lane, stopping on a dime, and flowing into a tough turnaround J. The reason I bring up Caleb Martin as well is because they come as a package deal. Literally. Defensively, these guys essentially *are* the 2-3 zone, since it’s always gone to with them headlining it at the top. Guys like DeMar DeRozan can shoot over the top of that, but do you know what he can’t shoot over the top of? Physicality. Both Vincent and Martin have a real gift to guard up due to both of their imcreased strength. That’s how good defensive players make up for their biggest weakness.

#3: Does Chicago fit the build of team’s Miami wouldn’t mind seeing?

As we inch closer to the post-season, more conversations are had about specific match-ups, or the type of team that possibly fits your scheme best. And as I’ve been saying for quite some time, inside the arc teams fit Miami’s defensive build pretty perfectly. Yet, while the Bulls only hit 1 three in the first half tonight, they’re clearly an inside the arc based unit. If they go to the DeRozan-Vucevic PnR, Miami made it known PJ Tucker will handle Vuc and Bam will take DeRozan. That leaves Jimmy Butler in free safety mode on the weak-side, waiting to make that baseline double on the entry pass. That’s the reason they fit teams in that area. This current team is one that is as crisp as it gets in terms of defensive rotations, and that’s when you can fully commit to doubling, blitzing, etc.

#4: A personal favorite offensive set from Miami.

Once again, I always have to throw in my one minor evaluation point in these pieces, and this one is something I’ve been watching all year. In terms of offensive actions, utilizing Butler-Bam-Robinson on the strong side is always a good start. With this specific set, though, Bam is running things at the top of the key, while Gabe Vincent and PJ Tucker space out on the weak-side. Robinson sets a back screen on the loop for Butler, which starts the domino effect. The lob option is there for Butler, which Bam threw up to Jimmy in the third. If that isn’t there, Robinson flows into a DHO as both flash down to Butler. And if that DHO is blitzed, it’s Bam go time. The way to defensively counter is send one of those weak-side guys across as the other splits the difference. The issue: it happens so quickly that decision can’t be made.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Tyler Herro passing down the igniter, becoming steady hand.

I’ve sat here on many occasions discussing a Tyler Herro scoring outpour, just through a pure igniter stand-point. But looking at tonight specifically, we saw that guy was Gabe Vincent. Past games it’s been Caleb Martin, Max Strus, etc. Watching Herro pass down the torch of that one dimensional spark piece, into a guy who is simply the steady hand on good efficiency, could be the most important development for this team. Early in this one, there were moments where he was thrown off his game a bit, which was a clear focus from the Bulls’ game-planning. But an ability to not only bounce back, but takeover the offense in the absence of Kyle Lowry is absolutely major. His downhill presence was felt, and I could eliminate the word downhill for the statement to still be correct.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Spurs

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the San Antonio Spurs, and man did it fade far away from expectations.

A close game was not expected whatsoever, but some big performances came out of it as Miami closed it out late.

Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were big, but Bam Adebayo was the storyline as he completely took over this game on both ends.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Rough beginnings for starting group yet again.

There’s been a trend at the start of games recently for this Heat team, and it’s something to keep track of. A 10-0 start for the Knicks occurred on Friday night, and a 10-2 run for the Spurs on Saturday night followed that right up. Except this time around, the opposing team just kept piling it on, putting Miami in an awkward position. They were switching absolutely everything on and off the ball, which led to plenty of miscues for a copy and pasted free lane for San Antonio’s offense. Now, looking forward, it definitely is something to take note of. It almost feels like they’re looking around for that Tyler Herro spark to save them, which he kind of did again in this one as soon as he entered. They may have put up 40 in the first, but the starting group’s defense isn’t the worry. Instead, it’s the stagnant and lost looking offense that appears way too often than it should.

#2: Jimmy Butler’s first half offensive takeover.

There were some ugly things offensively for Miami early on, as I mentioned, but Jimmy Butler mitigated pretty much all of it. For starters, he kicked off his scoring display with quite the route on the low block. And it wasn’t like he was getting a smaller match-up so he went to it, because that really wasn’t the case. He brought a plethora of moves down there, and had some great touch around the rim whenever he got the chance. Secondly, it was another display of clock work in terms of getting to the free throw line. Strong attacks one-on-one, side pick and rolls to perfection, etc. He simply took-over on that end for Miami to race their way back in it, and that quickly leads into other things. After that hot start, we see them go into a Duncan Robinson back screen for Butler, as Duncan raises up for a potential DHO with Bam Adebayo. The thing is that wasn’t the first option. The only reason Robinson got that three off was the entire Spurs defense collapsed at the thought of a wide open Butler cut. We often discuss Robinson’s gravity, but Butler’s gravity is right there with him in an opposite fashion.

