Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

The Awakening of Jimmy Butler Has Arrived

/0 Comments/in , /by

When looking at the current state of the Miami Heat, it’s clear that taking it game by game is necessary since they’re 7-13 through 20 games and sit at the 13th seed in the East.

It’s been a roller coaster of events for the Heat to start the season, but now with a healthy roster, it’s time to takeoff. And more importantly, it’s time for Jimmy Butler to takeoff.

Jimmy has the ability to step up in every facet, as he showed in his first game back after missing three weeks to Covid. This is his team, and he’s now going to prove that yet again.

It has been discussed that saving Jimmy Butler for a playoff run is essential, but in order to make a playoff run, you need to actually get into a playoff seed. And now, he’s going to look to takeover now before it’s too late, and possibly rest later.

He’s the superstar of this Heat team, and he can turn it on at any moment. The only question with him has been when he decides to turn it on, but that time is now. If there’s anything that is known about Jimmy Butler, it’s that he hates losing more than the average person.

Although he declined to speak with media after Monday’s loss, Goran Dragic said yesterday after practice, “It’s no excuses Jimmy said.” The message in the locker room and practice the past 24 hours has to be a strong one. And not just from Jimmy, since Goran said nobody could sleep after their performance.

The point is that not only is Jimmy Butler the star of this team, he’s also the leader. And going from making the Finals to starting the season 7-13 does not sit well with him. Of course he will still be the guy who sets up teammates and gets others involved, but he won’t let it get to the point that it got to Monday night.

If Miami has a 10 point lead against a lower tiered team, you better believe Jimmy will take initiative to close it out so it doesn’t come down to a buzzer beating three point attempt.

As mentioned before, he has a switch that can be turned on at any moment, and starting tonight that switch will be turned on once the whistle blows at 8:00. Jimmy said a few nights ago, “The losing is over,” but now that he had to take that loss right to the chest, it seems as if that may be true now.

Jimmy Butler has been awakened, and now a display of offensive firepower and winning mentality will try and lead Miami back into the mix over this next stretch.

A Breakdown of Miami’s Fourth Quarter Collapse

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat had a tough loss on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets, after they blew a 10 point lead with 3 minutes left. The reason for this late-game collapse had mostly to do with the defensive end, but there were also some offensive issues that led to relying on their less average defenders.

Here’s a look into what happened under three minutes in the fourth…

– Searching for match-ups means more on Bam Adebayo’s plate

When mentioning defensive issues, this was the start of it. Charlotte’s offensively sounded guards began to find favorable match-ups late in the fourth, which led to them blowing by to get to the rim. This consequently means Bam Adebayo is looked toward to step up and stop penetration, but as he was stuck behind Cody Zeller here, it led to a foul call. These are the moments of the game that give a perspective of the many things Bam has to deal with on that end of the floor every night. The next defensive possession after this, Malik Monk took Tyler Herro off the dribble, leading to a leaning mid-range shot in front of the rim. And since shots weren’t falling for Miami offensively, it made defensive possessions even harder.

– Never get out of rhythm

This play was not only a big swing for Tyler Herro, but also the rest of the team. Tyler got the ball in the corner for a wide open triple, and took an unnecessary gather dribble, which took him out of his rhythm leading to a miss. There are many reasons why players should never put the ball on the floor instead of shooting the ball in rhythm. For one, that one dribble is the most unorthodox move for a player, since it’s never used in game. It’s either catch and shoot, or dribbling to shoot in motion. Dribbling once into a shot is not something Tyler or anybody gets many reps of on a daily basis. This swung the shooting confidence for Tyler Herro moving forward, and could’ve extended their lead to nine points.

– Miami misses easy ones, Charlotte makes difficult ones

This was the theme of this Heat-Hornets game late in the fourth quarter, Miami missing an easy shot while Charlotte knocks down a very difficult shot. Defensively on this possession, there’s nothing much you can do since having one of your top defenders, Andre Iguodala, on Devonte Graham at the top of the key is exactly what they wanted. The missed bunny on the offensive end though is the type of shot that is needed to extend the lead at this point. This was the following possession after the Herro missed three, since there was a foul called down low on his missed shot. Miami had two easy opportunities to put themselves in a good position, but couldn’t do it, which led to them relying heavy on the defensive end and that is not ideal with current personnel.

