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Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Knicks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#4: The Jimmy Butler takeover.

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

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

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

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Charlotte

The Miami Heat lost to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, which originally began as an absolute blowout, but ended as a close battle. Although the main takeaways are negative tonight due to the Heat’s poor play early on, it’s a constant theme of playing in a consistent fashion for 48 minutes, since they were really solid down the stretch. So, here are five takeaways from this game.

#1: Well, let’s start with allowing 72 points at the half.

Now, this clearly won’t be the most positive post-game piece after Charlotte pulled away much earlier than ever expected. Open triple after open triple led to the Hornets expanding their lead more and more, beginning with Malik Monk looking like the team’s owner, Michael Jordan, when he plays the Miami Heat. When evaluating the issues on the Heat’s end, it’s just clearly the definition of the second night of a back to back on the defensive end. Late rotations became the theme in the first half, while the effort on that end was not up to the expected level to begin the game, which is needed against the offensive firepower in Charlotte.

#2: That one player not able to break away from the pack in points category.

When scanning through the box score at the half, the biggest takeaway is that one player wasn’t able to break away from the rest in the scoring column. Butler and Nunn led with 10, while Ariza, Adebayo, and Robinson followed behind with 6 points. But on a night like tonight, they need that one guy to takeover for different stretches. Adebayo and Herro did that for Miami against Portland last night, but they combined for 10 points at the half tonight. Obviously Victor Oladipo, Nemanja Bjelica, and Goran Dragic are still not playing with this Heat team yet, but it’s no excuse when evaluating this team as a whole. They’re built as a team with a bunch of options, but none of those options seemed to have it tonight.

#3: The optimistic perspective.

After diving into each of Miami’s issues on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, is there anything positive to draw from this game? Well, I don’t know about the description positive, but this definitely puts some things in perspective, which is hard to do while the team is on a 6 game losing streak. So, take a look at the rotation tonight, since although they had more than enough guys to step up, the bench makes it quite interesting. For one, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent are getting consistent minutes, which isn’t a terrible thing since they’ve played well, but it’s a role that they won’t ever play for this team. Also, Precious Achiuwa is still the Adebayo relief guy, which may not be the case once Miami solidifies their signing from the buyout market. The point is that this rotation might look a lot different on Monday night, which may force you into a bit more of an optimistic view.

#4: Trevor Ariza’s high minutes changing Andre Iguodala’s role.

When discussing a change at a position, this does not consist of some young guys battling it out to stay in the rotation, such as a Kendrick Nunn. The actual positional battle I’m referring to is the two veteran wings, Andre Iguodala and Trevor Ariza. Aside from Ariza being inserted into the starting lineup next to Adebayo recently, there has seemed to be high trust levels in Ariza since he first joined the team. It’s widely known that Iguodala isn’t the biggest fan of regular season play, which makes this certain insertion even more effective, but some of the newcomers make this interesting. Not just Nemanja Bjelica, but also a possible LaMarcus Aldridge addition links some question marks to the rotation moving forward. Although it may not hold much importance at the current moment, it will for Coach Spoelstra as the season progresses, and he must choose between the better shooter and the better defender, who can each sprinkle in the opposite element.

#5: Miami battles until the final buzzer, showcasing some grit to fight back.

Although it’s still not the result many may want, it was a pretty impressive run that this Heat team went on beginning late in the third quarter. Although the offensive side of the ball will be looked toward first after they went on a 25-8 run, the defensive rotations were night and day compared to the first quarter. They were locked in on that end of the floor, didn’t foul as much, and contested well on those same Charlotte triples. The offensive side of the ball was a slow grind with a three here and a three there, but Tyler Herro was the headliner for a short stretch. He showcased that same confidence in his scoring abilities, but then it began to tail off as the fourth quarter progressed. Those same triples were not falling late in the fourth when they needed it most from him, but then Adebayo stepped up late in the fourth for an exceptional stretch under two minutes to go. This then leads to the constant eyebrow raises about Adebayo not realizing how talented he is all 48 minutes.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Suns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Would Kyle Lowry Fit with the Miami Heat?

