Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Warriors

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

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

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

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

#2: The Kyle Lowry second quarter run.

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

#3: Jimmy Butler’s first half flip.

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

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

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

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#5: The PJ Tucker reliance begins again.

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

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Kings

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The Miami Heat fell short against the Sacramento Kings after their recent hot stretch, and now the real tough slate lines up right in front of them.

Omer Yurtseven had another promising performance, but Miami just couldn’t control things ultimately on either end.

So, here are five takeaways from this one…

#1: A very ugly start for Miami.

The Heat had a pretty horrible start to this one, and it transcends poor shooting from the outside. While that jumped off the stat-sheet, and was heard every time the ball clanked off the rim, it began to blend into other things, like it usually does. For one, it always waters down defensive effort. But the issue early was that 10-day contracts were showing. It seemed like it was miscommunication after miscommunication, giving Sacramento easy threes and easy layups every time down the floor. And as shots continue to miss, you jump into an accidental offensive shift on the floor, almost repeating bad habits. The main one is something I’ve touched on a ton which is overusing bigs that aren’t Bam Adebayo. You can’t work offense through less skilled bigs even though that’s what you’re used to, which we saw at times with guys like Chris Silva.

#2: A Kyle Lowry-Omer Yurtseven 1-2 punch to finish the first half.

Although I touched on the things that went wrong for Miami offensively, something had to have gone right if they only trailed by 4 at halftime. And well, that started with Kyle Lowry and Omer Yurtseven. Tyler Herro finished strong after a patchy start to the half, and Kyle Guy contributed a decent bit on that end, but the Lowry-Yurtseven PnR’s were being spammed. And they were working well. Lowry was hitting that pull-up three when the defender went under, and surveyed the mid-range at a high level, either spinning into his coveted turn-around or dishing down low with 5 first half assists. But Yurtseven’s control down low really shined. Although defensive lapses occurred, he was needed as that roll/post presence, and he showed up in that area. He went from the least experienced guy on the floor to the second most real quick, as many of those lineups were surrounded by 3 10-days.

#3: Does open floor operation need to increase in this interesting period?

It’s hard to judge minor specifics during this stretch of games with only 5 roster guys available, but one simple element has jumped out to me. When the year began, the offensive topic that outweighed everything else is the pace increase Lowry would bring to this team, and as we’ve seen, Herro has loved it as well. But the more games played, the more things seem to slow down. Of course that will always be this team’s identity, but can a true identity be found when running a Haywood Highsmith-Chris Silva front-court pairing? I believe not. With that said, it feels like this team needs to open up the playbook a bit more, to maximize guys like Caleb Martin, Lowry, etc. We’ve seen it shine at moments, but the consistency is never there. A lot of it relies on high level defense, but pushing the pace feels like a necessity when playing with young legs who want an opportunity.

#4: Tyler Herro’s “battling” factor.

I talked about Tyler Herro a little in this sense last game, but ultimately in a different light. When shots aren’t falling, it doesn’t look like last season whatsoever. Last game, his outlet was his passing ability, where he controlled the game on the ball and set others up. Tonight, he just kept battling through. Yes, he battled through a couple times last season as well, but I don’t remember it working out as much as it has this year. He can turn games around within that same 48 minute frame, and that’s an important skill for a 21 year old pure scorer. As I said before, he had a nice finish to the first half, but he continued that in the second half as well when energy and rhythm picked up in that 3rd quarter. After talking about Yurtseven, how was he getting such good looks down low? Along with Butler looking for him, Herro kept feeding him.

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#5: An unsurprising, surprising loss by Miami.

Yeah, it definitely felt like Miami was in control of this one late and was there’s to win, but well, it slipped away. While that may surprise some, it just shouldn’t. The Miami Heat ran a 4th quarter lineup of Kyle Guy, Nik Stauskas, Haywood Highsmith, and Chris Silva, which gives us a ton of perspective. The Heat have still won 9 of their last 12, but now, real challenges strike. The upcoming stretch of this road trip is the toughest part, including Golden State and Phoenix to kick things off essentially. But the only good thing about it will be that this team is getting healthier. Quick. Guys like Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and PJ Tucker could be exiting protocols real soon, Dewayne Dedmon should be close to healed up, Markieff Morris *should* be back soon, and clock is ticking on the hopeful return of Victor Oladipo and Bam Adebayo. Steal a couple coming up, and they’re in perfect shape.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

This Caleb Martin Run Isn’t Temporary

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It’s 1:30 pm on September 18th, and a Shams notification hits your phone. Free agent Caleb Martin is signing a two-way deal with the Miami Heat, potentially to fill in a game or two at worst case scenario.

Fast forward a little over 3 months, and an 18 day absence from Martin after entering the health and safety protocols is the new worst case scenario.

Clearly, a total 360, but Martin isn’t surprised.

Before the season even started, when I got a chance to talk to him during training camp, he told me “it’ll allow me to be me a little more here.”

And well, that’s pretty obvious.

We’ve gotten to the point in the season where the phrase “two-way” doesn’t need to be attached to his name. He’s just Caleb Martin.

