Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Lakers

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The Miami Heat came out firing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, but barely squeaked it out in the end.

PJ Tucker came up big down the stretch with big play after big play, but Caleb Martin sealed it with a late steal and finish to close it out.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler bounce back…with bounce passes.

Jimmy Butler has been a hot topic recently after his struggles down the stretch against Atlanta, but like he usually does, he bounced back. Not in the same scoring manner that he always comes back in, but with a complete passing display that gave him 10 assists well before the halftime buzzer even went off. How was he getting guys such good looks? Well, part of it is guys just hitting shots at a high level. But the main element was his overall half-court movement. Stagnant nights lead to rough shooting and rough passing, but when you flow with the off-ball movement shooter, great things happen. That’s what he did throughout that first half, and it’s something to keep in mind with the other big 3 counterparts. It allows Bam Adebayo to be aggressive Bam Adebayo, which he has been, and it leads to Kyle Lowry needing to step up as the off-ball scorer we know he will be come playoff time.

#2: Duncan Robinson playing his game.

When I say Duncan Robinson was playing his game, that doesn’t just mean he was hitting from deep. It’s about the process. As I’ve discussed on every one of these takeaway pieces, Robinson shooting without hesitation is the key. There have been too many occasions where he slightly hesitates in a fashion he hasn’t in past years, and we’re seeing a breakthrough at this point in time. Another point that must be made is that Robinson is 100% a drop killer. It’s something I’ve brought up about Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry when they face drop coverage with their mid-range pull-up, but Robinson elevates that even further when he’s hot. All it takes is one defender to eliminate for an open three to be found, and that’s what got him going early. And well, many potential playoff match-ups will see a similar look.

#3: Miami playing the “help defense” game all the way.

Usually I take a section of this piece to talk strictly defensive scheme, but something else was noted on that end. For starters, as expected, Erik Spoelstra went immediately to his coveted match-up move with his versatile front-court, placing PJ Tucker on LeBron James so Bam Adebayo can quickly switch onto him with Tucker dropping on Dwight Howard. But as we saw right after, that wasn’t the primary move. The change was that no matter who LeBron had on his back in the high post, that help defender would come swarming. Jimmy Butler kicked that off with constant gambles, and it leads to some swings, some help, and usually a three-point attempt from a below average shooter when looking at that Lakers’ starting lineup. Both Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin picked right up in Butler’s spot with swarming help, furthering the point that these guys aren’t just on-ball stoppers. They’re complete defensive threats.

#4: Once again, Dewayne Dedmon is the ultimate back-up big for this Heat team.

The funny thing about the Dewayne Dedmon-Omer Yurtseven conversation is that…it’s not a conversation. Like I’ve stated many times, Yurtseven did some outstanding things as the filler on this team, and will continue to evolve and play that role this season, but the back-up big role is Dedmon’s and it isn’t close. The reason for that is the best quality for a back-up big is consistency, and man is that an adjective for Dedmon. Every single night he plays, he gives you the same exact thing. Simple rolling, great hands, exceptional finishing. And well, he extends plays. When playing the role of small bursts, energy and play extension are two of the biggest non-statistical elements. Dedmon has definitely shown that he’ll bring the energy, but fighting down low for fouls is the equivalent of exciting Yurtseven offensive rebounds. And yet, probably a more reliable element in this role specifically.

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#5: Confidence win for Miami.

Talking about confidence wins when the Heat beat a struggling Lakers team may seem odd, but they needed to follow up that rough ending against the Hawks. Not only that, but the ugly offensive showing needed some cleaning up, and it wasn’t about the team aspect. Much like tonight, Robinson, Martin, Vincent, Strus, and others came up big to give Miami a chance. But Butler’s struggles and the lack of Herro and Lowry held them back. Well, tonight, Butler and Adebayo proved yet again they can get up for hyped up games, and don’t need every last piece, just like Herro and Lowry didn’t for big games prior. This Heat team has found ways to win with many different combinations, but the back-end of the rotation has stayed familiar. And it should look familiar as they move into the playoffs as well.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Atlanta

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The Miami Heat lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, and well, it was a wild finish.

Miami didn’t even seem like they’d be in that position, but they made a late push to only trail 2 with 10 seconds left and the ball in their possession. A Jimmy Butler corner three was the result, while it felt like that was the last option on that play.

Anyway, here are some general takeaways from this one…

#1: Patchy stretches to finish first half: turnovers, inability to get into actions, blending into defense.

To touch on some negatives of Miami’s early play tonight, the stretch in the second quarter where Atlanta went on a 14-3 run showcased some things. For one, turnovers can’t happen in general, but essentially against teams that don’t mind getting out and run. The reason for the turnovers could be thrown in a few different directions. The easy thing to say is that it was visible they couldn’t flow into their offense as smoothly, but why was that the case? No Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro, the highest usage guards on the team, means the usage rates raise for others. Gabe Vincent is obviously one, but an interesting one was Caleb Martin. He’s been given the keys to fill every role, but that one did not feel necessary to trigger actions. Those issues began to lead into defensive struggles during that stretch, which is the bigger picture problematic element.

#2: It’s not specific schematics with Max Strus. It’s a mindset.

Watching Max Strus go for 15 points in the first half leads to some individual game takeaways with him. There’s nothing different or outrageous about the way he’s used or goes about his offense, but his mindset is the only thing that is different. For one, I don’t think he’s ever seen his on-ball defender. Why is that? Well, he’s never had time to take note of him when the ball is in his hands, because that ball is going up as soon as he sees a green light opportunity. But when dissecting more scheme specifics, his cutting has been a very useful, surprising element that makes him more of a weapon within Miami’s movement offense. He’s instinctive. When he cuts, it’s in the moment. When he shoots, there’s nothing else on his mind. And well, that’s a pretty great trait for a shooter of his caliber.

