Tag Archive for: Jimmy Butler

3 Keys for the Miami Heat to Win Game Three

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The Miami Heat are currently down 0-2 in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. There has been a lot of adjustments that have been made in the rotation, due to the absence of Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo. Although Bam is doubtful to play in game three, there is still a chance for him to play since he went to shoot-around this morning. Either way, here are some keys for game three…

#1: Miami must capitalize on their strength, which is three-point shooting.

This one seems fairly obvious, but since they haven’t shot the ball well from deep in the first two games of the series, it’s even more important now. If Miami wants to win in game three, they have to continue to shoot the ball without hesitation. Even if the shooting becomes problematic again, they must continue to get shots up since there’s no need to get away from their game. Obviously missing Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo has hurt it a bit, since Bam’s ability to work dribble hand-offs with his elite screen setting is very essential. Goran also helps shooters get going, since his ability to attack opens up the game for others. But either way, there’s no excuses to not shoot the ball well. They have more than enough guys who are capable of getting hot, and if they go cold once again, it’ll be a hard game to win.

#2: Although Miami can’t match the Lakers length, they must bring physicality.

As mentioned, Miami clearly can’t compete with the Lakers plethora of bigs, especially Anthony Davis. But what they can do is bring physicality to make Anthony Davis and others uncomfortable. This needs to happen if Bam Adebayo is playing or not. A perfect example is the first half of game one. Although they weren’t completely stopping those guys, they were making them work. If you don’t put a body on a roaming Anthony Davis when playing zone defense, it’ll be a long game for Miami. Also, I’d say that Miami will go to man a little bit more in game three, so they can throw a bunch of different guys at AD, much like they did against Giannis. Obviously you can’t do it to the same extent, since LeBron James is on the floor as well, but the Lakers run on the production of Anthony Davis. If Miami can make him uncomfortable, it’ll give them a shot to win this game.

#3: Miami will need to have one scorer stand out from the rest.

The scoring column in game two was pretty even throughout for Miami, but without Goran and Bam that can’t be the case. They will need to have one guy stand out offensively to put a stamp on game three. This is something that Miami hasn’t done much of, since they rely so heavily on their role players, but that may need to change tonight. There’s still many guys capable of doing so, including Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, or maybe a big game for Duncan Robinson or Kendrick Nunn. If somebody can play the role that Goran has played throughout this playoff run, it’ll open up the game for others. Jimmy Butler tried to do that in game two, but ultimately I feel Tyler Herro will step up in game three.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Two Loss to Lakers

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The Miami Heat were without Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic in game two, which led to a loss, 124-114. Jimmy Butler battled throughout, while others stepped up into the rotation. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Jimmy Butler controls the pace early by doing everything on offensive end.

It was obvious that Jimmy Butler was going to need to take control of the offense in game two, and he did it in the most Jimmy Butler way. He continued to try and get his teammates going, which led to him dishing out eight assists in the first half. But when the three point shots aren’t falling, which will be discussed down the line, it’s tough for him to continue to play this way. He was doing everything he possibly could to try and get Miami this win, but there’s ony so much you can do without Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic. He did control the pace early as well, getting to the free throw line to try and slow the game down. This was just another representation of that Jimmy Butler impact.

#2: The Lakers control the paint once again.

The Los Angeles Lakers continued to take advantage of their length in game two, which led to them working the ball inside the paint. The zone definitely wasn’t helping either, since they seemed to have it figured out. Anthony Davis would cut down the baseline, which led to a bunch of easy layups and dunks. It’s also no easier to control Anthony Davis when Bam Adebayo isn’t on the floor. It was clear the Lakers would take advantage of this going in, but Miami needs to take advantage of their own strength, which is three point shooting. If they don’t capitalize on that, it’ll be tough for them to win.

#3: Six first half threes won’t cut it.

The three point shooting in the first half wasn’t ideal for Miami, only hitting 6 threes. Duncan Robinson’s 1 for 6 from deep in the first half was no help either, and with him struggling, it’s an even harder task for Jimmy Butler. Ultimately, even though the threes weren’t falling, you must continue to get the shots up. The only way you can get yourself back into the game is to play to your strengths, which is the shooting once again. Playing without Goran Dragic definitely hurt them offensively as well, since he’s a guy that they can always look to when the offense is choppy. The Duncan Robinson struggles may have had something to do with Bam not being out there, due to dribble hand-offs, screens, and the option of passing out of shot attempts to the roller.