Opposing teams know his talent, his teammates know his talent, and most of all, Erik Spoelstra knows his talent.

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The Heat have gone 10-5 in the month of December, and Martin only played half of those games. But man has he been huge in those 8 games.

Over that period, Martin has put up an Effective Field Goal percentage of 65.9% on a little under 9 attempts per game. He’s also shooting 43% on threes, and 44% on catch and shoot ones specifically.

But aside from just shooting the ball from three at an incredible rate, as this entire Heat team has in the month of December, he’s provided the missing pieces depending on who has been out. The main one that is basically a universal tool when plugging into any role is rim pressure, and he’s taken that to another level.

He’s a scorer at heart. He’s a hooper at heart. When the game gets a little freer and the crowd gets a little louder, his game elevates and his ups elevate for huge slams that almost bring down the arena.

Looking at this clip, you can see that it’s always about that second defender with Martin. Not in the same way as Jimmy Butler does as the weak-side guy edges over, but just in thorough pick and roll offense. His quick first step basically eliminates his original defender completely, and that dropped or switched defender is now the only guy in sight.

But as seen, his athleticism and underrated touch around the rim allows him to get crafty for easy and highlight finishes. In the month of December, he’s shooting 71% from less than 10 feet from the basket, and these aren’t just jumbled up big man numbers who only take easy buckets.

Most of his inside buckets are contested. Really contested. He can get crafty for immediate put-backs after his own miss, but clearly, that isn’t even needed most of the time. His initial finishing can carry the load.

And well, that is a trend that showcases a player’s effectiveness isn’t temporary. Especially when there’s a chance that is not even his best side of the ball.

Martin has talked about the fact that his defense wasn’t really known as a strength early on, but when watching him play this year, it’s hard for that to not be the first thing to bring up when evaluating his game.

There are guys that rely simply on good metrics to handle their defensive talent. Others rely on decent lateral foot speed to be ball pressure guys. And the rest just outsmart the offense by consistently being in the right spot on that end.

And honestly, Caleb Martin is all three.

Aside from looking at those simple elements of the defensive end, take a look at the play above. You may see a guy pick up a smaller ball-handler on the break, time it good, and get the block.

But I see a play that describes his entire defensive nature.

He’s calm but reactive, and that’s one of the best compliments I can give to a defender in this league. It almost appears as if he’s not trying while defending an over-dribbler, but it’s just his overall control taking the wheel before reacting and exploding for a block, steal, contest, or switch.

To put this in perspective, he’s also gotten the best of his match-up most nights this season too. When Martin was defending last night, Kevin Porter Jr shot 1 of 6 from the field and Jalen Green went 1 for 4.

Big picture, he has held guys like Khris Middleton to 1 of 7 shooting, Bradley Beal went 0 for 4, and held Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to a combined 1 of 4 night.

And the funny thing about stats like that is him deterring shooters and forcing the pass is a better skill of his than pure contesting.

Martin went from a restricted two-way with a 50 game limit to a player with unlimited regular season games due to the league’s recent change. But that doesn’t feel like the only shift coming to his deal this year.

The Miami Heat have shown that they need him big time, and even though a healthy playoff roster may push him out the rotation, health is never a sure thing right now. And even when full, I wouldn’t be surprised if Spoelstra was to call Martin’s number consistently in a series with a good match-up.

I feel like there’s an expectation that he will be a regular roster guy pretty soon, and more importantly, they may be looking past this season. Yes Martin may be another “popping” young prospect of theirs at the bottom of the roster, but his hot streak is more than a streak.

He’s a complete player with a complete game and he’s saved Miami on a handful of occasions throughout this season.

Stats don’t lie, film doesn’t lie, and trust doesn’t lie.

Martin has surged on the stat-sheet, provides way more on film studies than some may notice, and Coach Spoelstra continues to trust him when needed to either start or close.

This isn’t the end of Martin’s production in a Heat uniform. It’s just the beginning.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Rockets

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

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

So, here are some takeaways from this interesting game…

#1: Who is this Guy?

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

#2: Jimmy Butler doing Jimmy Butler things.

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

#3: The underrated aspect of Caleb Martin.

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

#4: Some minor player evaluations from this one.

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

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

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

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

Breaking Down the Games of the Latest Miami Heat 10-Day Contract Grabs

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This has been a rather interesting season for the entire NBA, but it has felt like Miami’s been paving their own path from the rest of the league all season.

While the rest of the teams are dealing with a revolving door of guys entering the health and safety protocols, the Heat’s issues have been strictly injury based. Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, Markieff Morris, and Dewayne Dedmon have all dealt with those issues first hand.

Caleb Martin entered the protocols a few weeks ago, and it took him about 18 days to get back up and running with the Heat again, which was just 4 days ago. Now, the Heat have had a flurry of others enter those protocols this week. Kyle Lowry, Udonis Haslem, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Tucker, and Zylan Cheatham.

That means Miami has some 10 day availabilities wide open over this short period of time, while Wednesday’s game vs San Antonio was postponed as they didn’t meet the required threshold of guys available to play.