#3: Pick and roll scoring threats anyone?

When Bam Adebayo was out, the element they missed within their offense was that rolling pull-up threat, since no other front-court mate could provide that. Now, without Lowry and Herro, they showed to be lacking the ball-handler scoring element within the PnR. Gabe Vincent has emerged immensely in that space, really reading situations well when the defender goes under a screen, that it’s his turn to pull. But looking across the roster tonight, aside for Jimmy Butler who wasn’t showcasing it often, they just didn’t have that scoring threat within that action. That was why we saw more hand-offs, Adebayo perimeter surveying on cuts, and usual perimeter ball movement. Their hands were tied behind their back without that head of the snake, but obviously adjustments are the story of their season.

#4: Bam Adebayo-Omer Yurtsevem?

The Bam Adebayo-Omer Yurtseven front-court combination has been a hot topic in terms of lineup projections recently, and well, we saw some of it tonight. After PJ Tucker went out early, they were forced to move in this direction, which as I’ve said is the one scenario where it makes a ton of sense. Now, with what we saw, the defensive flexibility is definitely intriguing. It’s something Adebayo is very comfortable with, as Yurtseven drops in the pick and rolls and Adebayo can switch out to anyone without worry about the backside or offensive rebounding. But as great as this is, it’s not all rose pedals as expected. The offensive spacing is still heavily forced. And it was clear Erik Spoelstra would agree, as most of the sets being run were double off-ball screens with those two, so the strong-side interior would be clear. There’s some good and some bad, which is exactly what happens when you’re filling a hole in the lineup. It won’t be the last we see of it.

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#5: They had a chance…but couldn’t capitalize.

No Kyle Lowry. No Tyler Herro. No PJ Tucker. That was the story for Miami in this one, as their offensive showing, as noted prior, was just very underwhelming. Add onto that, Jimmy Butler was just not playing like himself on the offensive end, simply lacking that shot creation that was so heavily missed in this one, capping it off with a missed alley-oop layup to take the lead late. Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, and Max Strus are consequently relied on so much more, but they did their part in a general sense. We so often hear the phrase “We have enough,” but it didn’t feel like that was the case with the top heavy guys either dropping out or not playing to their standards. Beating a team twice less than 2 weeks ago is usually an awkward formula, and we saw that from a desperate Atlanta Hawks team. But ultimately, they had a chance, but couldn’t fully take advantage late following the impressive come-back. Plus, down 2 on the last play, a fading, contested Butler triple wouldn’t have been my choice.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Philly

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The Miami Heat fell short to the Philadelphia 76ers on the second night of a back to back. Duncan Robinson and Max Strus shot the ball poorly, Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler couldn’t get it going, and offense just wasn’t being generated enough.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Omer Yurtseven comes out dominating.

The match-up between Omer Yurtseven and Joel Embiid went in a total different direction to begin this one. While it seemed like Dewayne Dedmon is the more physical body to slow down Embiid, they stayed with Yurtseven, and man did it pay off. Not only did he semi-handle Embiid defensively, but he was the primary offensive threat to kick off this game. Hitting pockets when they blitzed Jimmy Butler, planting himself in the dead spots of the drop, and continuing to develop his chemistry with Kyle Lowry in the pick and roll. It felt like this was the final showcase for Yurtseven before Bam Adebayo returned Monday, but he’s only making the new rotation decisions harder. It’s a good problem, but still a problem.

#2: Caleb Martin is constantly everywhere. Emphasis on everywhere.

Caleb Martin is a continued conversation piece in these articles, but tonight just tied a bow on all of it. Simply, he’s everywhere. Always. On both ends. One play where he was the sole trailer for Jimmy Butler on the break led to an easy bucket for Martin, and that is the definition of his play. Reliable, energetic, and always in the right spots. We always talk about him plugging the role of Butler, but it needs to be said that he has plugged the role of everybody at one point or another. PJ Tucker, Max Strus, etc. His versatility speaks volume, and this isn’t just a two-way player overplaying his value. This is a rotation player on a contending team. And I think he will be here for a while longer after this season.

#3: A different halftime position. A better halftime position. But still couldn’t close it out.

The Atlanata Hawks were up 70-64 at the half on Friday night, while Miami led 50-43 on Saturday. Obviously the fact that they were leading in this one puts them in a better spot, but take a look at the numbers from both games through 24 minutes. Yeah, tonight was definitely much more of a Miami Heat game, but ultimately, it still came around and hurt them. Erik Spoelstra and company were not pleased with their defensive showing in the first half on Friday, but tonight was much better. Forcing Joel Embiid to make that kick-out as they helped down majorly, but the key with that is they were banking on strong rotations. And after that was problematic against Atlanta, it was clearly a focus heading into this one. But like I said, the other end was the problem now.

#4: Rotations are changing. Scheme could be changing.

To take a slight step away from the true specifics from this one, there are some things that must be noted as we pick on some trends. For one, after Miami seemed to struggle with the 10 man rotation last night, they shrunk it down to a 9 man rotation tonight, as expected. That meant Gabe Vincent got squeezed, and as good as Yurtseven has played, he feels to be next. As Bam Adebayo returns, not only will the rotation shift, but the offensive game-plan will shift. Spoelstra won’t just totally flip things back to pre-injury, but it’ll clearly be mixed in. Butler’s mid-post possessions will be split 50/50 with Adebayo, Lowry’s passing demeanor will be much more lob/pocket mode, and most of all, they will be looking for takeover Adebayo. We’ve seen Yurtseven do it at times, and Adebayo will need to pick that up and expand.