The Kyle Lowry discussions have gained more and more traction after Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer reported that league sources say the Heat are pursuing a deal for Lowry harder than anyone. So, that obviously means the overall chatter has been about the pieces included in a deal, the long-term situation, and of course, the immediate fit.

To that point, it seems necessary to dive into the areas of this team that Lowry would be able to improve upon arrival. For starters, the relationship with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo makes this even more interesting, while that big 3 can be the one counter to the Brooklyn Nets big 3.

It’s no surprise that the Nets will be able to score the ball at will when fully healthy, so why not try to rival that with a defensive core if you’re the Miami Heat? And well, although there is optimism about the offense returning to form, the defense seems to have the most potential.

This defensive trio can clearly wreck havoc on a night to night basis, so let’s dive into the opposite side of the ball to see the offensive adjustments if a Lowry pick-up was made.

– The extra attacker, the missing piece

Another article, another discussion about Miami’s need for an attacker. The three-point shooting has been harped on constantly over the last few games, but it’s actually magnified the point about the absence of a downhill threat next to Butler.

The reason that the main focus for Miami’s current personnel is to keep shooting is since they don’t have anything else to adjust to. They’ve got a few shooters who have trouble with finding separation at times, which leads to chaos when shots aren’t falling.

So, this leads us right into the Lowry fit, since as seen above, he gets the ball in transition and immediately gets to the rim with one of the league’s most versatile defenders guarding him. There’s a reason that so many transition plays end up in pull-up threes or setting up half-court offense. It’s because many players don’t have that in their arsenal at this stage, which occurs more and more when Butler is off the floor or even off the ball.

He works angles as an attacker as well, which is exactly what Butler does for Miami on a consistent basis. He’s a high IQ guy who can find favorable match-ups, as seen here when he turned the corner to force Kelly Olynyk to switch onto him.

Now, this is not one of those instances where you throw around the term “high IQ” as a viable description. It’s actually to showcase his knowledge of not only the game, but the league. He can control the pacing, much like Butler, by getting to the line late in games or utilizing exaggerated movements to maybe work an official.

– The Added Shooting Element

Well, here we are again, talking about shooting. Except this time it’s being discussed in a positive manner, since Lowry has been having a good year shooting from beyond the arc. He can be trusted to hit some catch and shoot triples as seen in that video clip, but more importantly, the above the break threes are the major addition.

Those three balls have gone from a major strength to a major weakness for the Miami Heat, which is halted even more with the limited offensive options that I discussed earlier. Even when discussing a lot of the Heat’s shooters during their hot stretches, they still create issues in other areas of the game.

But Lowry brings a defensive presence, a trusted play-making ability, and the primary element, a nightly closer.

– The Spo/Lowry duo leading to creativity

After depicting some of the obvious elements to Lowry’s fit with Miami, it’s time to discuss arguably the most intirguing duo if this deal was made: Erik Spoelstra and Kyle Lowry.

While I’ve discussed Butler and Lowry quite a lot, Bam Adebayo is still going to be the primary ball-handler and play-maker in most of the Heat’s advanced sets. Now, this means Lowry can be utilized in a completely different way off the ball, which seems to benefit him quite a lot.

If you are having trouble imagining what this may look like, watch the clip above while replacing Fred VanVleet with Butler and OG Anunoby with Adebayo.

I’ll wait.

Okay good, so now you see the Spoelstra element to this addition.

– The need for a “go get a bucket” guy

The Heat are 22nd in the NBA in points per possession in isolation, while being 3rd in points per possession off a screen. Now, that stat basically screams the lack of a guy who can create for himself to just get a bucket.

This in no way means Lowry would be utilized in an isolation fashion, but it does mean that he’s capable of doing so in a stagnant offense. In the clip above, Lowry makes a tough turnaround jumper with Butler blanketing him, which is the exact offensive element that this team misses when Butler isn’t trucking people to the basket.

Lastly, it’s important to analyze these type of things in a very simple way at times, since overthinking it may fog the original thought. And well, the simple takeaway is that if you have a chance to insert a six time All-Star and NBA champion next to Butler and Adebayo, it’s a natural fit.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Overtime Loss to Indiana

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

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

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

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

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

#3: Jimmy Butler is Miami’s offense.