#3: Another Bam Adebayo DPOY case?

Watching Bam Adebayo in that second quarter specifically, some takeaways were clear. For one, the things Adebayo was doing to finish off that second quarter not only spearheaded Miami’s first half come-back, but a portrayed the pure dominance he can provide on that end. We saw the individual stuff at times, but nothing stands out to me more than when Adebayo is lined up on that weak-side dunker spot, as the ball-handler simultaneously comes steamrolling down the lane on the attack. For about three possessions in a row, it either ended in a Bam block, or him just mucking things up enough to lead to an awful shot attempt. As much as I discuss Butler’s ability to take over offensively, it’s equally impressive to see what Bam did on the defensive end. While it must be stated, his offensive turnaround after the rough start was crucial in the Heat’s comeback, as we saw him continuing to both attack and run the floor with great pace.

#4: One minor evaluation: Tyler Herro disguising his floater/lob pass.

In many of my post-game takeaway pieces, I like to take one section to highlight a minor piece of the game that may hold high importance moving forward. And well, that one tonight involves a very active Tyler Herro inside the lane. Something he has gotten to a ton over the last two nights is his floater out of the normal pick and roll, but there’s an interesting twist to that. One of the major elements to a player’s floater game is how similar it may look to a lob pass when your big is running right alongside you on a 2-on-1. With that said, Herro seems to have really improved recently in that category. And for a player who goes to it as frequently as him, that is quite the addition moving forward if he can master it even further. His lob passes have been a focus in general to clean up a bit, and that definitely will do the job.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Bam Adebayo again? Yes, Bam Adebayo again.

I felt it was necessary to devote an entire section to the greatness of Bam Adebayo defensively, and more specifically the impact he had in that second quarter, but I need to address some more, because this wasn’t a one-sided affair. Actually, it was quite the opposite. To think that he started this game out a bit non-aggressive and inefficient is just wild. He started taking that face-up on the Spurs rotating bigs time and time again, realizing they couldn’t stay in front of him. That spiraled into an increase in pace, which led to easy basket after easy basket with about 19 seconds left on that shot clock. And of course, he still dominated as a roller. Kyle Lowry’s double digit assists deserve major credit, but he was getting the ball in the gaps and just going. When he’s attacking the rim like that and making defenders pay for that deep drop with big time slams, it’s something to discuss. Bam Adebayo was absolutely elite in this one.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Solving the Miami Heat’s Clutch Time Mystery

/0 Comments/in , /by

As the Heat sit in the 1 seed at the All-Star break, many things are apparent about this group. They have great depth. They have a top tier defense all the way around. They have plenty of offensive options.

But the one thing that has shown a need for tweaking is their clutch time offense.

And if you want to know how the Heat should probably treat late-game situations, let’s take a look at this All-Star weekend for example.

As noted previously, they’re the first seed in the East, yet the only player representing them was Jimmy Butler. Part of that was due to many guys being in and out of the lineup, but it’s also a product that they don’t have a strong two than a major fall-off like other teams.

They have four guys who could potentially be in that All-Star game, and they have four guys who could potentially take that final shot late in a game. It’s just all about situation and opportunity.

With that said, I went through all of the Heat’s late-game offensive possessions this season, and some things stuck out. And of course, we must start off with Butler, in an obvious manner that many would want to harp on…

Most nights, the ball is in the hands of Butler as the clock trickles down and the Heat need a bucket. I’m going to highlight next how or when it’s most effective, but it’s been clear that the constant settling for three-point pull-ups, deep fade-aways, or step-back jumpers is the least efficient offense late in games.

For one, if you look at the clips above, there are many parallels across the board. Not only does Butler not look fluid on these specific attempts, but neither do those around him.

When he’s going through the motions of dribbling as the clock hits below five, the other four guys on the court are always standing still, which is the definition of stagnant offense.

Especially when we’re discussing a total movement offense who doesn’t revolve it around one guy or one go-to, isolations should never be the call, unless it’s a clear mismatch or you’re allowing Bam Adebayo to try and drive past his much slower defender.