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#5: Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry lag behind in scoring column. 

For most of this game, you would look over to the stat sheet and see that Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry were 6th and 7th on the team in scoring, which is pretty odd in a close game against a very hot Philly team to say the least. To be honest, that sentiment says a lot about the guys I’ve already discussed in this piece. Guys like Martin, Yurtseven, and Tucker just really kept them afloat in times of need, as both the shooters in Robinson and Strus had very rough shooting nights from deep. This wasn’t like the usual Butler performance, which is why it’s more eyes on him aside from the Robinson talk, but I feel like he got the shots that he usually gets but couldn’t knock them down. It happens, but that’s kind of the difference in a game like this.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Atlanta

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The Miami Heat take down the Atlanta Hawks in dramatic fashion. Jimmy Butler closes it out with an acrobatic finish.

Anyway, here are five takeaways from this one…

#1: Max Strus, as a starter once again, comes out scorching.

Max Strus and Duncan Robinson have been linked together for some time as another shooter was rising the charts on this Heat roster, but now it’s an either/or thing. Strus has gotten the start over the last few, and rightfully so. For one, as I’ve mentioned before, Robinson and Tyler Herro have shown to be playable together for longer stints. And secondly, there’s a specific offensive combo that has looked seamless when they share the floor: it begins with Max Strus and ends with Jimmy Butler. Aside from IG comment trolling, there’s something there with those two offensively, and combine that with an unconscious shooter at the moment who seems like he never misses his first shot. It’s something to monitor, but Strus is the reason Miami got out to an early lead.

#2: Miami finding offensive outlets against familiar themes early, but other things stall.

Talking offense in the first half is a bit interesting considering the Atlanta Hawks put up 70 points on the Heat in that span, but some things were noticeable. For starters, the Heat began adjusting to the adjustments. As Miami loves to dish out that 2-3 zone, they received it a ton tonight. They caused some mishaps to begin, but a lineup change got them out of that real quick. PJ Tucker at the five, Jimmy Butler at the four, and planting Butler right in the middle of that zone to dissect. That’s the formula. The issue was that other things were breaking down, and it begins with a good plan, but poor execution. Hunting Trae Young is great, but not when it gets in the way of the offensive game-plan. That’s what happened in that second quarter specifically.

#3: More Tyler Herro blossoming flashes?

Tyler Herro in the first half wasn’t the greatest on paper, since he had a -20 plus-minus, which is hard to read with the total score flip in that first half from starters to bench. But when focusing on the positive side of things, it’s another one of those games where the minor improvements stick out. For one, there were about three straight possessions in that second quarter where he cooked the entire Hawks defense, but the end result shot just ended up missing. The key there was that he can create for himself and others, while most of those plays weren’t even using a screen. Also, he’s bothered Trae Young over this two game stretch. This isn’t saying he is locking him up, but Herro has looked like a much improved defender when getting that match-up: moving his feet, leveraging his body, etc. Something to keep an eye on.

#4: An Omer Yurtseven third quarter push.

As Miami opened up the second half, they were looking for that next offensive push. Could Strus explode again? Would aggressive Lowry make an appearance? Does Butler enter takeover mode? Nope. Instead, they all saw what was being given, and kept feeding Omer Yurtseven in every single crevice. Post play mismatches, easy rolling lob passes, and some mid-range flip shots to round it out. 10 points in the quarter only halfway through was quite the boost to get from a player like that, but it’s great to see him taking advantage of things on that side of the floor. Time is limited with Bam Adebayo set to return on Monday, but that’s not to say opportunities won’t continue to rise. This is a very odd season, but with a fully healthy front-court, Dewayne Dedmon is in front of him in that line.

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#5: Mixing up the match-ups.

Tonight was pretty much a defensive mess aside from the first few minutes of the first quarter. But as it went down to the wire in the fourth, we saw Miami picking up on some things defensively. For one, they found the place to set-up Kyle Lowry on that end, which was guarding Danilo Gallinari. The reason that was so important is him being able to play up against bigger perimeter players, since that allows guys like Tucker or Caleb Martin to guard Trae Young. They also made the adjustment that was fully expected to place Tucker at the 5 once again, since the way they were being picked on defensively needed to be shifted. From a more big picture sense, that’s not something we will see much of since Bam Adebayo will close every game, but they will have options.

 

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5 Takeaways from the Heat’s Second Quarter of the Season

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40 games into the NBA season and at the time of writing, the Miami Heat are currently sitting at 3rd in the eastern conference, despite losing Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo for a combined 39 games.

The focal point of these “Quarterly Takeaways” articles is ultimately to find trends that are valuable for the Heat in the regular season and somewhat predictive of the Heat’s potential success or shortcomings when the playoffs come around. Unfortunately, due to injuries and COVID, some of the trends found might not have any bearing on playoff success but will absolutely impact the Heat in this regular season and continue into the 2022-23’ season.

Here are some takeaways from the Heat’s second quarter of the season…

(A 21 game sample size was used ranging from 11/26/21 until 1/12/22)

1. Kyle F****** Lowry

When Butler and Adebayo went down, it was a foregone conclusion that the Heat would freefall down the Eastern Conference standings. A top-heavy team losing it’s two best players for a prolonged period of time is a potential death sentence for a team like Miami. But then we got to see Kyle Lowry, in his purest form, he doesn’t need to score 30 points every night, he doesn’t need to shoot hyper-efficiently (although it does help), all Lowry needs is the ball in his hands and the trust from his coaches and teammates that he will make the right play and put the team in a position to succeed. The offense, now built around Kyle Lowry, has changed into a solar system where Kyle Lowry is the sun and the other 4 players are planets in perpetual motion. The emphasis on motion around Lowry and Lowry finding the open man has led the Heat to the 5th most assists over the last 21 games

In the absence of other stars, many have stepped up in terms of production, but Lowry has been the one to take a step forward in nearly every individual advanced metric for the point guard position.

As shown in the chart above, Lowry has improved across the board in Usage %, Assist % and TS%. When called upon to be “the guy” Lowry has had the ball in his hands more, increased his assist production by about 20% and gone from “league average” to “Standard Kyle Lowry” as a scorer, from an efficiency perspective.

Lowry is a player who’s impact goes far beyond the box score, however, seeing notable statistical improvements from a shaky start is a breath of fresh air for Heat fans who might’ve been worried about the 85 million dollar commitment the Heat made to the soon-to-be 36 year old. A Lowry-centric offense means a ton of movement, both on and off the ball, which brings me to the next takeaway.

2. Analytic Ball?

An offense where the players are constantly moving and the ball mirrors player movement, pass then screen away, set hammer screens for corner 3’s, run Spain Pick-and-Roll (Occasionally), make good entry passes, drive and kick, put emphasis on moving the ball inside and out on nearly every possession, all of the things that you want to see an offense do, the Heat are doing.In spite of all of those great things, The Heat’s success is being chalked up to “analytic ball” by Eddie Johnson, former NBA standout and current color analyst for the Phoenix Suns.

Some salty announcer may foolishly attribute the Heat’s improved style of play to analytics, I will attribute it to coach Spo and general common sense. Butler, Adebayo, and Morris are all players who operate in the Mid-Post and do a lot of their scoring in the mid-range area or at the rim. Does it make sense for an offense led by Lowry, Herro, Tucker, Robinson, Vincent, Martin and Strus to play a physical “grind you down” offense? Absolutely not. Coach Spo understands this as well and has used movement to mitigate the lack of self-creating talent, while maximizing the level of complementary shooting talent with the playmakers that are Lowry, Herro and Tucker.

Since November 26th, the Heat have averaged 26.8 assists per game (5th most) and have completely changed their shot diet.

The Heat have limited their shots that the defense is comfortable with, Mid-range and short touch shots in the paint, and traded them in for a more methodical approach that might take more time and effort every possession, but fits the 3-point shooting skill set of the current talent on the roster.

This season might be Erik Spoelstra’s masterpiece for a multitude of reasons, but one of the reasons why almost any player has been able to come in and contribute is Spo isn’t asking them to do what the other guys do, he tells them to do what they are good at. Yes, very simple, but it’s something that some NBA coaches struggle with because they want to win their way. Spo simply just wants to win.

3. We got shooters… again.

Part of what made the Heat’s ceiling so frightening early in the season is the ability to win without the 3-point shot falling. The main reason that the Heat have been able to win games recently is the simple fact that the shots are falling, at an elite level. The emphasis on the 3-point shot has paid off in a big way as Miami has shot 39.9% on 38.8 3PA per game.

Of course the team shooting is reflective of the individual shooting, so here are some individual performances from 3 over the last 21 games.

Dewayne Dedmon: 56.3% on 1.1 Attempts per game

PJ Tucker: 48% on 3.3 Attempts per game

KZ Okpala: 44.4% on 1.4 attempts per game

Caleb Martin: 44.2% on 3.7 attempts per game

Max Strus: 42.9% on 7.8 attempts per game

Gabe Vincent: 39.2% on 6.4 attempts per game

Duncan Robinson: 38.4% on 8.4 attempts per game

Tyler Herro: 37.5% on 6.5 attempts per game

Kyle Lowry: 34.6% on 6.7 attempts per game

Will this hot shooting continue for the remaining 42 games of the season? Doubtful. Quite frankly, I expect the return of Butler, Adebayo, and eventual re-integrations of Oladipo and Morris to give the Heat a bit of a shooting slump.

Over the last 21 games the unwritten mantra of the Heat from the 3 point line has been “Solid shooters should only take good shots, Great shooters should take any shot” and it has worked out nearly perfectly. The most important takeaway from this shooting stretch is the Heat surrounding their non-shooting stars with a plethora of solid-to-great shooters that can do more than just shoot… well, most of them. These elite percentages will inevitably drop, but as long as the process remains the same, the Heat should be in great shape offensively.

4. The Defense Firm of Vincent & Martin.*

In terms of production over expectation, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin have easily been the most surprising players on the Heat. While we could easily gush over their offensive contributions, what they bring on the defensive end has been nothing short of extraordinary.

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Starting with Gabe, an aggressive PoA defender who doesn’t allow ball-handlers to comfortably get to their spots and has a combination of strength and quickness that allows him to fight through screens routinely, making him a tough matchup for any team that runs their offense through their guard. Gabe also has a willingness to switch onto forwards and centers and make them work to get positioning on mismatches, a valuable tool considering the Heat’s defensive scheme. While I do believe defense is more dependent on the eye test than anything else, the numbers do support Gabe’s case to not only be a good defender, but one of the best on the team. Over the course of the season the Heat have 15 3-man lineups that have played over 100 minutes together and posted a defensive rating of 100 or less, 9 of those 15 lineups include Gabe Vincent. The next closest is Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro with 6.

There isn’t a statistical case to be made for Martin to be a top defender on the Heat, but anyone who’s watched him this season knows defense is clearly his forte. The ability to guard 1-3 and be able to match the strength and or quickness of the players in front of him is a marvel to watch. Martin, like Vincent, is willing to pick up the primary ball-handler before halfcourt and slows the actions the opponents want to run. Martin’s been able to successfully contain multiple primary shot creators like Khris Middleton to a 1 of 7 shooting, Bradley Beal to 0 for 4, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to a combined 1 of 4 night and most recently holding Steph Curry to 1 of 7 shooting and De’aaron Fox to 0 of 3. Having a defender get up for challenges like those and then win the matchup is something that is an absolute luxury to have when the all-defense level player in JImmy Butler is missing time.

*This takeaway is from the entire season, the sample size of Vincent and Martin being good on defense is not exclusive to the last 21 games.

* For a more in-depth break down on Caleb Martin’s defense, read this article from Brady Hawk

5. Top 10 ROTY Candidate: Ömer Yurtseven

When the Heat signed Yurtseven to a standard multi-year deal, there was a belief that in a perfect world, this would be a redshirt year and he ultimately would not see much run until the 2022-2023 season. Then came the injury bug. With Adebayo, Morris and Dedmon out, it was time to see what the 23 year old rookie had to offer. The production the big man has been able to give the Heat is nothing short of incredible. In his 11 games where he’s played 20 or more minutes, Yurtseven is averaging 9.9 points, 13.45 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.2 steals. The ability to dominate on the boards against top tier rebounders such as Sabonis, Nurkic and Ayton has shown that Yurtseven has an elite trait in rebounding, and a rapidly growing game elsewhere.

While Yurtseven has had amazing moments, there still are areas that need to be worked on, specifically going into next season where he projects to have a larger role. The defense has been a concern since his Olympic qualifying games with Turkey, while there have been improvements, there needs to be a specific defensive coverage for Yurtseven to specialize in (Drop coverage makes the most sense). As for the offensive side, Yurtseven needs to work on his touch. He is currently shooting 46.8% from the field, a way below average mark for a center who takes 90% of his shots inside the paint. Once the shots around the rim begin to fall, there should be an emphasis on fine tuning the mid-range shot that Yurtseven weaponized in the summer league as a pick-and-pop big.

The last 11 games where Yurtseven has been heavily relied upon and played winning basketball has instilled confidence in fans that the Heat have a clear pathway to develop Yurtseven into a rock solid rotational player down the road with potential to be a starter if the Heat ever decide to size-up in the frontcourt.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Warriors

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This was a bit of a weird one for the Miami Heat in this late start against the Golden State Warriors. Aside from Miami’s strong fight with a short-handed roster, they also may have just lost Jimmy Butler for some time after he went down and into the locker room in the third.

So, here are some takeaways from this one, as well as a bit of a look forward as well…

#1: Miami’s microscopic issues out the gate on both ends.

Aside from the repeated unnecessary turnovers from the Heat early on, there were some clear issues that led to a lopsided score in the first quarter. For starters on the defensive end, there were once again just some clear miscommunications that led to easy looks for Golden State, which they didn’t always capitalize on. But the main problem on that end was over-helping. Now that doesn’t count flying two to Stephen Curry at the head of the offense, but instead sending two to Draymond Green in the mid-post, while many other mismatches like Lowry on Wiggins were all over the floor. On the other side of the floor, it’s pretty clear this is a tough match-up in general with their switching ability, which is something that should be focused on. Spamming certain screeners who are being defended by Gary Payton ll just isn’t the right call, and they found that out quick.

#2: The Kyle Lowry second quarter run.

After Miami’s first quarter, I said on Twitter the only way their offense could be saved is if it turned into Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro time. I was wrong. It turned into Kyle Lowry time. After trailing 28-40 in the 2nd, a 9-0 run quickly followed due to the excellence of Lowry. He began with some dribble penetration that was missed, mostly toying with a sticking big on the baseline before getting some good positioning for easy flip layups. He also got guys going with his usual passing, full-court touchdowns to Herro, and continued pick and roll connection with Omer Yurtseven, who looks most comfortable in that space with Lowry. He’s not the type of guy to flip the momentum in the same way Butler or Herro can, but guys just see him lead by example and others quickly follow. What I saw from Lowry tonight, almost foreshadows some playoff level expectations with him.

#3: Jimmy Butler’s first half flip.

Jimmy Butler wasn’t his usual self on the front-end of the back to back against the Sacramento Kings, and it slightly carried over into the beginning of this one. As I said early on, he almost looked like he was coasting yet again, flowing into offense with too much ease. But well, then things flip, like they usually seem to do. Late in the second quarter, Butler got into hunting/attacking mode, in a way that makes you wonder what took so long. Free throw line trips increasing, three-point attempts decreasing. Seeing him get to his usual spots on the floor from the mid-post to left or right box is a true tell, where he can survey and inevitably draw two almost every time. But the Butler conversation got much more complicated in the third quarter, as he limped off the floor with an apparent right leg injury. Achilles is the first thing that popped into my head when I first saw it, but that’s just speculation. A little bit later, the Heat listed it as a right ankle injury, which is much better in that sense.

#4: Caleb Martin making more of a rotational case, night after night.

I’ve spent so many of these post-game pieces touching on the Heat’s two-way find Caleb Martin this season, even dissecting his December stretch in a recent article. But he just continues to shine from a night to night basis, and more importantly, in a role to role basis. In this game alone, high flying put-back dunks, big time corner triples, Stephen Curry hounding. It was all on display, but we need to key in on that “role to role” point a bit more. They’re down a few bigs, put Martin at the 5 and it works. They need a power forward plug-in without PJ Tucker, just throw in Martin. And well, as Spoelstra has said in the past, when Butler goes out, he’s the lite version to jump into that spot. As much as this is a positive thing that he can continue to shine, the issue is the circumstances. As I said before, with the new injury for Butler, Martin’s spot opens up again in another area of the starting lineup.

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#5: The PJ Tucker reliance begins again.

On the positive side of things, PJ Tucker returned to play in this one off the bench as he worked his way back in, and we saw glimpses of what was missed. The biggest thing is defensively with his communication and overall deferring ability on and off the ball, but the offensive task rises again. Tonight we saw more of the usual Tucker role with corner spacing, some screen and rolls, and hand-offs. But with no Butler or Adebayo, the role I talked about before he was injured returns. We saw a play-making surge from him at that point, and they will begin to shift him back into that wing post three position, where he can trigger back-side actions. And the major part about that working is getting some shooters back. To maximize that role, you need weak-side killers which begins with Max Strus returning on Wednesday since he’s now out of the health and safety protocols.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Rockets

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The Miami Heat’s starting five were a familiar bunch, but after that, it was a little tougher to remember other than Mario Chalmers.

Even with that, Jimmy Butler led the way in this one as Miami glided by the Houston Rockets, but he wasn’t alone.

So, here are some takeaways from this interesting game…

#1: Who is this Guy?

With 10-day contracts flying in left and right, something I pointed out before this game was that at least one would stick. And well, there was surely one “Guy” that jumped off the screen. Kyle Guy has had an interesting start to his NBA career, which eventually led him to the G-League, but he looked like a pretty clear NBA level player in this game tonight. Not just due to his hot outside shooting and comfort on the ball in the pick and roll, but through his immediate confidence. That matters. Flashy pass after flashy pass pretty much set the stage on who this guy was, but as I said, making Tyler Herro-like difficult shots just put the cherry on top. He filled up the stat sheet in every possible category, and it just seems like this always happens with this Heat team. This is where they initially pop.

#2: Jimmy Butler doing Jimmy Butler things.

Jimmy Butler doesn’t feel like a necessary talking point on a night where it’s all about 10 day contracts and unexpected play-styles, but he continues to shine no matter what. For one, 19 points at the half while going 6 of 10 from the field just shows his mindset in this one. He had a three to begin the half then one to finish it at the buzzer, but other than that, it was complete inside play and free throw line antics. The other aspect of this is just his control on the game no matter who is on the floor. This wasn’t like last game where he had a career high 15 assists either. He actually had 0 at the half, but still his ability to draw 2 and create opportunities for others is a true gift and asset in the game of basketball. But yet again, it’s just Butler doing Butler things.

#3: The underrated aspect of Caleb Martin.

Looking at the halftime stat sheet where Miami had 74 points scored, Caleb Martin probably isn’t even top 5 in players that would jump off that piece of paper. And that’s why I bring up the point underrated. We know what Martin is at this stage, and he’s widely appreciated, but passing right over the fact that his solidity is expected is just unfair. He’s polished up his three-ball, he provides a splash of rim pressure that wasn’t originally expected when the signing was made, and his defensive positioning stands out more than anything. It’s one thing to be very good and talented at pressuring from baseline to baseline, but it’s another thing to just always be in the right spot. Caleb Martin is both of those. Yes, he’s gone from two-way to unlimited regular season games available, but maybe that next step will need to be taken pretty soon.

#4: Some minor player evaluations from this one.

In a game like this, it’s important to pack up the youthful evaluations into one section. The main one that we already know about is Omer Yurtseven, but he deserves some love too. The fact that he went from a Summer League product to a back-end roster guy to one of the primary guys available is just wild. And another double-double added to the catalog just shows his potential. But to discuss some more of the 10 days, looking back at my recent piece, Haywood Highsmith was the guy I was highest on. He’s a Heat guy: plays bigger than he is, plays defense, and provides enough offensive spacing with his corner jumper. And well, he showcased all three of those things in his minutes. Obviously it’s hard to lock up a spot at this point, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they come back to him at some point in the future.

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#5: The difference between Tyler Herro this year and last year.

Tyler Herro didn’t have a great game tonight with his inefficient shooting. I’ve seen him navigate almost every coverage this league has thrown at him, but the one thing that has proved to bother him more than anything is length. He saw a bit of it early when they would switch Christian Wood onto him, and it led to him having to slow things down and make the right decision. But the difference with a down game from Herro now compared to before is he can still impact winning without being that total scorer. Tonight, his passing shined again just like it has much of this season, but that keeps him above water. Being able to have the ball in his hands a ton, still collapsing the defense, and making the correct reads with drop-offs or skip passes is major for his development. Of course late-game scoring is still needed from him in games like this, but him surviving matters big time in the big picture.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Wizards

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The Miami Heat faced the Washington Wizards on the front-end of a back to back Tuesday night, and it was another game where guys kept being added to the injury report.

Udonis Haslem entered the health and safety protocols early in the day, while Max Strus entered them as well with about 30 minutes til tip-off.

Last minute changes were made, and Miami adjusted well. So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: One of Tyler Herro’s most impressive all-around halves.

Tyler Herro has had plenty of moments where his all-around game really shines, but I haven’t seen it shine this bright in a 24 minute stint like it did in the first half tonight. 20 points, 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, 3 of 6 on twos, and 5 of 6 from the line. He had plenty of bounce to him when he’d draw certain mismatches, which isn’t always his biggest strength. An isolation is the outcome, so what’s the next move? The answer to that tonight was a quick 1-2 dribble, explode, and get to the basket for a layup or trip to the line. And that worked. Speaking of all-around play, it has been a heck of a week for Herro as a play-maker. Both hitting the roller and making the kick-out when defenses collapse has really stuck out with him. Is it just an evolving young player? Is it stepping up in the absence of Kyle Lowry? I’d say a combination of both.

#2: The mid-post void has been filled.

Something I drill a ton when discussing a functional Miami Heat offense is mid-post play. Jimmy Butler provides it. Bam Adebayo provides it. Markieff Morris provides it. PJ Tucker has tried to provide it. But well, that list of names has been the injury report as of late. Butler being back means heavy mid-post spamming is back, and very good things come out of it. It’s where most of his assists were coming from actually. His defender is on his back in an empty corner, while Miami can rely on their biggest offensive skill for some time now: off-ball movement. Omer Yurtseven rises to the top of the key, Duncan Robinson flies off the stagger screen, and boom. Butler hits the open Robinson on the wing three if lagging behind, or hit Yurtseven on the slip if they overplay. It’s simple, but it leads to very fluid offense for this team.

#3: Some more creative Erik Spoelstra ways.

When you essentially have one big on your nine man roster, and the second big is KZ Okpala, yeah, it calls for some creative juices. Some things were pretty similar to what we’re used to: heavy blitzing with Yurtseven, which got beat a ton early; full-out switching with Okpala at the 5; 2-2-1 press. The interesting thing about that press was many times it backed into man instead of a zone, and more importantly, there were times when the zone wasn’t even 2-2-1. They went into a man press at times very briefly, since they’d back off rather quickly, but it still does wonders when spearheaded by Gabe Vincent. He was giving Spencer Dinwiddie a headache all night with his baseline to baseline play, but it was leading to a lower and lower shot clock when the first action was ran for Washington. Miami had a great offensive start which stood out on the score-board, but it’s intriguing when you can mix things up like this defensively with this many guys out, and it still is effective.

#4: A Duncan Robinson night.

Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Duncan Robinson on the same night? Okay. Robinson had a bit of a rough start to this one to say the least, but the usage just kept growing more and more. For about half of the first quarter, every single action was run through Robinson, and I mean every single one. Even when he wasn’t hitting. But “not hitting” turned around pretty quickly as he got some to fall to begin the third, giving him a 7 for 12 stat-line from beyond the arc at that point. To relate back to a previous point, almost all of Robinson’s third quarter triples came off a Butler mid-post feed. Another small element to Robinson’s game that I picked up on as well is him wrestling between usual tight coverage and an over-play. It’s a hard thing to tell a part in the natural speed of the game, but it’s a major thing to obtain when you are a shooter of Robinson’s caliber. He seemed like he’s really improved in that area, which was never even bad to start.

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#5: Some Butler rest ahead of a back-to-back. Key word “some,” since it didn’t last long.

Eight man rotations and rest don’t really mix together, but that was essentially the case for Jimmy Butler tonight. Well, maybe for a second. While sitting on the bench to begin the fourth, Gabe Vincent hits a deep three with the shot-clock expiring, and Butler points up to the sky. Why? Well, that shot seemed to say ‘your night is over now,’ as the lead expanded even greater. But as Washington edged closer, Butler had to re-enter with 6 minutes left in the fourth. And well, on a late drive with a minute to go, he tweaked his ankle a bit, hurting this team more and more. With another game tomorrow in San Antonio, a fully charged Butler is needed. Yes, he just missed significant time so rest has already been gotten, but heavy minute back-to-backs can get to anyone. And like I said, running an eight man rotation surely doesn’t help that point. With limited bigs available right now, guys like Butler are flying across the game-plan in different roles. But with PJ Tucker listed as questionable the last two games, it could be a good sign a return could be made as soon as tomorrow.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over the Magic

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The Miami Heat had an early tip-off Sunday afternoon, and they took care of business against the Orlando Magic in a Jimmy Butler return.

Tyler Herro ejection, young guys continue to soar, and the OG gets some more run.

So, here are five takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler comes out firing to start.

Jimmy Butler has missed a lengthy period of time recently with that back injury, but this didn’t look like the last time he came back. In that game, he couldn’t even run the open floor without making a face, but tonight, he was clearly ready. Receiver like fades down the floor for easy buckets, defending pick and rolls like he never left, and getting that whistle as frequently as ever. Firing doesn’t mean he was shooting the ball great, because that wasn’t the case, but he was providing a decent pace and getting to the line with ease. The Heat have missed Jimmy Butler, but the issue is that they are still missing plenty of other guys on this roster. Tyler Herro being staggered with that one top dog has kept them afloat, but it was definitely good for Butler to get back into the swing of things.

#2: Udonis Haslem enters, Udonis Haslem produces.

Udonis Haslem enters, and the crowd goes wild. But way too often, we just end that statement there. We don’t go beyond that standing ovation or finger pointing in the face of Dwight Howard. But we should, especially in this one. He provides things that this team needs right now with the lack of bigs. Off-ball screening at the top of the key, good positional rolling, and a savvy way around the rim. Even when Omer Yurtseven was providing decent stretches, it’s important to balance that with a trusted piece, since frankly, there’s just nobody else that is next in line. It’s wild that it took this long to call Haslem’s name when necessary, but it’s far from too late. He’s needed big time right now.

#3: Tyler Herro with an early passing display.

Tyler Herro’s first half shot profile was definitely interesting. Every shot was as tough as it could get, which eventually led to some words from RJ Hampton, sparking an eventual back and forth and a double technical. But beyond that, Herro began impacting the game in another way. Almost too much. He was heavily relying on his play-making, leading to a 6 assist stat-line half-way through the second quarter. It may have been a surprise when initially seeing that number, but he was intentional with his passing. Collapsing the defense with his drive and kicks, feeding Haslem continually on that roll, and just surveying that mid-range as that continued threat. It was an interesting start, but seeing that evolve at this point is a very good sight. And it’s a good thing we saw it early, since his night ended early after being ejected.

#4: The young guys are competing: in the game and for their spot.

Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, Omer Yurtseven. These guys have all had fantastic individual performances this season, but yet again while looking at tonight, they step up collectively. No Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Markieff Morris, Dewayne Dedmon, and still Victor Oladipo, yet Miami’s still winning games due to the production of these inexperienced and developing young guys. Vincent, Strus, and Martin have already been given their flowers, but Yurtseven was showcasing himself in this one for sure. Planting himself down low and turning with the post-hook appeared to be the formula. But now only are guys like him competing for wins like this one, they’re competing for their spot. I don’t know if any of them will find themselves in an 8/9 man playoff rotation, but they’ve all made some pretty great cases.

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#5: Ball movement, ball movement, and more ball movement.

We can talk about awkward lineups, poor shooting, and less free throws as recent stand-outs with the Heat, but ball movement has kept them above water offensively. Of course the young guys I was referring to is a major part with all of their big performances, but they’ve been within that ball movement category. Early in the fourth, Miami assisted on 27 of their 30 shot makes up to that point. No iso possessions or clear-out post-ups, since even if that is displayed, a kick-out is almost always the outcome. Without 2 of your better passers, in Lowry and Bam, they’ve been able to carry that over pretty well, to overcome 13% shooting from three, which was the case a good portion of the first half. The intriguing part about this is how it’ll look with a fully healthy roster.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Memphis

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The Miami Heat fell short to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, and that wasn’t even the worst news of the night. Jimmy Butler returned after 4 games, while it was clear that he shouldn’t have been playing whatsoever, ending with him being sent back to the locker room in the third.

But here are some takeaways from this interesting game…

#1: Miami’s defensive issues right out the gate.

When looking at the scoreboard alone, you can tell that Miami couldn’t score, while also couldn’t stop the Grizzlies from scoring. A terrible combination in the game of basketball. The defensive issues is just essentially life without Bam Adebayo. They did some more switching with Jimmy Butler back, but it was more of that big man recovery stuff as Dewayne Dedmon rotates down and the guards scramble. Adebayo would always stay out on that ball-handler as the ball would rotate into the big with a guard on his back, leaving many observers screaming. Yet, that is now known as the good times. In a Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra defensive system, options is all they need. And they’re limited at this moment in time, combined with a semi-ginger Jimmy Butler.

#2: How are teams scheming against this new look Heat offense?

Adebayo is important, but is he as important as not being able to score on the offensive end night after night? Absolutely not. This leaves many questioning the issues on that end on nights like this, and one thing truly stood out. For one, Butler coming out quite rusty is an issue in itself, but that’s not the whole story. Although PJ Tucker has been great, solid defenders like Steven Adams can take advantage pretty easily. He’s gotten better inside the lane with that one-handed floater, but it’s not on super high volume that leave teams scheming against it. That means guys like Adams can free lance the lane on drives from Butler or Herro, limiting spacing for the top usage guys on the roster. It is what it is, since that’s going to happen in the playoffs, but release valves need to be shown much quicker on these nights.

#3: Tyler Herro doing what he does off the bench yet again.

Not many teams can play a game where you’re just buying time for your sixth man to come in and takeover. But that feels to be the case many games with this Heat team. Even with Butler in, they need that smooth scorer who can do it from any spot on the floor, especially considering there isn’t one bit of reluctancy with the amount of shots he should take. Upon entering, he was carving up that mid-range against the drop coverage that he loves, then sprinkled in more and more drives to the rim with the utilization of that backboard. But the issue is that checking your watch over and over in games like this can get you in trouble. That doesn’t mean he should start, since his role is working as a bench leader, but early starter production must rise for this formula to work. And being 7th in minutes on the team after 3 quarters should never be the case as well.

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#4: Some interesting minute distributions in this one.

Plain and simple: Tyler Herro was your best player tonight. No Bam Adebayo, an injured Jimmy Butler, and a patchy Kyle Lowry confirms that even more. But logging the 7th most minutes on the team through 3 quarters is just a very off stat to come across. The starting lineup discussion is one thing to have, but the argument is that he’s going to get the minutes anyway. Well, tonight that wasn’t really the case, even after coming out playing decently well. Another interesting substitution was playing Max Strus for a 3 minute span, then leaving him on the bench for the rest of the competitive minutes. On a night where you can’t really score, using Strus doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world. Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin are great defenders, and that’s a cool theme to have, but relying on that skill of theirs to win games won’t work. Matching offense potentially can.

#5: Jimmy Butler playing through injury, which didn’t feel like the right call.

Jimmy Butler missed the last four games due to a tailbone injury, and if you thought he was taking his time coming back, this game against Memphis gave you your answer: he’s hurt. Early in this game, he fell right on that same spot on his back which left him in some pain, but the gingerly run came much earlier. He couldn’t move even close to the same way that he usually can, looked super uncomfortable with facial expressions, and frankly, had zero business being out there. Yes, it’s good to see him show some heart to want to battle with his team, but sometimes it’s just hugely unnecessary when trailing by double digits in a game in December. He headed back to the locker room mid-way through the third quarter, and that felt way too late for that to occur. He showed his usual grit, but definitely wasn’t the right call.

 

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