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

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

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

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

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

A Breakdown of Miami’s Final Possession Troubles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Breakdown of Miami’s Altering Defensive Schemes

The Miami Heat got another win on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers with Jimmy Butler leading the way. Although he was the focal point of the offense for Miami, the defensive side of the ball was an all-around effort.

Instead of just mentioning the Heat are at the top of defensive rating lately, it’s necessary to dive into the exact reason for the success on that side of the ball. So, let’s take a dive into Miami’s early altering defensive schemes.

– Swarming switches into high traps into fast-break points

Half-way through the first quarter was when Miami really started to get into their natural defensive form. Early in the play, it’s another representation of a soft switch between Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, since Adebayo popped out high while Butler stayed with the diving Jarrett Allen.

Collin Sexton and Larry Nance Jr tried to work a pick and roll/pick and pop set three straight times, which that third time turned into a high trap with both of Miami’s bigs. This forced Sexton to make a tough pass, especially since Kendrick Nunn rotated onto Nance, leading to a turnover.

A big part of this defense is the offense that can be generated from it, especially during a stretch that Miami struggled in the half-court. Butler makes the lead pass into a 3 on 1 opportunity, which Miami capitalizes on.

– 2-2-1 full-court press into 2-3 zone

Now, the most intriguing part about Miami’s defense last night was the 2-2-1 full-court press into the 2-3 zone. For starters, there’s a real comfort level to do this with Andre Iguodala out there, for obvious reasons. Combining active hands and high IQ movements is quite the pairing.

The press on this possession was just to put slight pressure on the ball-handler, but the zone is actually what stood out. Miami’s defensive rotations were crisp on the perimeter, meaning Cleveland was just playing catch on the three-point line.

Another aspect of this is KZ Okpala being utilized at the top of the zone, since they can rely on him to take the individual match-up when they try to iso, which on this possession almost led to a turnover. The only issue here was that they played 23 seconds of great defense, wrecking havoc out on the perimeter, but that led to easy offensive rebounds when it clanked off the rim, which will be the next touch up in practice.

Here’s another example of this exact defensive scheme. An interesting part about Iguodala and Okpala at the top of the zone is the natural switching that occurs when one notices the other getting screened.

This is yet another play where a turnover almost occurs, but McGee resets and takes it to the basket on Okpala. The issue here was that he basically let him get to the rim with ease, instead of playing a bit more physical, but still it forced a tough shot even though it went in.

Although both of these plays ended in scores for Cleveland, there are clear positives to this scheme, especially when using the same personnel that was used last night.

– Forcing the opposing team to play at an uncomfortable speed

Another element to this pressing is that it forces the offense to play at a speed that they’re not used to. It’s usually about getting into the half-court then flowing into their sets, but this forces them to make quick decisions which obviously means more mistakes.

On this play for example, they forced Cleveland into a pull-up three, 5 seconds into the shot clock. And if that doesn’t scream unorthodox offense for an inexperienced team, then I don’t know what does.

But this point that I’m making leads us right into the only downfall, which I will point out next.

– Long spurts of this defense leads to easy breakdowns

I’ve mentioned the clear positives to this Miami defense, since it can catch a team by surprise, sparking an incredible run, but let’s take a look at the part that must be touched up.

Going to this defense for too long is not a great decision to make, no matter the team you’re facing. On this play, Cleveland just came out of a timeout, and immediately broke down the press. He finds the guy at half-court, swings it to the wing, creating an easy 2 on 1 opportunity.

It was obvious the Cavs coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, was going to make this adjustment coming out of the timeout, which is why it was odd Coach Spo stayed with it at this point. Another reason I’m mentioning this is because Miami will be facing a Memphis team tonight, who has an incredible ability to breakdown defenses with Ja Morant surveying the floor. So, if Miami stays in something like this too long, it won’t end well.

– Forcing more offensive confusion

When a team is facing a zone defense that they haven’t seen since high school basketball, it’s clear it takes some time to get in any type of rhythm. As seen here, Cleveland was not getting into any type of half-court sets other than a normal pick and roll, which went absolutely no where with the continued Iguodala-Okpala top of the key switches.

Another part to mention on this play is Tyler Herro’s comfort level at the bottom of the zone. He played some possessions at the top of the key when Okpala exited, but he really looks his best when he has freedom down low to constantly help on the wing.

Here, he had two on his side of the floor, and when Cedi Osman began to dribble back out, he timed it perfectly to get back to the corner before the pass was even made. The individual defensive issues early on in the season have really been patched with this type of play.

– The zone causes constant turnovers, but gives up rebounds

The two things the zone has shown to do for Miami is lose rebounds, but also force turnovers. And against a team like Cleveland, you can take that trade off for longer stretches than usual.

Although Cleveland gets the offensive rebound on this play, take a look at their offense following that. It’s obvious a lot of their players have no idea where to stand against this defense, and sometimes means there’s not enough movement. A miscommunication occurs as Nance cuts and Osman passes, forcing yet another turnover.

The reason a lot of these plays seem repetitive is because Miami is giving a consistent effort on that end of the floor, due to the perfect rotations being made on the back-side every play. Once again, if they can continue this scheme without overusing it, good things will come from it.

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Magic

The Miami Heat escaped yet another rough offensive night against the Orlando Magic, expanding their win streak to four in a row. Another all-around Jimmy Butler performance led to this outcome, after a 29 point night, sealing it with a steal and a layup with 4 seconds left. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s peak defensive potential on display throughout.

If there’s been any wonder lately how Miami has stayed at that number one spot in defensive rating, this Heat game solidified that. Miami has been exceptionally good at hitting passing lanes, rotating close to perfectly, and altering between different defensive schemes. By that I mean Erik Spoelstra’s continued adjustments throughout a game, rotating between man to man, 2-3 zone, and a 2-2-1 full court press. Obviously it’s a soft press since Tyler Herro was heading it with Andre Iguodala, but it still forces the opposing offense to play at a speed that they are not used to. Kelly Olynyk must be mentioned in this defensive discussion as well, since he’s made major leaps with lateral quickness, rim protection for spurts, and mostly denying post entry passes, which is a huge improvement for this team’s current success.

#2: The Kelly Olynyk-Jimmy Butler offensive duo being schemed by Coach Spoelstra.

As I’ve discussed endlessly since Bam Adebayo went out, Kelly Olynyk has seen a decent sized change in his offensive role. The offense is running through him for a lot of the game, which means they’re handing him the keys as a primary play-maker. This has led to Coach Spo running many more sets for these two together, including off-ball screens for Butler leading to lobs, as well as Butler finding Olynyk in alternate spots on the floor. The reason this is so intriguing is because Adebayo can be utilized in a different way when he returns as well, which can alter Miami’s major offensive issues. If this can force Adebayo into a slightly larger scoring role, instead of worrying about setting others up, it may be the one piece to put this whole puzzle together.

#3: A longer leash for KZ Okpala leading to a positive outcome.

While I’m discussing defense a bit, it seems necessary to throw KZ Okpala into the discussion. His defensive attributes have never been questioned, but it’s actually been about over using them at times leading to foul trouble and defensive breakdowns. But well, that wasn’t the case today, since he was in the right spots throughout the game consistently. The offense is the part that should be discussed though, since there were even more flashes in tonight’s first half. As much as made threes may excite some, the off the dribble attack is what will truly keep him in the rotation for good. That slight hesitance still seems to be holding him back a bit, but once that is overcome completely, that full potential will be reached.

#4: Jimmy Butler steps up in the third quarter, trying to counter Nikola Vucevic’s takeover.

Nikola Vucevic was not only a main topic for the portion of the night, but mainly in the third quarter. He couldn’t miss from deep during this stretch, expanding the Magic’s lead little by little. And since Miami’s offense just can’t get into any type of flow for a good portion of the game, it was time for Jimmy Butler to step up in that moment like usual. Three point shooting clearly wasn’t the strength of the night for Miami, which led to constant penetration from Butler to put in his work around the rim. It’s pretty obvious that he can choose his moments to score at will when he wants, but the issue is that others must balance that timely takeover with scoring of their own. And too many droughts seem to come up throughout in their half-court offense, mainly when Butler is off the floor.

#5: Tyler Herro: Reverting back a bit, showcasing some indecisiveness early. 

Tyler Herro must be discussed in general following this game, since he hasn’t done much lately to mention. But now, he’s showcasing previous habits, which is the flipping switch between positive flashes and unnecessary decisions. Although the numbers may not look bad when evaluating the box score, he had moments throughout that aren’t explained through a stat-sheet. There are too many instances with indecisive movements or the tough choice between shooting or passing. Although it seemed as if he may have been past that, it seems like he’s reverting back slightly. Now, that’s not a hard thing to touch up, since he just needs that natural Herro confidence once again, where he doesn’t worry about that previous miss or that last turnover. Duncan Robinson has made that adjustment, and it’s made the difference. But as seen late in the game tonight, Herro stepped up when needed to not only boost this team, but boost his self confidence.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Bulls

The Miami Heat took down the Chicago Bulls late, after a rough offensive first half. While Jimmy Butler controlled throughout, Goran Dragic stepped up late to pull them away. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Rough overall offensive flow in first half, except when Jimmy Butler has the ball.

It’s a similar theme every single night, since the offensive production heavily decreases when Jimmy Butler exits the floor. But tonight was much different, since there was absolutely nothing being generated when he was off the floor. Pretty decent ball-movement on the perimeter leading to contested three-point attempts, which mostly clanked off the rim. We can discuss Miami’s three point shooting being bad as of late, but there just has to be an alternative. Attacking the basket off the dribble should be utilized a lot on nights like this, but the personnel just doesn’t allow them to do that. Goran Dragic seems a step slow at times to completely get downhill consistently, while Tyler Herro just doesn’t seem to have that in his arsenal at the current stage.

#2: Kendrick Nunn seems to be the only comfortable role player.

While guys like Dragic and Herro seemed a bit out of whack in the first half tonight, Kendrick Nunn actually appeared to be the complete opposite. Even when offense is stagnant, he finds ways to generate offense for himself, which is the most important thing right now. He got to the mid-range early, and knocked down two nice looking triples to bail Miami out of empty possessions. Once again, talking about Nunn in this fashion is much different compared to a couple months ago. He’s become a consistent figure for this team, who is much more comfortable in different spots throughout the game to keep the team flowing into efficient offense. Playing in his hometown of Chicago aside, he has done this every single night since being inserted into the starting lineup, which has mostly translated to wins.

#3: Chris Silva inserted into the game before Precious Achiuwa.

Although Chris Silva and Precious Achiuwa played the same amount of minutes in the first half, which was a whopping 3 minutes each, it was quite interesting to see Silva get thrown in first. Since Bam Adebayo was out again, it seemed like it would be Achiuwa’s first chance to get some increased run at the NBA level, but somehow that didn’t happen. Now, on a night Miami struggled offensively, it wasn’t like Achiuwa would fix that majorly, but Silva essentially gives you the same exact thing. The pick and roll seemed worthless early on, but Achiuwa had a nice finish on a lob as soon as he checked in, which makes this decision very interesting. There might be more to this continued decision, but the overall trust level has surprisingly decreased since the beginning of the season. Coach Spo went to Silva in the second half as well, and he gave them some quality minutes as they made their fourth quarter run.

#4: Kelly Olynyk stepping into Bam Adebayo’s role yet again.

Kelly Olynyk has been a real bright spot in the games Bam Adebayo has missed, mostly since he’s been utilized in a different way than usual. Instead of being the offensive floor spacer, he has actually been the guy they work their offense through on the perimeter. And since he’s playing that role, the play-making abilities have continued to be on display. Not just through the constant action where there’s an off-ball screen for Butler leading to a lob, but also finding cutters when he’s in the post. As I discussed earlier, the offense looked very rough throughout the night, and without Olynyk generating offense when Butler wasn’t on the ball, it could’ve looked a lot worse.

#5: Goran Dragic gets hot in the fourth after tough first half.

The overall consensus in the first half when the offensive struggles occurred was when Goran Dragic would step up per usual, or if he would ever step up. Everybody’s always awaiting that stretch where he tails off a bit due to his age, but just as that showed for some time, it all turned around. Yet again, Dragic did what he does best late in the game, which is bailing the team out when they need it most. Hitting much needed triples, as well as getting to the rim consistently to generate offense for others. The non-Butler minutes will continue to get harped on due to the clear fall-off that occurs when he exits, but if Dragic can sustain it while Adebayo is out, the team will be in good shape.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Magic

The Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic to begin the second half of the regular season on Thursday night. Jimmy Butler stepped up in every facet for the team with Bam Adebayo out, which is no surprise after his recent play. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The continued quest to survive the non-Butler minutes.

The non-Butler minutes have been something that I’ve discussed for the Heat for quite some time. It’s a bit of a different story when Bam Adebayo is on the floor to fill some of those holes, but clearly Miami didn’t have him tonight. That basically means Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro would be looked toward to step up in that stretch, and Herro was trying to find a rhythm when he entered and shots weren’t falling much for Dragic. Offense became stagnant with that group, and there early defensive moments fell off rather quickly. It seems like there’s always a discussion about filling holes with this team, due to constant rotational changes, but on nights when it’s a banged up Orlando Magic team that you’re facing, it’s necessary to adjust and thrive.

#2: The KZ Okpala experiment to Moe Harkless experiment to Chris Silva experiment.

As mentioned earlier, Adebayo did not play against the Magic tonight, which made that starting spot next to Kelly Olynyk interesting. As expected, KZ Okpala got the nod, since starting Precious Achiuwa doesn’t make much sense with the lack of bigs behind him. Okpala showed some early flashes on the defensive end, leading to impressive transition offense, but three quick fouls sent him to the sideline quickly. Moe Harkless then checked in, and gave pretty much the same exact thing Okpala brought, with a bit less perimeter aggression. After Achiuwa entered for a short stint, Coach Spo threw in Chris Silva for a spark, and he actually didn’t look bad. When going that deep into your bench, the player probably won’t be very reliable, but Silva knows how to play his role in limited minutes, battling in a similar way that Achiuwa does.

#3: One fallen Tyler Herro jumper early alters his game.

Tyler Herro appeared a bit lost offensively throughout the first quarter in a game he was needed to step up. But once again, a similar theme came up with Herro involving his confidence. When the shots aren’t falling, he finds himself fading to the corner, becoming a floor spacer. But after a shot or two begin to fall, his game begins to operate from the top of the key or the wing with the ball in his hands. One three-pointer on the wing once Jimmy Butler checked in seemed to be that spark, leading to a timeout for Orlando. From that point on, he had much more bounce in his game, which means his ball-handling, play-making, and scoring abilities increase majorly. It just furthers the point that Herro’s confidence is not an overstatement, and holds much value for this team’s current success.

#4: A Jimmy Butler third quarter step-up necessary, but not ideal in big picture.

It was a tight game throughout the night, but Jimmy Butler stepped up in the third quarter to sustain a close score, which can be looked at in a number of ways. For one, it shows the overall dominance of Jimmy Butler to turn it on whenever he chooses. Doubling guys down low for steals into transition offense, working the offense through him in the post into back-door cuts for layups, and much more sparked this team for a short stretch. But it can also be viewed in a negative way, since Miami needed him to do that to tie the game at the end of the third quarter against a depleted Orlando Magic team. Now, obviously Bam Adebayo was out, which means an adjusted offensive and defensive scheme, but Miami’s other role players should be capable of stepping up in these spots. Once again, it does provide extra clarity on both Butler’s ability to flip a switch, and Adebayo’s overall impact.

#5: Some interesting Coach Spo adjustments late in the game.

Coach Erik Spoelstra’s adjustments were fluid in the fourth quarter tonight, finally finding a spark for Miami. They went into a 2-3 zone for the first time, which seemed to throw the Magic off a bit. Miami usually chooses to sprinkle it in throughout the entire game, so the opposing team can dissect it by the time the fourth quarter comes around, but that changed tonight. Another interesting Coach Spo adjustment involved the rotation, since Precious Achiuwa never reentered the game after an early insertion. On a night that Miami lacked any type of big, it was far from expected that Achiuwa would not be utilized. These type of games without Adebayo seem to be the best time for Achiuwa to find any type of NBA level rhythm, but Spo went the Silva route, which actually wasn’t a bad option.