#4: Anthony Davis’ outstanding performance is hard to beat.

Anthony Davis just showed once again why he is a star in this league. He was going to need to take control of this game, since he had a favorable match-up with Bam Adebayo out. He was doing it from absolutely everywhere on the floor, especially around the rim on offensive rebounds. Miami clearly couldn’t compete with AD above the rim due to the lack of bigs with that type of athleticism. He scored 32 points on 75% shooting, and grabbed 14 rebounds. And once again, when you don’t have Bam Adebayo to guard him one-on-one and play the zone, it makes it that much worse. There’s no way to stop Anthony Davis, but having Bam Adebayo out there to try and slow him down would’ve been pretty valuable.

#5: Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic were clearly missed.

This obviously goes without saying, but Miami missed Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic tonight. For starters, Bam Adebayo on the defensive end was much needed. A guy that you can throw at the offensively gifted Anthony Davis, but more importantly a guy that can thrive down low in the zone. Also, his screen setting and play-making abilities were missed offensively, which was a major reason the shooting wasn’t at their elite levels. Goran Dragic was also needed, since he would’ve been key in getting the offense flowing. His ability to attack the basket draws so much attention, that it opens up shooters as well. And lets not forget how great of a shooter Goran can be when called upon. Once again, it goes without saying, but Miami needs their offensive and defensive engines to win.

3 Keys for the Miami Heat to Win Game 2 of NBA Finals

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The Miami Heat are currently down in the series, 1-0, against the Los Angeles Lakers. It seemed to get worse and worse for Miami after game one, since Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo are both doubtful for game two. Here’s what must happen for Miami to get a huge win in game two…

#1: Rookie experience turns into rookie production.

It’s not normal for a team to look towards two rookies in the NBA finals to take the offensive load, but that’s exactly what Miami will do. For starters, it’s clear that Tyler Herro doesn’t shy away from big moments, even though he struggled a bit in game one. He even told media, “I don’t think there is much pressure,” which further proves he’s ready for this. Tyler won’t be the only rookie depended on in game two, since Kendrick Nunn will be getting his number called as well. He’s been the big talk around this team recently, since he showed up big in the second half of game one, and will be back in the rotation for Goran Dragic. Kendrick relies solely on confidence, and now he seems as confident as ever heading into tonight’s game. Tyler and Kendrick will need to grow up quick, since they will not be looked at as rookies anymore. Instead, they are the keys to the offense.

#2: The Justice Winslow trade assets show up big with increased minutes.

Miami acquired Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Soloman Hill in a trade for Justice Winslow at the trade deadline, and it has clearly payed off. Now, it will need to prove so once again, since they will be getting increased minutes due to Miami’s injuries. Miami will need all of them to show up at their absolute best, Jae Crowder with his shooting, Andre Iguodala with his leadership and impact, and Soloman Hill with his defensive presence. It’s no longer about stars winning them these games. Now, it’s about role players playing to the best of their abilities. This is where the Heat culture will be on display. The grit, scrappiness, and intensity will need to shine in game two, and that will start with Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Soloman Hill.

#3: Jimmy Butler takes over the game, doing it for the injured Goran Dragic.

Even though many believe Miami is losing hope in winning this NBA finals, Jimmy Butler “begs to differ.” Even with Goran Dragic out, he told media “He’s carried us to this point. It’s only right we pay that back to him now.” And that’s exactly what he will need to do. He was hunting to score the ball in game one right out of the gate, which is what will be needed again in game two. He’s clearly capable of doing so, but he constantly says when he gets others around him going, it translates to wins. The only difference is that usually when they go through tough stretches, Goran would take initiative to get a bucket and get them out of it. Now that responsibility is on Jimmy Butler. If he plays at peak Jimmy Butler levels, Miami can win this game, and it’ll all be for the injured Goran Dragic.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss in Game One of NBA Finals

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The Miami Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-98, on a tough night for Miami. The loss wasn’t the worst part of the night for Miami, since they suffered some tough injuries throughout. Here are my takeaways from this game…

#1: Jimmy Butler lives up to “Jimmy Buckets” nickname out of the gate.

The beginning of the first quarter was looking pretty promising for Miami, since their offense was clicking behind the attack of Jimmy Butler. He came out with that offensive aggression once again, even hitting two early threes in the corner. He’s a guy that is fairly capable of doing this, but he knows that the team plays better when everyone else gets rolling. Jimmy went down with an apparent ankle injury towards the end of the second quarter, but seemed to be okay. It’s clear that Miami needs a 100% healthy Jimmy Butler for Miami to win some games in this series, but ultimately it’ll take a lot more than just Jimmy.