– Late-game indecisiveness leads to empty possessions

This play may not look like anything special since Jimmy Butler made the right read to give it to the open Andre Iguodala, but it’s much more than that. There are teams late in games that go immediately into iso ball, and there are others who continue their normal offense with ball movement. Miami doesn’t seem to know their exact identity at this point of the game, since Jimmy Butler looks to go the isolation route after dribbling for 21 of the 24 second shot clock. But he then does exactly what the defense wanted him to do, which was kicking out to Andre Iguodala on a catch and shoot three. The issue is not that he passed the ball to an open Iggy who was hitting them all night, but instead that these types of possessions prove the uncertainty of Miami as a team late in games.

– A necessary stops needs necessary execution

Now this is the play that truly stood out when discussing defensive execution. Charlotte drew this play up in the timeout, which it was clear it was going to the scorching hot Malik Monk. Cody Zeller ran a dribble hand-off in the exact part of the court Miami wanted them to. Two of Miami’s most trusted defenders are guarding it, Andre Iguodala and Bam Adebayo, but as Iggy gets screened on the end-around, Bam was needed to step up and cut him off. They’re looking for the triple as they trail by 3 with 20 seconds left. And as mentioned, if Bam cut him off, Monk would’ve had to dump it off to Cody Zeller, which is exactly what you want at that point of the game. Small defensive issues like this led to a Miami loss, especially since Miami’s offense at this point could not be relied on either.

A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Return

/0 Comments/in , /by

Well, Jimmy Butler returned on Saturday night in a way that not many people could have expected. 30 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 turnovers. One of the most impressive parts about his offensive display was the ability to get to the free throw line, going 14/16 from the stripe, which I won’t highlight here since there’s no need for a foul line montage.

Anyway, here are some of the things that stood out from his return against the Sacramento Kings…

– A Bam plan, A Butler attacker

Luke Walton discussed this unique season before the game, since Miami has been without Jimmy Butler for a few weeks, meaning the film they looked over will change majorly. And that defensive plan continued early on, since the focus seemed to be on Bam so much as the roller, so Jimmy Butler had easy opportunities at the rim as seen above. After missing that huge amount of time, getting easy buckets early on was important for his overall scoring success leading to a 30 point night. But more importantly, when Sacramento altered their defense a bit, others had increased opportunities which is basically the entire Jimmy Butler experience.

– Butler reads, Butler knocks it down

The Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo pick and roll was a good thing to see after the long absence, especially since things will look differently as Bam continues to expand his range. But as seen above, Bam allowing Jimmy to get to his favorite spots around the rim for floaters and push-shots are the most important things for a flowing offense. The discussion has been about Bam’s aggression, but Jimmy confidently getting shots on goal when given space is so great to see. The reason I bring these plays up is because this PnR has so much potential. For one, Bam Adebayo is one of the best screen setters and roll threats in the NBA, but allowing Butler to have an open middle floor to throw a lob, kick to the corner, or attempt an open shot in the paint, will lead to many good things for Miami.

– Playing the game at a needed speed

Jimmy’s ability to play the game at his own speed was on display against the Kings, and he doesn’t just have one speed. When he notices a necessity to pick up the pace, he does that by charging down the floor in transition when an opportunity presents itself. But he’s also able to slow the game down and calm the young guys, which is exactly what Miami has been missing. More importantly though, his methodical movements when attacking the basket one-on-one showcase that game speed ability. As seen here, he attacks the center off the dribble as Buddy Hield slides over to switch. As Buddy is sliding over, Jimmy gives him a slight ball-fake to give him the sliver of space needed to lay it in. These small things in his game are still so impressive.

– Jimmy penetration and Precious roaming leads to easy scores

The Butler and Achiuwa minutes were some of the most surprising in my opinion, since they were more effective than originally expected. Of course Precious continues to be able to fit in with just about anybody, but seeing the way his game compliments Jimmy was interesting. As discussed before, Jimmy’s ability to get to the basket in unique ways is clear, but it’s also when he looks to play-make the most, usually ending in cross court kick-outs. But with Precious’ ability to roam the baseline and have nonstop activity around the rim, it leads to easy scores for each of them. On the first play, Hassan Whiteside stepped up leading to an open, rolling Precious Achiuwa for a nice score in traffic. The second clip shows their ability to play off each other as discussed previously. Jimmy draws two perimeter defenders when attacking, and also gets Whiteside in the air, leading to a dump-off pass to Precious for a dunk. Yet another reason the Precious role change is coming.

– The vocal leader is back

Aside from Jimmy Butler’s on-court play for a moment, his leadership on the floor has been missed. With under a minute to play, Coach Spo went with an interesting closing lineup with Max Strus. And when Strus tried to make an extra pass to the corner after a Butler kick-out, Jimmy looked to let him know. The thing about this team that is constantly discussed is that they all hold each other accountable and yell at each other, but nobody takes it personal. It’s just the competitive spirit of the team since everybody just wants to win, and not only does the organization hold them to a certain standard, their leader and star Jimmy Butler does as well. Miami getting Jimmy back just means everything can run smoother just through his presence, and that was seen against Sacramento.

– The reason for the superstar label

Well, this play had to be noted just because of the importance and story-line behind it regarding Jimmy Butler. For starters, Erik Spoelstra mentioned Jimmy was going to make sure to guard him on that possession since he wasn’t going to let them lose, and that further proves the reason for the superstar status regarding Butler. As seen on the play, he has a defensive ability to be ultra-aggressive, without committing a foul itself, which is not an easy thing to balance. Another reason he was so confident in going for the double team is because he knows his running mate, Bam Adebayo, had him covered if a cross-court pass was made. And as seen, Bam came up big to get Miami a much needed win after the recent losing streak. Getting these late game defensive reps only makes you more confident in this team moving forward.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Kings

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat went down to the wire with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, and finally came away with a win. Jimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala returned tonight, while Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley were still out. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Jimmy Butler is back, and looks like Jimmy Butler.

Well, Jimmy Butler scoring 20 first half points tonight says enough about him as a player. After missing the amount of time that he missed, he returned without skipping a beat. Miami struggled getting into a rhythm offensively throughout, and Jimmy did the things that he usually did in those moments, getting to the rim and the free throw line. He went 8-8 from the free throw line in the first half, which changes a bunch of things for a stagnant Miami offense. It’s automatically seen that Jimmy changes everything on both ends of the floor just through his presence. It’s just harder to notice when the players around him struggle from beyond the arc. The bottom line though is that a team with Jimmy Butler is a completely different team, and once they get some games together with the full team, improvements will be clear.

#2: Gabe Vincent gets his number called over Kendrick Nunn.

The big question after Kendrick Nunn’s recent high level play was where he’d fit in once everybody returned. And well, even with two of Miami’s guards out, Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley, he didn’t get the expected minutes. Gabe Vincent hit the floor for quite some time tonight, which is definitely surprising, but not a bad move. Vincent’s size allows him to compete on the defensive end much more, and on a night where three point shots still weren’t falling, he seemed like the right way to go. Kendrick was the correct decision when Jimmy was out, since he can run many of Miami’s offensive sets and get to the basket. The point is that it’s hard to predict the direction that Miami goes with any rotational moves, especially in this unique NBA season.

#3: KZ Okpala gets the start, but his weaknesses become clearer.

After KZ Okpala has shown many positive flashes in small spurts, his fit with a normal Miami starting lineup was finally seen. The weaknesses that have been discussed are on the offensive end, and it mostly has to do with his offensive placement. There’s still uncertainty about his offensive role, since he’s just not a spot-up shooter and that seems to be his current placing. The problem is that when he attacks or cuts to the basket off the ball, he doesn’t look at the basket, and that needs to change. Some problems were apparent on the defensive end as well, like unnecessary aggression leading to fouls or easy backdoor buckets. One-on-one defense out on the perimeter usually looks pretty strong, but when bigger players attack, it’s hard for him to stop them with his small frame. The expectation level he has come in with has hurt him a bit, but it hasn’t changed the outlook from the team and coaching staff.

#4: Tyler Herro continuing to build onto his offensive package.

I’m pretty sure everybody is aware of the current state of Tyler Herro as an offensive player, but his scoring improvements have been seen. The part that was shown tonight was mostly out of the pick and roll, since defenses are beginning to play him much differently. Once he notices the big back pedaling and the guard trailing, he immediately steps back in the mid-range area into a dead spot. That’s the part of his game that is most important, since the actual shot-making part is not much of a worry. This exact type of play was seen frequently tonight, which is promising for his overall offensive package. He did seem to take quite a step back offensively with the starting unit, since he played off the ball, but maybe that’s best in spurts for his overall effectiveness over an entire game.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s offensive role with Jimmy Butler still in question.

The big question coming into this Heat game tonight was how Bam Adebayo steps up as a scorer once Jimmy Butler returns. And well, it seems as if his motto still is efficiency over attempts, which may not be the best thing at times. Bam had a bunch of bigs being thrown his way tonight, and it seemed like stopping Bam was at the top of the scouting report, but when he is given the space to shoot the jumper, it needs to be taken advantage of. I’ve discussed the necessity for him to get to the basket, but with a packed paint tonight, his usual mid-range attempts should’ve increased. It’s only the first game that Jimmy returned, which means there’s plenty of time for this to progress.

Jimmy Butler Returns, Duncan Robinson Rises

/0 Comments/in , /by

This two game stretch against Brooklyn gave Duncan Robinson a sighting that he’s never seen before: A shooting slump.

At times, it didn’t seem like it was genuinely possible to have a shooting slump, since if he’s open, he hits it, and if he’s getting blanketed, he opens up the floor for others.

It’s pretty clear that this wouldn’t last very long in any circumstance, but especially since Jimmy Butler is set to return this week.

The Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson connection is always harped on, and rightfully so since that dribble hand-off is one of the most deadly offensive sets. But ultimately, Jimmy Butler impacts the game for Duncan more than anybody on the floor.

The reason is that both of them represent that offensive gravity in two opposite ways. Robinson out on the perimeter since a team can’t ever leave him open, and Butler around the rim since defenders collapse when he attacks the basket.

Once Jimmy Butler returns this week, you’ll begin to see more and more opportunities for Duncan begin to open up. And I think everybody’s confident that the shots will then begin to fall.

The stats prove this to be true as well, since when Duncan and Jimmy share the floor, it’s a top 3 duo in points, field goal %, assists, and more. Even though it’ll take time for Jimmy Butler to get back into a regular scoring role, his impact will be on display upon arrival, which is the moment everything changes for this team.

One thing I’ve mentioned about this team without Jimmy is that there’s a mutual theme. This team has enough heart to battle every single night while being shorthanded, but not having their closer ultimately means that the team comes out with a loss.

This translates to Duncan Robinson’s fourth quarter struggles as of late. This is the first time in his career that not only is he at the top of scouting reports, but also looked upon to lead Miami to victory at the end of the game. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were the usual go to guys in those situations, while Duncan can hit a three here or there when necessary.

But now, everybody knows who the ball is going to when Miami needs a triple to get back into it.

We learned a lot about every single player on this team over this shorthanded stretch. And although Bam Adebayo’s breakout is headlining it, my point about Jimmy’s impact on Duncan has proved to be a true statement.

If Miami can become whole this week, everything should return normal. But the only thing that should stay the same is Miami’s new number one offensive option, Bam Adebayo.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Win Over Washington

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat played a short-handed Washington Wizards team on Saturday night, and came away with the win. The Miami Heat looked pretty sharp offensively throughout, which clearly won them this game. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Miami comes out on fire offensively, but invisible defensively.

The Miami Heat set a franchise first quarter record tonight, scoring 47 points on 78% shooting. Only issue was that Washington put up 44 points as well in that first quarter. As much as we can discuss Miami’s impressive shooting early, the defense is what truly needs to be keyed in on. The reason for that is because you’re playing a team without their two best players, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. A lack of individual efforts on defense was obvious, since there seemed to be a lack of urgency. That is not surprising, since that is what usually happens when going into a game against a team without their top players. It comes down to intensity on that end of the floor, and they didn’t have it early in this game.

#2: Kelly Olynyk having one of those Kelly Olynyk like games.

In Miami’s impressive first quarter scoring display, Kelly Olynyk was one of the players that truly shined. It is known that Kelly is capable of having those type of shooting games, but it just come down to consistency. Tonight was one of those games though, where he just couldn’t miss from deep. He also used his nightly fake hand-off, which usually ends up with an open layup at the rim. It was especially needed for Kelly Olynyk to have this type of performance tonight, since Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa each had three early fouls. Obviously nothing can be replicated on defense or by rebounding, but the offensive boost was a huge positive for this team.

Loading
Loading...

#3: Goran Dragic getting back to his normal shooting abilities.

Goran Dragic, surprisingly, hasn’t been shooting the ball great to begin the year. Heading into this game, he was shooting 25% from beyond the arc. But he came out in the first quarter going 4 for 4 from three, which i discussed before the game since Washington’s lackluster defense can give those types of guys the rhythm they’ve been looking for. Those 4 triples were his only scores in the first half, and actually his only four attempts, but he used his passing to create for others on offense. The defense began to fly high, which led to him dribbling right by for a kick to the opposite wing or corner for a three. And that right there is the Goran Dragic effect.