But when addressing Butler in these positions, it doesn’t mean that final shot has to permanently be passed onto the next guy. It just means don’t shift out of your comfort zone…

And when talking about Butler’s comfort zone, it’s getting to the basket with the possibility of two outcomes: an attempted lay-up or a trip to the line.

We’ve seen that many times this season, as seen in the clips above, and man is that the way to go.

Looking at the first two clips initially against Sacramento, we see him tie the game off a solid drive, then miss the game tying lay-in shortly after, but that’s the shot you live with.

When addressing these plays under a microscope, did you notice any differences between the two? In the first one, we see Omer Yurtseven set a down screen for Butler to go 1-on-1 at the rim with a big, which is essentially what you want in that spot. In the other position, there’s no screen, which ultimately means they can freely send a double at him on the attack.

Big difference.

Then of course the final clip, he ices the game against the Atlanta Hawks with a strong drive and tough finish.

But why is a late-game Butler drive so important? Is it just solely because he has a better chance of knocking it down off a strong attack than a 3 point heave?

Absolutely not.

It’s actually about what follows these late-game drives, especially when that true downhill gravity begins to set in.

Up 3, 9 seconds on the shot clock. Butler refuses the screen, leaving his defender in the dust. Both wing/corner defenders from each side drop down, and it’s a wide open corner triple for PJ Tucker to eventually win them the game.

I feel like I’ve seen that Tucker corner three under a minute to go at least 10 times so far this season, but aside from that, it’s what ties my first two points together. The threes from Butler may be focused on him lacking that consistency at this point in his career, but it’s more about those around him that he impacts.

If they throw length on him where he can’t get to his downhill spots, defer to the next guy. When it’s a winnable match-up, get to the rim. When you can play for the double, hit the open corner shooter.

It sounds simple, but it’s just about eliminating the forceful possessions we’ve seen many times this year that end in a Butler deep heave.

Now, I mentioned earlier that guys have been in and out of the lineup constantly this season, and well, that was a signal to Kyle Lowry early on to enter takeover mode. It wasn’t that he was completely changing games in a scoring fashion, which he did against the Clippers in the 4th and the Hornets recently in OT, but he puts his guys in the right spots late.

Or more importantly, he hits his guys at the right time.

Most of Miami’s late possessions are those slowed down, half-court set-ups in playoff fashion, but Lowry has shown that he won’t roll that way if it’s up to him.

The first clip above is of course sped up because they’re trailing by two possessions with 30 seconds left, but that’s still always going to be his method. He isn’t worried about the clock ever. He wants to make a defense run back with the possibility of them being out of wack, while also setting up early in the clock.

He hits Adebayo against the Lakers, which ends in an and-1.

In the second clip against the Washington Wizards, the Heat are down 3, so he could slow it down to get a good shot, but yet again, that just isn’t Lowry’s style.

He races up the floor, and tracks down Adebayo once again in the middle of the floor as he draws the foul.

This stuff may not seem important, but it absolutely is. The changing of speed that can be utilized between Lowry and Butler is big time, but the issue up to this point is that it feels as if they’ve been taking turns in that way late in games.

If Butler’s slowing it down, Lowry goes possession after possession without being in the primary action. If Lowry speeds it up, he goes on a scoring and passing rampage with Butler playing off the ball, as his defender sags off of him.

If they can find a way to blend the two styles together on the same nights, that’s when they will become elite together when closing games.

Another element of Lowry having the ball in his hands late should depend heavily on specific match-ups. Not if Lowry is being defended by an elite defender, but if there’s an exploitable drop big on the floor that he can attack.

Since well, that’s exactly what he did against this Clippers team, or even the Nets about a week ago.

It’s usually a signal to spam Lowry-Adebayo pick and rolls in this position, but as seen in the first clip, the Clippers switched Zubac off of Adebayo and onto Tucker.

Lowry then has Tucker come set the screen, as he manipulates him from way out. He lets it fly from deep as Zubac closes out, and gets the and-1 three in the process.

Now, in the second clip, Zubac is back on Adebayo. They go with a very high pick and roll here, and that’s the best way to go. It leads to Lowry going 1-on-1 with Zubac on his heels, ending in another and-1 at the rim.

This stuff isn’t just coincidental in a one game sample size. It’s the reads that are made on a gamely basis. There are many reasons why Lowry should get them into their sets late, but when seeing that big to pick on, it should be a pick and roll immediate spam for Lowry to go to work.