#2: Los Angeles Lakers’ role players step up, which were shots that Miami was going to allow.

Miami’s game-plan heading into this series with the Lakers was clear, double team LeBron James and Anthony Davis when they get the ball in their spots, and make the others around them beat you. And well, that’s exactly what the role guys did. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope got going early, while Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, and others followed right behind. Ultimately, this will not be the case going forward. Miami will continue to make those guys hit shots, and if they do, they will live with that. A lot of that though falls on their defensive issues, which will be discussed next.

#3: Miami’s defensive issues allow Lakers to pull away.

It was expected that Miami would be ready to compete defensively in this series, throwing many different schemes out there on the floor. But that wasn’t exactly the case. For starters, Miami’s defensive movement wasn’t where they’d like it to be. And also, although the role guys were hitting threes, containing the paint was the issue. You are not going to stop LeBron James and Anthony Davis from doing what they do, but you must make it tough on them. They were pretty much doing what they wanted when attacking the rim, and obviously AD got to work on the glass against the smaller lineups. These issues were clear, and it’ll be looked to be tweaked by game two.

#4: Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo injuries hold some question marks.

The Jimmy Butler injury occurred late in the second quarter, when he tweaked his left ankle. He ended up staying on the floor, but then even more news came in. Tyler Herro started in place of Goran Dragic to start the second half, and it was reported that he was doubtful to return with a left foot injury. Some fear that this is a series ending injury.

Bam Adebayo also went to the locker room in the third quarter, after getting his left arm tangled up, which appeared to re-injure his shoulder. He ended up not returning, which they listed it as a shoulder strain, but luckily the x-rays came back negative. Miami is already facing some on-court issues against this Lakers team, and these injury issues aren’t making it any easier. Miami’s depth is their advantage though, which means if anything is significant, they will be plugging in some guys down the roster including Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, and others.

#5: Eyes are now on Erik Spoelstra.

Erik Spoelstra has had an outstanding playoff run since he’s implemented so many successful things on both sides of the ball. But now, it’s time for him to adjust once again. This doesn’t mean to flip their defensive game-plan, but they need to get back to their roots and increase intensity yet again. This could mean that we see a rotational change, maybe even seeing some Kelly Olynyk or Meyers Leonard minutes to get some bigger bodies on the floor. We will probably see Kendrick Nunn back in the rotation as well if Goran Dragic is out for the rest of the series. Either way, an adjustment will be made for game two. And there’s no better coach to do it than Erik Spoelstra.

Heat-Lakers NBA Finals 2020: How They Match Up

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Miami has its work cut out for them in the NBA Finals as they will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers present unique matchup problems for Miami. L.A. has two first-team All-NBA players in James and Anthony Davis surrounded by a host of savvy veteran players with championship experience. However, styles make fights and Miami may have a puncher’s chance.

 

The Heat played Los Angeles twice during the regular season in which the Lakers came away with wins in both games. The Lakers cruised to a 95-80 in the Staples Center in the early part of the season. Jimmy Butler led Miami with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Bam Adebayo chipped in 11 points and 9 boards and Goran Dragic had 19 with 7 assists. 

 

Miami was outrebounded 48-37 in the game, with Javale McGee, Davis and James combining for 22 of those boards. Ball movement was also lacking for Miami in the game. The Heat finished with only 18 assists compared to the 30 for L.A. It was the ninth game of the season.

 

The second win came down to a Davis shot late that led to a 113-110 thriller in Miami. Again, Butler was Miami’s leading scorer with 23 and Kendrick Nunn added 16 points in 36 minutes. Even with Bam grabbing 12 boards, Miami was still outrebounded by the Lakers, 50-34. Again McGee, Davis, LeBron and Dwight Howard led in those efforts.

 

Both rosters have seen major overhauls since they last met. Both Nunn and Meyers Leonard were starters and now neither player is in the rotation. Miami had yet to trade for Andre Iguodala or Jae Crowder, both who figure to play major roles in this series. And then there is Dion Waiters, who the Heat can’t seem to get rid of no matter what they do.

 

The Lakers are without Avery Bradley, a major contributor and starter during the regular season. Rajon Rondo and Alex Caruso have seen their roles increase as a result. However, the main thing is still the main thing for the Lakers. James and Davis have lived up to their reputations as top-5 players in the league in the bubble. They will continue to be the engines for everything L.A. will try to do.

 

The Lakers will be the prohibitive favorite in this series, but that has been the case for the Heat in nearly every series. In each instance, where the opponents figured to have more talent, Miami has been able to win using a variety of methods. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has engineered strategies to neutralize league-MVP Giannis Antentokoumpto and bewilder the ultra-talented Boston Celtics. 

 

Miami has used hard-nosed defense and efficient offense to overcome what some view as a talent disparity in respect to their opponent. The key to this series will be if Miami can find a way to bother the Lakers dynamic duo. Easier said than done, right? Miami has the advantage in terms of guard play and overall depth. Outside of James and AD, the Lakers roster leaves a lot to be desired. The two average 25 and 26, respectively. Kyle Kuzma is the team’s next highest scorer at 12.

 

Miami’s balanced attack has six players averaging double figures in the postseason, led by Dragic at 21 points per game. Tyler Herro, who scored 14 points total in the two regular season meetings, will add an element that the Heat were lacking before the bubble. If he continues his current level of play, he could lead Miami’s bench against a lackluster Laker second unit. 

 

Other factors include Miami’s ability to throw multiple bodies at James, 3-point shooting, defensive matchups and smallball lineups. 

 

Butler, Crowder and Iguodala are all veteran defenders with experience covering LeBron. Bam may also spend a few possessions on him as well. Having that experience, albeit regular season except for Iguodala, should bode well in terms of making James work for his baskets. Bam seems to be the only reasonable matchup for AD. There is nobody else on the roster with the combination of length, athleticism and speed to deal with him. Having Duncan Robinson guard Danny Green keeps him out of foul trouble and on the floor. Unless……ya know…….the refs call some more of those invisible Duncan fouls they love so much.

 

If LA is going to start two bigs, that could also work in Miami’s favor depending on if Crowder finds his shot. In the past four games, Crowder has been left wide open for three. He will need to convert in this series to maximize the floor spacing. Forcing LA to play smaller is Miami’s best chance to keep this series competitive because they don’t have the bigs to deal with Davis, McGee and Howard.

 

Ultimately, this series will be the most difficult of them all, as it should be. The Lakers will be the ultimate test. If the previous series are any indication, the Heat will be prepared.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Series Ending Win over Boston

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The Miami Heat are going to the NBA finals, after beating the Celtics, 125-113, in game six. Bam Adebayo showcases his excellence in an outstanding performance. Here are my five takeaways…

#1: Jimmy Butler comes out firing.

Jimmy Butler had a game-plan heading into game six, when he didn’t even shoot around before the game since he “had it covered.” Well, he seemed to have it covered in the first quarter, when he continued to attack the basket and control the mid-range. He seemed fairly confident taking those jumpers, which is always important with Jimmy. This ultimately leads to getting the rest of the team going, since it opens up shooting. Miami’s shooting wasn’t looking good to start the game though, which led to Jimmy trying to play-make around the rim to cutters. When Jimmy is assertive like this, he’s hard to slow down.

#2: Bam Adebayo showcases first half paint presence on offense, but so did Boston.

Bam Adebayo was controlling the paint on offense early once again, drawing fouls due to his aggressiveness. But his ability to play above the rim was on full effect tonight. Although you’d think that would give Miami an early lead, Boston was getting busy down low as well, utilizing Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and Robert Williams. The zone defense seemed to be a bit of an issue, most likely since Boston’s preparation for it was starting to show. But ultimately, Bam mentioned he’d need to take initiative in game six, which he did. The offense was once again running through him, but shooting ultimately helps him even more. This team runs on the production of Bam Adebayo.

#3: Jae Crowder not having his best game shooting the ball, finds other ways to be impactful.

Jae Crowder came out in game six once again cold from beyond the arc. When you’d think that would his confidence, it does the complete opposite. It then forces him to be productive in other areas. Instead of just sitting around by the three point line, he cuts to the basket back door for layups and attacks the basket. And now to the defensive end, he is truly a disruption on each and every play. Contesting shots, battling for rebounds, active hands on help defense. It was all on display tonight. Even on his toughest of shooting nights, he finds ways to help this team win.

#4: Andre Iguodala is familiar with these moments, and he shows up once again.