#4: Tyler Herro showcases his great touch around the rim.

Tyler Herro was scoring the ball well tonight against the Wizards, mostly by attacking the basket with the ball in his hands. He seems to have great touch around the rim when using the basket, almost Goran-like, and showed his aggressiveness to get to the rim. He also cuts off the ball quite a lot, and against a defense like Washington, he found himself open a few times. And once he begins to get his scoring going, his play-making begins to look better and better. Not only did he score the ball well tonight, but he scored it efficiently, and that’s more important than anything.

#5: Jimmy Butler’s offensive initiative was this Heat team’s staple.

Although many of Miami’s players exploded on offense in that first quarter, nobody scored the ball as consistently as Jimmy Butler did tonight. He clearly could score the ball at will tonight against this poor Washington defense, and chose to do just that throughout the game. He probably could’ve done it a lot more, but that’s just not Jimmy’s game. Well, unless he’s in the finals. I’m pretty sure everybody is aware that Jimmy is more than capable of taking over on offense when needed, but if there was uncertainty, tonight should’ve cleared that up. Once again, there’s not much to takeaway when it’s against a team you’re supposed to beat, but Butler can do exactly that against pretty much anybody.

Could Miami’s Biggest Downfall Be Unselfishness?

/0 Comments/in , /by

I’ve gone through the different problems with this Heat team since the beginning of the season, including turnovers, lack of shot attempts, and rebounding. But the reason for a good portion of their issues seem to be unselfishness.

One thing I saw last night was that lineups that include their three best players, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, did not seem to be as effective as when they played with only two of them.

But why is that exactly?

Well, all three of those guys are pretty unselfish players, which means there is a lack of clarity on who the main aggressor will be on any given possession.

The main reason Miami put themselves in a hole last night was due to one word: Over-Passing.

And that doesn’t just pertain to the lineup with Jimmy, Goran, and Bam, since Tyler Herro and others are guilty of doing it a ton.

There are moments in the game where Tyler just needs to be Tyler and get shots up on the basket. Instead, he gives an extra pass or throws it out to the corner on the drive, when his original shot would’ve been the best shot.

When players on a team are selfish, it impacts the quality of the locker room. When players on a team are unselfish, it impacts their play on the floor.

The turnovers and lack of shot attempts have a lot to do with the over-passing, since if they just focus on getting the ball up on their first opportunity, that fixes some things. As Coach Erik Spoelstra has said, the main thing is getting “shots on goal,” and when the shot attempts are 99-81 in a game, it’s hard to come out with a win.

And if there was any team where you’d feel better about the quantity of shots, instead of the quality, it would be this Heat team. They have plenty of offensive firepower to get them going, and that rhythm will ultimately carry over to their energy on the defensive end and the boards.

It just seems as if the unselfishness is the common factor between all of Miami’s issues. When Jimmy Butler began to be selfish offensively yesterday, it caused a huge Miami run to end the second quarter.

Jimmy Butler knows when it is time for him to be selfish, and that’s the trait that I believe is necessary for Bam Adebayo to pick up as well. There’s no reason for Daniel Theis to have more field goal attempts than Bam in a game like this. And once Miami’s young guys begin to realize being selfish is needed, things will begin to turnaround.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Loss Against Boston

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced off against the Boston Celtics, in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch, and Miami fell short after the late efforts from Duncan Robinson. After trailing by 10 with less than 2 minutes to go, Miami tied the game with 10 seconds left, but a Payton Pritchard tip in gave them the lead with 0.2 seconds left. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Precious Achiuwa continues to show promising flashes.

For starters, Precious Achiuwa had the only positive plus-minus at the half, +10, while Bam Adebayo was a -18 at the half. The parts that truly stood out for Precious were on the defensive side of the basketball, particularly guarding Jayson Tatum. One of the league’s top pure scorers taking a rookie one-on-one seems to be an obvious result, but not when Precious Achiuwa is lined up across from him. He had two promising possessions where he altered Tatum’s jump shot, which is not an easy thing to do. His constant movement on defense is another thing that stands out when watching him play, while his offensive game will continue to develop. His ability to be a threat on the roll is enough impact right now, since it’s a huge bonus for Goran Dragic.