He’s currently 15 of 27 this season in clutch time, and neither of those numbers are surprising. He takes what is given to him, so the attempts aren’t as high as Butler. Yet, he takes advantage when the opportunity comes up with a big to attack, leading to 56% shooting in those spots.

 

When I say Lowry can ‘get them into their sets late,’ this is what I mean.

Looking at this game early in the season against Philly, the guys closing next to Lowry are Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, PJ Tucker, and Dewayne Dedmon.

Only one of those four will be on the floor late once the post-season arrives, yet he doesn’t get away from their base. It’s a Spain pick and roll, as Dedmon screens for Lowry and Vincent sets a down screen on Joel Embiid. He gets to the rim and takes a trip to the line.

Once again, many of this is situational. But it’s clear if you want things organized, find Lowry to put it together.

The other aspect of this is Tyler Herro. When walking away from many of these games recently with Herro out, it strikes me that he will be the one taking many of these shots.

So far this season, he’s 13 of 36 in crunch time. Yet still, I believe he’s their outlet when they need to make a play.

Looking at the clips above, these are two late-game plays from Herro this season which went in different directions. A wild right leaning triple when down 1 against the Pistons sums up Herro’s offense in these positions pretty well, and it feels like they need that type of guy many nights as the shot clock ticks down.

In the second clip, we see Herro miss a good looking floater on a very odd night in Miami against Toronto. The reason I show that isn’t because of the miss, but instead the trust that Erik Spoelstra puts in him to hit big shots. With Butler and Adebayo on the floor, he draws the play up for Herro to end the night early.

Loading
Loading...

There’s also another guy that I haven’t had a chance to discuss in this one, and he’s a pretty important piece I’d say: Bam Adebayo.

He’s currently 5 of 13 in clutch situations, and if you want some perspective, Duncan Robinson is 4 of 11 and Gabe Vincent is 5 of 10 in big moments so far this year.

With that said, we’ve seen Adebayo be exponentially more aggressive ever since we flipped into the month of February, which makes me think we could see more stuff run for him late, as he continues to have these 17,18,19 attempt nights.

He’s the piece that could change this entire topic all together. Not that he will be their undeniable closer every night, but as much as I discussed Lowry waiting to attack a mismatch in drop, Bam Adebayo seems to have a mismatch every single game.

No opposing 5 can defend him on a face-up, but it just comes down to him being comfortable enough to make that read and go for the blow-by in big moments.

If that begins to develop, then this team “weakness” becomes less and less of a worrisome topic.

Finally, we have to finish off this discussion of closing games out with Erik Spoelstra’s ATO genius ways.

Something that must be mentioned: there seems to be a major difference in the Heat’s comfort down 1 compared to up 2. When this group is leading coming out of a timeout, they always seem to be in a great spot.

For one, notice how I’ve labeled everything “late-game offense.” The reason is that this Heat defense has been absolutely elite down the stretch of games, and it’s allowed their poorly executed offense to still have chance after chance after chance.

They have the 5th best clutch time defense at the break, posting a 99 defensive rating.

And if they land themselves back on the offensive end with a 1 possession lead, Coach Spo can cook something up to seal it. We’ve seen his two big time ATO plays this season, as he ran the same exact play against Chicago and Charlotte.

Two guys all the way down the floor, one guy flares up to half-court, and the inbound goes to that close wing/corner. Either the guy guarding the inbound falls for the flare, or he doubles on the catch once inbounded. Both end in easy lay-ups to close the game.

As we look across this Heat roster, they could have more answers on the way if everything goes right. If Victor Oladipo comes back completely healthy, he’ll be quite the piece to work into that closing lineup when needing a stop with the 5 man defensive lineup.

But the truth is that there will probably be a revolving door in that 5th spot depending on what they need, and it feels like Herro will get the majority of those reps due to his high level shot making ability. But once they start to pick on him defensively, they’ll have that short stint alternative.

It’ll be interesting to see how they handle lineups, but offensive set-ups are the more important part right now. And as I portrayed in this piece, there isn’t just one single option when things start moving quickly down the strtech.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.

Film Dive into the Heat Finding a Way Against Charlotte

/0 Comments/in , /by

I took a dive into the film of the Miami Heat’s win over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night, mainly focusing on the 4th quarter, overtime, and double overtime.

Between a Duncan Robinson boost, Kyle Lowry takeover mode, suffocating Heat defense, and unique play designing from Erik Spoelstra, it’s clear this was a pretty interesting one.

So, let’s take a look…

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale.