Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

A Breakdown of Miami’s Late-Game Execution

/0 Comments/in , /by

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

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

– A Jimmy Butler shooting display

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

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

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

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

– The Butler-Dragic PnR

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

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

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

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

– The normal Butler-Adebayo PnR, reading the situation

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

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

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

– Tyler Herro shooting in rhythm

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

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

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

– Butler getting to his favorite spot on the floor

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

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

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

– A different plan down the stretch

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

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

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

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

– Making winning plays

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

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

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

– Butler-Bully-Ball to excellent defensive execution

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

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

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

– No Butler, no problem. Well, sometimes

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

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

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

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

What is the Next Step for an Improved Miami Heat Offense?

/0 Comments/in , /by

While the beginning of the season for the Miami Heat seemed as if there was no true identity on either side of the ball, that has turned as of late.

The Heat are the number one team in defensive rating over the last 15 games, which is as big of an improvement as possible. Some may point to a more consistent Jimmy Butler in the lineup, but the defense has been strong even when he’s been out.

And that’s a big reason Erik Spoelstra deserves a lot of credit, since he’s been forced to use some players at the bottom of the roster and put them in spots to thrive. Gabe Vincent made a jump in minutes, mostly since he realized his unique ability at the top of the 2-3 zone and full-court press.

But although their defense has been consistently good, that hasn’t been the case for their offense. Over the last 15 games, they’re 20th in offensive rating, and somehow still ended up going 11-4 in that stretch. And quite frankly, a portion of those losses were winnable, including the LA Clippers game without four starters and the Golden State Warriors game with a decent lead and a struggling Stephen Curry.

So if there’s been success as of late with a struggling offense, what is the next step for Miami’s offense?

Well, the obvious answer would be a consistently healthy roster, but that can never be relied on this season. Miami’s played 36 games up to this point, while only 9 of those games included Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Goran Dragic all playing.

From a systematic perspective, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact reason. They’ve proved to move the ball exceptionally well, since a good portion of their field goal makes on a nightly basis are assisted on. Miami has gone slightly away from constant DHO’s, leading to much more back-cuts, which is essential on a team that prides themselves on off-ball screening.

But the true fix to improve Miami’s all-around offensive success will be to decrease the load from Miami’s veteran go-to guys. Butler and Goran Dragic are two unbelievable offensive players that are capable of sparking the entire offense, through attacking off the dribble, setting up others, and scoring down the stretch when it matters.

But if these two guys have been Miami’s only offensive hope in many games, how does it make sense for them to take a step-back?

Well, that’s where Miami’s young guys, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, come into play. This doesn’t mean Butler and Dragic need to take a step back, but less reliance on these guys in a half-court offense will allow this team to truly thrive.

There have been flashes from both Adebayo and Herro this season by taking over on their own, Adebayo in the Brooklyn Nets game and Herro in the Philadelphia 76ers game with only 8 available players. But when all four of them can play in the same game and all thrive in their own roles, that’s when the leap will occur.

Waiting for Adebayo to take offensive initiative has been discussed frequently, since his unselfishness leads to him trying to set others up, while Herro has struggled lately just through a lack of rhythm and flow after missing time.

When Adebayo can begin to find his favorite spot at the free throw line for mid-range jumpers consistently, and Herro can attack the basket without hesitance and kiss the ball off the glass with confidence, this team will be hard to beat.

In many ways, the rise of Kendrick Nunn has been a major reason for Miami’s offense landing 20th, since without his consistent play, the rating would be significantly worse.

The reason I’m discussing this in a broad fashion is because it seems pretty obvious that these two guys will be the only way large improvement will be seen. Instead of diving into the film today to breakdown certain possessions, it’s time to evaluate the first 36 games as a whole, and how to move forward in a positive manner.

If Herro can regain that bubble confidence with the ball in his hands, and Adebayo can attempt more shots per game than the number on his jersey, it’ll allow Butler and Dragic to have much more freedom in the regular season, instead of forcing them to do too much before the post-season even begins.

Now that the entire team gets a week off at home, that second half push will be ready to be made. And with a healthy Butler, a continued strong defensive effort, and the increased aggression from the guys discussed, there’s a good chance a .500 record will be the last thing they’re thinking about.

A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Late Takeover Against New Orleans

/0 Comments/in , /by

After Jimmy Butler missed the previous two games against the Atlanta Hawks, he made the trip to New Orleans and ended up suiting up. And well, those two missed games didn’t seem to take him out of his rhythm, since he took over late in the fourth, shooting the ball as well as he ever has in a Miami Heat uniform.

So, let’s take a look into this Butler scoring dominance right before the All-Star break…

– The missing piece without Butler

Before diving completely into Butler’s late game offensive play, the biggest thing Miami missed without him must be noted first. And that is a downhill presence, both in transition and half-court offense.

The transition offense, which is shown in the first clip, just shows the missing piece of reading situations and capitalizing on them. Miami had a 5 on 4 opportunity, which basically means find Jimmy Butler to create a mismatch or so he can take it right into a defenders chest, and he did just that.

The second clip is the more important element. One of the reasons Miami lost to Atlanta in the previous game was that nobody could get to the rim consistently, which led to constant reliance on three point shots falling. But when Butler’s on the floor, they can get back to their drive-and-kick offensive play, which he can score at the basket at will whenever he chooses to do so.

– Stagnant offense to Butler offense

The six minute mark in the fourth quarter is when Butler pretty much said he was taking over. New Orleans cut Miami’s lead to two points, and the Heat were having major trouble getting into a flow on this possession.

They ended up resetting at the top of the key, flowing into a Goran Dragic-Butler pick and roll. Due to a low shot clock, Josh Hart edged up high on the pick, leading to Dragic lobbing the pass for the rolling Butler. He then rises up at the basket for a layup with Steven Adams contesting, and converts.

Without Bam Adebayo, it seemed like a good set to run with Dragic and Butler, since there’s an immense amount of trust in those veteran guys late in games. I’d also like to see that action run throughout a game more often, since both of them can put their head down and charge the basket, which makes for a unique set.

– Jumpers are falling, legs are rested

This shot from Butler pretty much tells you how the night was going for him, since he doesn’t even attempt shots like this unless he’s feeling it.

But the part to evaluate here is the level of rise he had on this turnaround jumper. When people ask about Butler’s shooting stroke, I always mention it’s completely about his legs. And after missing two games due to knee inflammation, giving him an extra rest, his rise looked better than ever, while the knee swelling was clearly gone.

It’s another reason this team has to feel great about Butler getting a week off at home, instead of a busy All-Star weekend. Miami will be looking to make a second half push, and a rested Jimmy Butler will be at his peak levels.

– The Robinson treatment

Once again, when offense becomes stagnant on a possession, just find Jimmy Butler.

Take a look at Josh Hart guarding Butler on this possession, since he’s basically getting the Duncan Robinson treatment. He gets denied on the first DHO, but immediately comes back into the opposite direction. Hart goes back under the screen this time, and Butler’s slight pump-fake gets both Hart and Adams in the air.

Obviously he made an incredible and-1 triple, but it’s the setup and defensive scheme that stands out more. If teams were to worry about Butler on the perimeter in this fashion, it’ll be an endless night for the opposing team with the amount of dribble penetration he’d present.

– Bail-Out Butler

There were many possessions late in this game where Miami was in awkward positions late in the shot clock. But well, it’s not that awkward when the ball can be given to Butler to bail you out.

As mentioned earlier, these types of shot attempts are pretty rare from him, but there’s a confident feeling when he attempts them since he only does it when the deep ball is feeling good.

Although he has a one-on-one opportunity with a good defender, in Eric Bledsoe, all of the signs were point toward getting to the rim. Late shot clock, under 3 minutes to go, 8 point game, and most importantly, a smaller defender. But instead, a step-back triple with a heavy contest was attempted, and ultimately knocked down.

This Heat team has been in plenty of late-game situations this season, which may be a good thing for their offensive execution down the stretch come playoff time. But it also has given major clarity for this team, since the amount of trust this team has in Butler at that point in the game is very high, while Butler reciprocates that right back.

Therefore, caps off the importance of the Jimmy Butler effect.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Pelicans

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat finished off the first half of the regular season with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans, getting them to .500 before the All-Star break. A late-game Jimmy Butler takeover led to Miami pulling away, and an Andre Iguodala slam sealed it under a minute to go. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The Kelly Olynyk show early on.

As I’ve discussed many times in the past, Kelly Olynyk finds himself on one of these takeaway pieces once every few games, since he always has that one breakout game where he can’t miss. And well, that game was tonight. The scoring obviously must be noted first, since he exploded early on, scoring 13 points in the first quarter while the entire Pelicans team scored 15. As I noted before the game, Olynyk was going to have an advantage on the perimeter against the Pelicans’ drop coverage, especially since Steven Adams was dropping. And as expected, he had plenty of open opportunities to begin the game. Instead of discussing his scoring tonight, his passing must be mentioned as well. With Bam Adebayo out, they missed the facilitator in the middle of the offense who can hit back-door cutters in stride, but Olynyk became that guy quickly with high arcing passes time and time again for Miami’s offensive flow.

#2: A smooth running offense is the Jimmy Butler effect.

Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned after Miami’s strong first quarter that the spacing was looking good. And the reason for that was Jimmy Butler, plain and simple. The last game against the Atlanta Hawks proved that offense can’t flow without a downhill presence and their primary play-maker, in Butler, which bounced back as soon as the ball was tipped. Other than his effortless 11 points in the first half, his 7 assists in that span speak major volume. Miami began to get into their drive and kicks once again, which allowed even more open threes for guys like Olynyk, due to the drop coverage collapsing completely on Butler when attacking. The offense was running quite smoothly on a night without Bam Adebayo, which pretty much proves the amount of impact Butler can have just by his presence.

#3: Precious Achiuwa getting thrown in the fire off the bench, blending in quite perfectly.

It’s not easy to be a starter from middle school to high school to college, then get thrown into the NBA without a Summer League and get placed into a bench role. But well, that’s been the situation for Precious Achiuwa this season, and the adaptation he’s made to that role continues to be very impressive. As soon as he enters the game, his presence is felt as a constant energy and rim runner, while putting major emphasis on runner since he never stops moving. Another thing is that he is totally locked in on his individual job as a screener and roller, while never straying off into other areas in a fast paced game, which most young players tend to do. That point right there highlights his mindset and focus to understand who he is as a player and what benefits the team, and that continued bench role benefits this Heat team majorly.

#4: The natural KZ Okpala roller coaster game.

There’s a lot to dive into when discussing the young career of KZ Okpala. He’s had a few stints throughout the season, and the same negatives and positives continue to pop out. On the negative side of things, the lack of playing time has led to his hesitance in the offense. Almost every time he receives the ball, he doesn’t even almost look toward the rim to try and score. Now, that has a lot to do with just trying to fit in, instead of playing in a free and natural way. But although he may think that unselfish play will lead to increased playing time, it may be the complete opposite. That takes us to the positives in his game, which always come when he avoids that hesitance. The third quarter showed that when he came out immediately and shot a contested three, which although it missed, it’s clear coaches or players got in his ear about it. That led to a very impressive side-step three in the corner, and a nice up and under layup in a solid spurt on both ends, which showcases an expected roller coaster on a nightly basis when he takes the floor.

#5: The non-Butler minutes a worry without Adebayo, which leads to more Dragic.

Non-Jimmy Butler minutes and Goran Dragic pretty much go hand in hand. He’s always been the trusted guy to keep his unit afloat while Butler takes a breather, which is what he did early in the fourth tonight once again. Three-pointer to mid-range jumper to getting to the free throw line. He’s a guy that has been incredibly good at finding mismatches, which is even easier to do against this Pelicans team. On a night that Tyler Herro struggled again, Dragic was going to be needed to get downhill and generate offense, and he did just that. Crafty pump-fakes and footwork around the rim when the defense collapsed, occurred possession after possession. There’s only so much that he can do in those non-Butler spurts, but it’s very promising to continue to see him step up in those spots, then handing the keys back over to Butler to close. And well, he took the keys and drove this team all the way home.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Jazz

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat took down the best team in the NBA in a Friday night showdown with the Utah Jazz. An aggressive Bam Adebayo, a consistent Goran Dragic, and an absolutely outstanding all around Jimmy Butler headlined their best win of the season this far. So, take a look at five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s dribble penetration changing the offense.

Goran Dragic being back in Miami’s rotation obviously changes dribble penetration immediately, but it wasn’t just when he was on the floor. They came out with a purpose to get inside the three point line against a jumbled up Jazz defense on the interior with Rudy Gobert, and it actually worked. Bam Adebayo’s one hand push shot inside the paint was dropping early, while back-cuts began to be sprinkled in. That element has changed quite a lot for Miami, since a guy like Duncan Robinson can cut with ease the way that he gets defended. Now, as Miami had their way with two point attempts early in the first quarter, that opened up three point shooting per usual. As the defense began to collapse more and more, drive and kicks became a huge factor for Miami’s altered offense. Once Tyler Herro returns as well, that dribble penetration will increase even more.

#2: Kendrick Nunn adding the patient element to his offensive abilities.

This shouldn’t be a surprise that Kendrick Nunn found himself on another one of these pieces, since the overall consistency in his offensive game has allowed zero shock for his strong performances. In this game, though, his overall offensive patience is what stood out the most from his game. He has made huge strides with his play-making abilities, but what has truly led to this? Well, playing time and confidence is the easy answer for any improvement in his game, but adding the patience element must be noted as well. Small things like running the baseline has shown positive flashes, since he keeps his dribble alive to await the cutter instead of getting stuck in the air. As he gets more and more comfortable running the different actions in Miami’s offense, while sustaining this impressive shooting and scoring ability, the next leap in his game will occur.

#3: Some unexpected changes in the rotation, involving the bench unit.

It was surprising that KZ Okpala had his name called before Precious Achiuwa tonight, but it was even more shocking that he basically took his minutes all together. Achiuwa usually enters for Adebayo, which means his playing time comes next to Kelly Olynyk. But tonight, Coach Spo seemed very comfortable playing Olynyk at the 5 with a smaller 4, which is something we haven’t seen much of. Usually in these stints, they went to a 2-3 zone with Gabe Vincent and Andre Iguodala up top wrecking havoc. I’m not sold that this will be decision moving forward for Coach Spo and company, since Achiuwa’s strong minutes on both ends this season has shown that he deserves the playing time he has thus far received. Achiuwa’s connection with Herro and Dragic has been clear, which is why a fully healthy Heat team should maximize his bench role.

#4: Jimmy Butler can score the basketball whenever he chooses in one specific way.

Jimmy Butler began to takeover scoring wise in the third quarter, which came in one way and one way only: Getting downhill and retreating to the free throw line. It’s almost impossible to cover a driving Butler at full speed, since if you don’t jump with him, it’s a layup. But if you do jump with him, he will jump right into you to get to the charity stripe. He played yet another all around offensive game, filling up the stat sheet in every possible way, but most things that were seen aren’t shown in a stat sheet. Open opportunities for guys like Kelly Olynyk due to a 2 man game possession between Butler and Adebayo occur frequently, and causes a solid defensive team to become out of sorts. As I’ve mentioned before, the phrase playing at their own speed is used freely, but as seen tonight, it fits Butler almost perfectly. His methodical abilities when getting downhill lead to his strengths becoming magnified, which is finding teammates for a pure offensive flow.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s offensive aggression makes an appearance once again.

There’s always one common denominator to Adebayo’s shots falling throughout the game on high attempts: Zero hesitation. Those one-hand push shots that he utilizes on an early bounce pass off the roll were dropping cleanly throughout the night, mostly since he didn’t use many unnecessary gather dribbles or pump-fakes. Adebayo obviously has an immense amount of talent in every part of his game, but it comes down to the moments in which he maximizes those scoring abilities. And tonight was one of those nights. He had as tough of a match-up that there is, in Rudy Gobert, which he went to the best possible spots to attack him. Not right at the rim for Gobert to alter or swat, but a few feet away from the rim to make him edge away from the rim. Whenever Adebayo has one of these nights, many point to him sustaining this overall aggression, which seems necessary but not definite.

A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Scoring Down the Stretch Against Toronto

/0 Comments/in , /by

In the Miami Heat’s win over the Toronto Raptors, Jimmy Butler came up big late in the fourth quarter. This isn’t anything new for him, but it was interesting that he displayed his offensive abilities in every possible way in the last five minutes of the game.

So, here’s a look at the ways he closed this game out for Miami…

– The jumper looked smooth

Butler’s jumper has been an interesting topic for Miami, since it struggles in the regular season, but usually coming through when it truly matters, either the playoffs or late in games.

On this play, Miami had a few mismatches that they were looking to take advantage of. Kelly Olynyk had the smaller Kyle Lowry guarding him, so he faked a dribble hand-off to Duncan Robinson and attacked the basket. All four Toronto defenders collapsed, so Olynyk made the correct pass out to an open Butler for a triple.

Butler would usually pause, let the defender fly by, and put his head down to get to the basket, but it seemed like he was feeling the jumper. It’s never been an issue of form for his down shooting numbers, since free throw shooting always stay high, which always leads to the common denominator, his lift.

But well, the lift was there down the stretch.

– Controlling the break with his eyes

Playing the game to your own speed is a phrase that is used quite freely when discussing NBA players, but it describes Butler perfectly.

On this possession, he gets the steal on one end, leading to a clear fast-break on the other end. In no rush at all, he evaluates the floor, noticing he has a 3 on 1 opportunity with Andre Iguodala trailing. To maximize every option, he cuts immediately to the middle of the floor, which is when he utilizes his eyes to his advantage.

His unique passing abilities make the defense uncomfortable, which is why the slightest glance and body turn towards Robinson, eliminated Fred VanVleet from the attack. He then took it up with ease for a layup with zero contest, which tends to happen frequently when the physical Butler gets downhill.

– One more look at Butler’s lift

As I discussed Butler’s catch and shoot lift in the half-court, the mechanics of his jumper is what we were evaluating. But when pull-up triples are falling, this solidifies the original thought.

By that I mean, his lift being the overall theme of his shooting roller coaster is clearly true. I don’t remember the last time Butler utilized his legs to this extent on a three ball, leading to a high arcing ball going in the hoop. And by the way, high arcing three balls haven’t occurred a lot for Butler lately.

This shot also displays the confident factor that is instilled in any basketball player. The shot that I showed earlier is the reason for him taking this pull-up three, since if that one clanked off the back of the rim, he would have went right at the rim to draw a foul. This isn’t an element that will be relied on for long, but it must be something teammates instill in him, just as he does for others.

– The scoring leads to more foul line opportunities

After Butler’s scoring was rolling in this current stretch, there’s always a moment that he gets back to his strengths, which is drawing fouls.

There was confidence all night for Toronto when Lowry was guarding him in the pick and roll, since he would cut him off low, forcing him to take mid-range pull-ups. On this play, though, VanVleet was not allowing Butler to take him one-on-one, so he dropped down far off of Kendrick Nunn on the perimeter.

Butler noticing this, keeps the ball way up above his head, especially as he slices two much smaller defenders. This abrupt movement leads to the whistle being blown, getting him back to his favorite spot on the court: The charity stripe.

– Reading situations, capitalizing on current flow

Instead of draining the clock a bit with a 9 point lead late in the fourth, Butler was completely riding on his late-game momentum.

After the inbound, Bam Adebayo ran a side pick and roll with Butler, which Lowry switched this time. The one shot Toronto’s defense was allowing off of this set was a Butler mid-range pull-up, as mentioned earlier. And with zero hesitation, he rose over the top of OG Anunoby, hitting the shot to take an 11 point lead.

These late-game reads and moments seem to be rubbing off on his teammates, especially Adebayo. He knows that the ball must be in their hands down the stretch, which is why he took some good looks during this spurt as well. But, Butler’s hot hand led to him playing his usual impactful role, allowing Butler to get to those spots that I displayed.

This type of all-around play that is being seen from Butler should not be understated, since it’s truly impressive that he’s leading this team on a huge regular season turnaround.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo Not in All-Star Game, Forcing Best Case Scenario

/0 Comments/in , /by

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo both attended the All-Star game last season as Adebayo made his first appearance, but this year is much different. Miami currently sits at the 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, which pretty much explains why they didn’t get an All-Star this season.

But Butler and Adebayo not making the All-Star team could be the best case scenario for this Heat team for an abundance of reasons.

Loading
Loading...

For starters, any rest this team can get after recent injuries, Covid tracing, and a short off-season, they must take it. It allows Goran Dragic to regroup over a short period, since he’s played minutes to begin the season that weren’t really expected coming in.

Butler has had to carry a load over the past few weeks, since the interchanging lineups haven’t allowed Miami to get in any type of flow.

But rest isn’t the main reason for this being a positive for the Heat. It’s actually about the chip that’s back on their shoulders.

Every player on the current roster has had a chip on their shoulder their entire life, since the Miami Heat embody players who battle adversity. But a spark has been needed as of late, even after the latest three game winning streak.

The only way a spark can really be generated is with an addition to the current roster, but well, that was until the All-Star reserves were released on Tuesday night.

This gives Miami’s two stars even more drive to take that next step, while everybody continues to count them out once again. But they’ve been counted out their entire lives.

Now, they can regroup back home in Miami, without taking a chance of being in a crowded environment on All-Star weekend.

No All-Stars, no problem. As Butler has always essentially said, it’s about winning over other accolades, and this snubbed accolade could actually be the biggest spark for their winning.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Lakers

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA Finals rematch, which Miami got the best of them this time around. It went down to the wire, which Jimmy Butler got to the line when they needed it most, while the Heat played great defense down the stretch to get the win. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Kendrick Nunn was cooking early on.

In a game televised by ABC on Saturday night, headlined by LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, not many expected Kendrick Nunn to be the biggest story of the first quarter. Nunn scored 15 points in the first on 6 for 7 shooting, looking as comfortable as ever with the ball in his hands. He was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc as well, shooting on the move on many of those looks, which seems to be when he’s most effective. The floater is also becoming a staple of his offensive game, since he rises up with one-hand push shots from just about anywhere on the floor. After the first quarter scoring display, he didn’t attempt one shot in the second quarter. And while that may appear to be a negative element of the game, it speaks to the growth of Nunn being aware of the pacing of the game, allowing the game to come to him.

#2: Bam Adebayo comes out with a necessary aggressive mindset.

On a night where the Lakers were without their best rim protector, Anthony Davis, it was clear there were winnable match-ups for Bam Adebayo to seize. And well, he did just that early on, playing above the rim on many possessions, which seemed to be a game-plan by Erik Spoelstra. He scored 14 points in the first half on 7 for 9 shooting, and there were still times that he could’ve been a bit more selfish scoring wise. But selfish and Adebayo don’t really mix, which is why he altered between aggression and play-maker throughout, controlling the game in the non-Butler minutes. Those minutes are more important than ever at the moment, since Goran Dragic being out forced Coach Spo to go this route, relying on Adebayo’s presence without Butler.

#3: The Goran Dragic absence is noticed in spurts.

When discussing pure takeaways from this game from my perspective, the Goran Dragic absence was probably one of the biggest. Dragic has always been the guy for Miami to save them in tough spots, who can generate offense when everybody else cools off a bit. And well, Miami went through that stretch in the second quarter, but the only issue was that Coach Spo couldn’t turn to his bench to tell Dragic to try and get them out of this hole. As much as people can discuss certain losses lately not correlating with Dragic missing time, since a 34 year old shouldn’t be relied on this heavily anyway, that’s just plainly incorrect. It’s not that he needs to be the leading scorer as he did in the bubble last season, but he just needs to share the floor with others to force Miami back into their natural offensive flow.

Loading
Loading...

#4: Jimmy Butler controls the third quarter.

While the Los Angeles Lakers immediately crawled back into the game to begin the second half, it looked like Miami’s high level play in this game finally came to an end. But well, that was until Jimmy Butler decided to step up. As Tyler Herro was listed questionable to return at halftime with a hip contusion, Miami’s offensive options became limited, which meant Butler needed to do Butler-like things. And that category included getting to the basket, which leads to getting to the free throw line. Butler had 0 free throw attempts in the first half, which is a rare sight for him. He began to increase that a bit more in the third, showcasing his will to be aggressive during a stretch that it was absolutely necessary. And that was the only thing that kept Miami afloat in a time of need.

#5: The Gabe Vincent-Max Strus playing time decisions became crucial.

Who would’ve thought the minutes between both two-way players would be crucial against the reigning NBA champions? But here we are. The reasoning for Gabe Vincent getting the nod over Max Strus lately had to do with adding an extra ball-handler on the floor. And that’s exactly what Coach Spo went with again tonight, except Tyler Herro exiting the game led to another rotation adjustment. Strus got thrown into the fire in the third quarter without getting into any type of flow, leading to a terrible shooting stretch from beyond the arc, going 0 for 8 from three. As much as people can criticize Erik Spoelstra’s decisions between the two-way guys, there must be a realistic approach that we’re discussing two-way guys. There is limited production that will occur from those type of guys, especially when facing a team like the Lakers, and a player like LeBron who can attack weaknesses pretty quickly.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Kings

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat got a much needed win on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings. Although many players stood out for Miami throughout, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo both getting a triple-double was the biggest storyline of the night. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: A Kelly Olynyk first quarter scoring display.

When the Miami Heat hit the 20 point mark in the first quarter, Kelly Olynyk had exactly half of those points, scoring them in a variety of ways. Every few games, as I’ve mentioned in the past, Olynyk ends up on one of these takeaway pieces since he explodes from a recent slump. On night’s that he shines, his three point shooting is usually the reason, but his ability to find mismatches proved to be useful tonight. He has an ability to cut off the ball when a favorable match-up presents itself, allowing him to receive the ball in great position for a layup. The only issue is that those things aren’t utilized on a night to night basis, but when they are like tonight, things click for the team as a whole.

#2: Tyler Herro’s continued unique touch around the rim.

I’ve discussed Tyler Herro in different ways lately due to his evolving play, but his finishing at the rim needs to be mentioned yet again. He had 14 first half points, due to his ability to utilize the backboard on the move, which is not an attribute that is normal for young players. Goran Dragic definitely played a role in that development, since that’s a veteran move that Dragic utilizes when attacking off pick and rolls. His package is still growing as well, especially with minor moves leading to added opportunities when driving. A very impressive first half slight hesitation when driving baseline, led to a nice reverse layup at the rim, and those are types of plays that continue to stand out when evaluating the upside of his offensive game.

Loading
Loading...

#3: Erik Spoelstra figuring out lineups for Andre Iguodala to thrive.

One of the things I mentioned a few weeks ago involving lineups with Andre Iguodala was that it doesn’t seem like a viable option to play him with Butler and Adebayo. It just limits offensive effectiveness due to spacing, which led to Miami’s new rotation. Part of this has something to do with Dragic being out, since Coach Spo is staggering Butler and Adebayo’s minutes, but the Iguodala elements comes into play as well. Most of his minutes lately have come with one of Butler, Adebayo, or Precious Achiuwa, since having three players who can’t stretch the floor as a perimeter threat makes lineups ineffective. If they’re figuring out ways to run these with Dragic out, it’s clear this will continue whenever he returns which will maximize the play of Iguodala moving forward with the bench unit.

#4: Kendrick Nunn finding scoring consistency, while his passing continues to make strides.

Kendrick Nunn has found himself on these takeaway pieces almost every night as of late, and rightfully so due to his consistent offensive play. The only thing that speaks to is that he is overcoming the inconsistent measures that once got labeled to him, but he seems to be very effective throughout the entire game since his insertion into the starting point guard position. But instead of discussing his scoring, or his defensive off-ball presence that I mentioned last night against Stephen Curry, his improving play-making abilities must be touched upon. It is not an overstatement when I say that Nunn’s entire game thrives from confidence, since when shots are dropping, he has much more confidence to throw difficult passes instinctively. Other than a few skip pass mistakes he makes here or there, he can read a half-court offense pretty well, which was displayed tonight once again.

#5: Adebayo and Butler filling stat-sheet with all-around impact, while setting up teammates as scorers.

At times, it’s widely known that Butler and Adebayo could be a bit too passive when their natural scoring talents should be utilized. But when facing a poor defensive team as they did tonight, it’s necessary to attack from all angles. As Luke Walton said before the game, the plan was to stop Butler at all costs from getting to the rim and free throw line by throwing a bunch of bodies at him. And with switching defenders throughout, it led to guys like Kelly Olynyk having easy opportunities match-up wise as described earlier. The point is that these are the games that Miami’s two stars can afford to be unselfish, while filling up the stat-sheet all around tonight led to both Butler and Adebayo getting triple-doubles on the same night.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Warriors

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat blew a decent lead to the Golden State Warriors to lose in overtime. Steph Curry struggled throughout, but showed up when it mattered to close the game out late. Jimmy Butler’s triple double and Bam Adebayo’s overall impact weren’t enough as well, which led to yet another very embarrassing loss for this Heat team. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Bam Adebayo utilizing all-around abilities, leading to Miami’s natural flow.

Bam Adebayo’s first half 10 point, 4 assist, and 2 rebound performance doesn’t explain his overall impact. He was needed more than usual against this Golden State Warriors team for an abundance of reasons. For one, Draymond Green being out means a more controllable offense for Miami. Also, Golden State is the number one switching defense in the NBA, which means he would need to take advantage of certain match-ups. Either way, he did just that throughout, controlling the paint area with his scoring at the rim, but more importantly directing traffic more than usual. When Adebayo’s scoring gets going, everything else kicks in at an elite level.

#2: Kendrick Nunn’s shooting and scoring will be harped on, but don’t overlook his defensive presence.

For starters, let’s acknowledge quickly the offensive presence Kendrick Nunn was against Golden State, making an impact from all three levels. The most consistent level was the three point line, which he continues to look more confident with. But instead of diving into that part of his game that we know is there, his defense must be discussed. He’s not looked at as a great defender, but proved capable of making an impact when necessary. He played terrific defense off the ball on the greatest shooter to ever play the game, Steph Curry, holding him to 1 for 9 from beyond the arc in the first half. There’s a pattern with Nunn’s defense, and it begins with his offensive flow. When shots are falling, defense improves for everybody, but even more so for a guy that derives from confidence like K-Nunn.

#3: Tyler Herro making an impact in other areas as well.

Tyler Herro’s offensive package is rounding out lately, since there’s only one surprising issue that has been apparent: Three-Point shooting. He actually has been consistent with his catch and shoot threes, but pull-up triples have not been falling as much. Once that gets fixed up a bit, that can take Miami to the next level if they can have a sense of consistency. But much like Nunn, let’s not look into his scoring too much. Instead, his 7 rebound first half must be discussed at least a little bit. It’s clear that he is a very great rebounder for his size for a multitude of reasons. He has great instincts to crash the boards, which leads to his aggressive ability to grab the ball off the rim with force. We can discuss the evolution of Herro’s scoring package, but his all-around game improving means he’s evolving into a very complete player.

#4: Precious Achiuwa continues to be an energetic spark with his consistent play.

Precious Achiuwa has been discussed lately from a rotational perspective, instead of an actual basketball impact perspective. But once again tonight, he proved what kind of player he is at the moment. He’s a guy that can make an immediate impact as an energetic spark, as he threw down an open dunk as soon as he got subbed in to begin the game. But more importantly, his consistent and polished play must be noticed. He went through a long Covid layoff, as did the rest of the rookies, while bypassing a Summer League. And all that aside, gets a constant role to replicate the things Bam Adebayo does on both ends of the floor. Although that may sound like a lot, it doesn’t seem to be for Achiuwa, which is why the constant conversation about an increased role will continue.

#5: Not enough fight.

Not enough fight. That’s all that can be said about this late game collapse from Miami. Kent Bazemore’s constant disruption on the offensive glass against Miami led to them falling in overtime. They were out battled, out worked, and out willed to finish this game. There were plenty of open three point looks to put the game out of reach, but couldn’t convert at the end of the fourth quarter or overtime. Finishing games is an important attribute in this league, and it’s an attribute that continues to be a weakness for this Miami Heat team. Playing with a lead continues to be problematic for Miami, since beginning to coast, means beginning to become complacent.

Loading
Loading...