#2: Miami’s top 3 players look to be more effective when their minutes are staggered.

One thing that stood out when I watched tonight’s game against Boston was the lineups that included Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo. Automatically you’d think that lineup would be most effective since it includes your three best players, but I don’t know if that’s exactly the case. They seem to struggle when they share the floor together at times offensively, but why is that exactly? It could possibly be due to the uncertainty of who should take assertiveness. Most times when they share the court together, you begin to see an immense amount of over-passing. So does that mean these three guys are a bit too unselfish? I believe so. It’s only the seventh game, so that will change as the season progresses, but once playoff time hits I think they all know who the main aggressor will be.

#3: Boston takes advantage of Miami’s interior defense.

Boston began the game going 5/6 from three, which may have you looking at Miami’s defensive issues being out on the perimeter. But that wasn’t the case exactly. The Celtics began to take advantage of the paint area, especially when they were using their two big lineups with Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson. Now, that may have had something to do with their priority changing to the perimeter talents of Jayson Tatum and Jaylon Brown getting hot, but allowing easy bucket after easy bucket around the basket does not help your chances against a team like Boston. The Heat have gone to a bunch of small lineups that have included Jimmy Butler or Andre Iguodala at the 4, and it doesn’t help when Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk have less rebounds at the half than Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. The lack of defensive stops in the paint have resulted in Miami being a bottom tier rebounding team.

#4: There’s one reason for Miami’s run at the end of the second quarter and early third quarter: Jimmy Butler.

Miami went on a little run to end the second quarter, once Jimmy Butler seemed to take control of the offense. Then they went on an even bigger run to start the third quarter, which was headlined by Duncan Robinson. Although Duncan was hitting some much needed shots, it was all set up by the gravity of Jimmy Butler. He was having one of those nights where he was going to take it into your chest on his way to the basket, and that ultimately means more opportunities on the perimeter. There was one common factor during this run, Jimmy Butler was on the floor the entire team. The impact of Jimmy should not be understated, since his presence alone makes his teammates better.

#5: Andre Iguodala’s impact against good teams proves to be a huge positive moving forward.

Andre Iguodala hit some much needed threes throughout the game tonight, which is all Miami needs from him. If he can hit the corner three at a good rate, that is huge for Miami’s bench unit offensively. Andre also did a good job of facilitating as well, setting up their shooters late in the game consistently. The games Iggy is needed most is when he is playing against a top team like Boston. High IQ veterans who can control the pace of the game are needed in these types of games. And more importantly, it provides clarity of what will be seen in a playoff setting. Andre is an important piece of this Heat team, mostly since the chemistry of that bench unit continues to be on display.

Miami Heat: Regaining Confidence and Regaining Clarity

/0 Comments/in , /by

Although Miami won a game that they were expected to win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it holds more value than you may think.

For starters, the confidence factor. This is across the board for everybody, but that starts with Jimmy Butler. He got some easy buckets at the start of the game, which was needed since him setting the tone was essential.

Also, the recent lack of 2 point shot attempts for Miami this season falls on Jimmy, since he is their primary attacker.

Duncan Robinson hitting 4 threes in the first half, after going 0-5 in the first half against Dallas is also very important. As I mentioned before the game, this match-up with OKC was a rhythm game. Getting Duncan back into his normal shooting rhythm holds value heading into Wednesday’s game against Boston.

So regaining that confidence was important for this team right now, but it wasn’t as important as regaining clarity.

Sixth different starting lineup in six games definitely doesn’t scream clarity, but maybe the slogan should be sixth time’s a charm.

Miami now has a clear 9 man rotation that they can go to on a regular basis, since this issue all along has been the 5th starter. I’ve been discussing keeping the main four guys off the bench together, since there is obvious continuity between them. The Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa offensive importance, and the Avery Bradley and Andre Iguodala defensive importance.

The fifth starter needed to be a guy that fits next to Bam Adebayo, can space the floor, and keep Miami in a good flow. And well, Kelly Olynyk did just that.

This does not mean Erik Spoelstra won’t change some things up with the starters or rotation going forward, but as of right now, he has his core group.

Miami needed both confidence and clarity these past few games, and it looks like they already have both after the sixth regular season game. And I believe that has a lot to do with the return of Jimmy Butler.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over OKC Thunder

/0 Comments/in , /by

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

#1: Jimmy Butler gets going out the gate.

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

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

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

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

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

#4: Miami finds a comfortable 9 man rotation.

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

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

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