Andre Iguodala is the true definition of not showing up in a stat sheet. Not a natural scorer, just a natural winner. Well, that’s wasn’t the case tonight, since he was playing like a natural scorer. It was evident veterans were going to need to step up in this game, but not many would’ve thought it’d be a big time shooting performance. During Miami’s most crucial stretch, he showed up big time. And once again that’s not even discussing the other things he does every single game. Facilitating, defending, play-making. But ultimately, the scoring shined through those things, since he’s very familiar with these big moments.

#5: The Miami Heat will be facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals.

The Miami Heat have earned themselves a trip to the NBA finals. The outstanding play in the fourth quarter from Bam Adebayo is the reason they are here. He further showed that he’s a proven winner. Big time baskets, huge passes, defensive stops, needed rebounds. It was all on display tonight. Tyler Herro also scored a couple of crucial baskets in the fourth, that got the team going. Now they will face a familiar face, LeBron James, in the NBA finals, four wins away from hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Erik Spoelstra

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Erik Spoelstra spoke with media after practice today, following the game five loss to the Boston Celtics. He talked about some of their issues in the game, and went into detail about Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo, and Udonis Haslem. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about Bam Adebayo after practice today, even disagreeing with him taking the blame for the loss. He said, “He is one of the best players in this league. He’s going to become one of the best winners.” This is clearly the truth, especially since Bam has been the biggest contributor to all of Miami’s postseason wins. Game five of the Eastern Conference Finals though definitely wasn’t his best, and Bam recognized that when he said “blame me” after yesterday’s game. Spoelstra, along with Jimmy Butler and the rest of the team, totally disagreed with that statement, saying that it’s on everybody. Bam definitely wasn’t happy with his performance, which is why he will be coming out with a bunch of fire power on Sunday night.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Erik Spoelstra also touched on the team’s current three point shooting struggles. First off he recognized the fact that Boston does a very great job at defending the three, and getting them off of their normal rhythm threes. He follows that saying that “We’ve also missed some open ones.” He also said, “Our guys are extremely ignitable. It can happen just like that…They can explode at any time.” And as I’ve mentioned before, with the confidence shooting on this Heat roster, this shouldn’t be much of a worry. This also is another reason Kelly Olynyk can be a factor next game, since he’s such an ignitable shooter.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Udonis Haslem was seen in the huddle during a timeout in the third quarter of yesterday’s game, trying to bring some energy to the team. When Coach Spo was asked about this, he said “I can’t imagine being in a locker room or a game without UD…It brings this head coach great comfort when he leads the huddle.” He mentioned that it was hard enough not to have D-Wade in the locker room anymore, but he’s just glad to have that vocal leader in Udonis Haslem. This team has a bunch of vocal leaders on the sideline though, which Spo mentioned Andre Iguodala as well. This team must listen to their knowledgeable vets in order to stay locked in on finishing this series.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra was asked about Jimmy Butler’s personality with this team versus his past teams, which Erik said he doesn’t know since he wasn’t around him on past teams. He followed that saying that “If he screams and yells and snaps at us, we don’t take it personal. That’s our language. We kind of like it like that.” And it’s not just Jimmy who doesn’t mind yelling at teammates, Bam and Goran are always letting teammates know when they make a mistake. And that’s the beauty of this team. They truly don’t take it personal, and all take accountability for their actions, as Bam did after the game yesterday.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra finished off the session talking about closing out the series. He says, “We never expected it to be easy.” This team isn’t used to being in this situation, since they’ve been the underdogs all season long. But after that loss, it’s time for them to show that gritty and tough mentality in game six. It definitely won’t be easy, but if they hit open shots at a consistent rate it’ll make it easier. And once again it’s now time for the veterans to show up. Tyler Herro has had his moments to get them here, but ultimately it’s on Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic to close this thing out. Goran showed he was ready to do that in game five, and now it’s time for Jimmy to show it tomorrow night.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Five Loss to Boston

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The Miami Heat allowed the Boston Celtics to battle back in the second half and get the win, 121-108. This game was clearly a tale of two halves, with Miami dominating the first and Boston dominating the second. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Duncan Robinson comes out scoring early, not just from three, but in the paint.

Duncan Robinson hasn’t had the best series scoring the ball, but that changed early in game five. While many would expect he made most of his scoring impact from beyond the arc, it actually came from attacking the rim. I’ve continually said that since Duncan is being watched so closely, he will need to put the ball on the floor once in a while to open up his shooting. Well, that’s exactly what he did tonight. After scoring around the rim to start, that led to him hitting three first half triples. Duncan has been a bit of a decoy throughout this series, but now he proved once again that he’s much more than that. He will need to show up again in game 6 to give Miami’s offense a boost.

#2: Jimmy Butler fills up stat sheet in first half, but his biggest impact didn’t involve numbers.

Jimmy Butler’s energy on both sides of the floor in the first half was clearly impressive. He finally was searching to score at times in the first half, which led to some fouls on Boston’s top players. But his biggest impact wasn’t on the offensive end, and it wasn’t shown in a stat sheet. It was on display through his active hands on the defensive end through help defense. Miami’s first quarter lead began with Jimmy making guys uncomfortable when attacking the rim, and ultimately led to buckets on the opposite end. But Miami’s second half issues allowed Jimmy Butler’s offense to grow stagnant, which consequently made his intensity take a dip. Now only up 3-2, Jimmy will need to be ready to close this out on Sunday.

#3: Miami’s three point shooting struggles become problematic.

Miami shot 19% from three in game five, only Duncan Robinson seemed to be able to connect from deep. This is very unlike this team, since they’ve been a top three point shooting team all season. For starters, Jae Crowder struggled shooting the ball again from three, which showed a huge decrease in his confidence with his jumper going forward. Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro weren’t even able to get in a groove shooting the ball in the first half. Boston struggled early in the game as well, shooting 5 for 20 in the first quarter, but their second half run overcame this. Although it’s tough to think positively about this poor shooting, this team’s shooting confidence is like no other, which is why it’s not much of a worry.

#4: Third quarter issues cause 20-3 run by Celtics.

It was clear that Miami was the energetic and locked in team throughout the first half, but it was the complete opposite in the second half. Not only were the Heat flat in the third, they just weren’t getting into their offense. It also seemed as if they got complacent with their halftime lead. No fire in their play, until Goran Dragic took the reigns of the team while trailing once again. It ultimately was too late though, since Boston went on a 20-3 run to start the quarter. It’s been a constant thing with this team that they must play for a full 48 minutes. Tough stretches, like the one in the third, will need to be cleaned up going forward, since they can’t do that against a team like Boston, especially in the Conference Finals.

#5: Goran Dragic continually finds ways to try and get them out of the mud.

Goran Dragic seems to get to another level whenever they go through tough stretches, and well, it was on full display tonight again. Even on a night that he’s not shooting particularly well, he finds ways to attack the rim and draw fouls to try and get the team back on track. This is something he has done all season. Maybe it’s that he’s able to do whatever he wants with the ball in his hands during those times, which means he can put his head down and play his game. Either way, Goran can’t be the only guy trying to get them out of the mud. They will need another type of offensive game to take some of the load off of him, like Jimmy’s attacking or Tyler’s shot-creating.

5 Comments from Media Session with Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic

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The Miami Heat held their final practice today before game four on Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic spoke with media afterward about their current mentality heading into tomorrow. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler expanded on the idea of not getting behind early again in game four. He said, “I think we just gotta start off better.” He followed that talking about how much that falls on the starting unit. They must be ready to absolutely bring it out the gate, just as Tyler Herro does when he enters off the bench. Jimmy will be a huge proponent of not getting behind early, since he will need to attack a little more early on to control the pace. Goran Dragic is also coming off of a down game, which he will look to turn that around early as well. The more you hear these players talk after game three, the more it shows they’re ready.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jimmy Butler gave a pretty Jimmy Butler like answer when asked about playoff physicality. He said, “There’s no friends in between those lines. Save that for after the game.” And that right there is a clear representation of why Jimmy is a Miami heat type player. He’s as focused as ever right now, since they’re six wins away from a NBA championship. He even decided not to have his family come to the bubble, since he mentioned that this is a business trip. He seems as locked in as ever, and since that loss has synced in over the last couple of days, this team will be prepared.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler also talked about the preparation for game four after that loss on Saturday night. He said, “We’re not gonna look back. We not gonna look forward. We gonna lock in on today.” That sounds like something Spo may have said, since he’s been saying just one game and one practice at a time. And with this team, locking in on today is very important, since Spo has been cooking up a bunch of adjustments over the last few practices. Although he’s locked in today, I can guarantee he’ll be even more locked in tomorrow, with a chance to go up 3-1 on the Boston Celtics.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Goran Dragic also got to discuss the feeling in their locker room right now. He said, “It’s great. We feel good. We did our job, we prepare well, and we’re gonna see tomorrow how we do.” A main takeaway from both this statement and Jimmy’s comments is that this team is extremely confident heading into tomorrow. At the end of the day, this team is 10-2 in this year’s postseason, which may be why this loss feels so odd for them. He mentioned the word “preparing,” which is what they’ve been doing a lot of since there’s been a bunch of film sessions over the last few days. Execution will be huge in game four, and there’s a good chance they’ll do just that.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Goran also talked about the chemistry on this current Heat team. He said, “We really enjoy spending time together. We enjoy playing together on the floor and you can see that energy transfers to the floor.” This is something that Goran has mentioned time and time again. He really enjoys the bond of this locker room, and you can tell he’s having a good time going to battle with his teammates on a nightly basis. Goran finished off the media session mentioning their team defense. He said, “We need to do a better job containing the ball and helping each other.” That was a huge reason for their loss on Saturday, since guys like Jimmy weren’t helping when Jayson Tatum and others would attack Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson in the paint. If they clean this up, they’ll have a good shot at winning.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Celtics in Game Three

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The Miami Heat fell to the Boston Celtics, 117-106, in an overall tough night for Miami. The Heat struggled on both sides of the floor tonight, which Boston took advantage of. Here are my takeaways…

#1: Tyler Herro explodes in second quarter.

Tyler Herro stepped up when he entered the game off of the bench, after Miami’s offense was a bit choppy. He scored 16 points in the second quarter, including 4 threes. Miami continually finds a guy to step up in the first half, including Goran Dragic in game one and Duncan Robinson in game two. But this display was much different. Tyler was taking shot after shot off of the dribble, and also pulling up on fast-breaks. That’s just truly what Tyler Herro does, he makes needed plays. This stretch wouldn’t have been possible without Bam Adebayo on the floor though. His screen setting and just overall presence opened up the floor for Tyler, to do what he does best.

#2: Offensive sloppiness becomes problematic against this Boston team.

Once the Miami Heat finally cut the lead down to three late in the second quarter, their offensive sloppiness extended Boston’s lead to 12. Some possessions from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo seemed to be in slow motion, with some forced passes. This led to three straight wide open fast-breaks for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. This Boston team thrives on the mistakes of their opponents, which is something Miami must key on. This does ultimately fall on Jimmy Butler, since he needs to be in control of the ball during tough stretches. Miami’s spacing seemed to be off as well. They just ultimately played like a team up 2-0 in the series.

#3: Lack of urgency early occurs again for Miami.

It seems as if it’s the same story line in every game of this Boston Celtics series. Miami’s first half intensity just not there. Tyler Herro seemed as the only guy that tried to bring it, but ultimately you need more than one guy to have it. Jimmy Butler was needed to bring it, to try and put a stamp on a 3-0 lead, but once again there was no initiative to score. Miami has relied on the first half scoring success of Goran throughout these playoffs thus far, but you can’t bet on that every game. This lack of intensity continued in the second half, until they finally showed some signs of it with about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Maybe only being up 2-1 will spark this Heat team to put it all out there on the floor for 48 minutes.

#4: Miami thrives on bench production, which was not the case tonight.

Miami’s biggest advantage has continually been the production they get off the bench on both sides of the floor. Well, other than Tyler Herro’s big game, Andre Iguodala and Kelly Olynyk did not have the greatest stretch. This led to Spo rolling with Tyler and Derrick Jones Jr for extended minutes, then inserting Kendrick Nunn and Kelly Olynyk late in the third. But none of these guys seemed able to get going offensively. The spacing was off, the energy was off, everything was off. And well, that’s what happens when you rely on your bench to win you playoff games. Your star players must step up when most in need, which wasn’t the case today.

#5: Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum pour it on Miami.

It’s almost as if Boston was due for a game like this, where their offensively gifted wings put on a scoring display. Jaylen finally got to his spots that he hadn’t been getting to in games one and two, while Jayson was doing pretty much everything on the floor. Brown scored 26 points, while Tatum scored 25 along with 14 boards and 8 assists. These two players are going to do this no matter what, and it’s up to Miami to try and match their offensive play and eliminate the supporting cast. Miami’s offense had no flow throughout, which allowed them to extend the lead more and more in the third quarter. Miami’s defense on the other hand couldn’t control guys in the paint. It’s now up to Erik Spoelstra to make some more adjustments with three days off.