So, after Miami signed 3 different guys to 10 day contracts, let’s take a look through what they can possibly provide, since playing time will most likely be provided in these odd circumstances…

Aric Holman

Aric Holman is the perfect place to start in this one, since frankly, he’s the most intriguing of the bunch.

Miami picking him up may have been a bit more forced than the others, since they did it due to the fact he was in “driving distance” from San Antonio, but could Miami have lucked out?

Most of the time when picking up guys for a week and a half, as others land in protocols, veterans and experience are the way to go, especially on good teams. They just need immediate production over a “high ceiling,” or long term project.

But while Holman’s bag may be broad, he has the build to contribute at this point in time.

He’s a 6 foot 10 big, who has the body control and play-style of a guard. Holman is mostly a pop threat, after shooting 44% and 43% in his last two seasons at Mississippi State respectively, but those numbers have slightly fallen off a bit recently in the G-League.

Looking at the clips above, once again, it’s intriguing. Running the offense from the right wing as a drive and kick threat, while others set him the screens instead of the other way around. He slips the screen into the corner and knocks down the slightly contested triple. But when evaluating guys with that size and length, most shots are essentially uncontested.

He also has a bit of a handle, which elevates his guard-like play even more. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: how has a 6 foot 10 shooter who can put the ball on the deck not been picked up until this point? Well, like any young player, some weaknesses are attached as well.

The tag that continues to label him is that he’s not the greatest defender, and that is clearly from a team perspective. His shot-blocking ability is up there, and he can rebound at a very good level, so that’ll be something to keep an eye on.

Another point to be made is that he will be utilized in the exact opposite way that Omer Yurtseven has been used this season. After seeing Yurtseven mix it up from rolling to popping in Summer League, we’ve seen that simplify down totally to quick dives and post-play.

With Holman, post play wouldn’t even seem to be possible. He will strictly be a pop-out shooter, and maybe he can provide something as that wing spacer over this next stretch.

Kyle Guy

When Kyle Guy was signed late Tuesday night, many felt it was just the “Strus replacer,” after he entered the protocols literally minutes before the game against the Washington Wizards. But when I saw this pick-up, my initial thought was more guards will be entering the protocols pretty soon.

And well, that was the case with Vincent after he rapid tested before the trip out to San Antonio.

No, Kyle Guy is not the Vincent replacer since their games are nothing alike, but he is a guy who has plenty of basketball experience and can provide something offensively as a potential spacer and plug and play “guy.”

During his 3 years in college, Guy shot 50% from three on 3 attempts, 39% from three on 6 attempts, and 43% from deep on 7 and a half attempts. Clearly, he has a shooting resume, which although didn’t work out too well in Sacramento, has picked right back up in the G-League.

The interesting thing about future lineups moving forward is that I would continue to expect Tyler Herro to come off the bench. With Lowry expected to return Friday, and Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson expected to be healthy, everybody should stay where they are.

But with Guy possibly stepping in for Vincent and Strus, that means he will be playing next to Herro instead of for him. I do think Guy has a better handle and control for the offense than people give him credit for, but will that fully translate over from G-League to the NBA level?

I believe so, since much of the league right now *is* G-league talent.

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It’s pretty simple with Kyle Guy: provide some shooting when called upon, and everything else will work out around it. This is no longer Martin or Strus trying to will this team to victories with guys out. Miami will have Lowry, Butler, and Herro to do the heavy lifting, so all that is needed is some complementary skills.

And Guy can actually fill that void pretty well in the role I envision they place him in.

Haywood Highsmith

Haywood Highsmith just reminds me of a Miami Heat 10 day contract guy, and no, not because of his block on Dwyane Wade’s self lob in the game against Philly.

For one, his overall build fits the Heat’s past. Guys that play bigger than they are, thrive on physicality and athleticism, and just compete on both ends really hard. That’s pretty much my evaluation of Highsmith when looking over his game.

Highsmith is just one of those guys that’ll be everywhere on the floor in these G-League games. Under the rim for unexpected offensive rebounds and put-backs, active defensively, and well, he’s been shooting the ball a lot better as of late.

Over his 12 G-League games this season, he’s shooting 39% from deep on 6 attempts a game. In a Heat offense, what would be his offensive role? Well, just think of PJ Tucker lite.

He’s a bit lengthier than Tucker overall, but as I said, you wouldn’t think he’s only 6 foot 7 when watching him play. But when I bring up Tucker, I mean that his role would be strictly corner spacing, some screen & rolling, hand-offs on the wing, and plenty of dunker spot reps.

Yeah, the Tucker role.

Obviously they wouldn’t put anything close to the amount Miami puts on Tucker’s plate, but they just need a guy who can kind of fill his spots on the floor, just as a body that can pull stuff away from the on-ball action.

The Kyle Guy pick-up felt like the best option for their current needs with Vincent and Strus out.

The Aric Holman pick-up felt like “no risk, high reward,” just with the amount of talent he seems to have.

The Haywood Highsmith pick-up felt like a guy they’ve been eyeing. Obviously that’s just pure speculation, but between his player build and his name coming out of left field in many ways, this may be the guy that sticks the longest.

And by that, I mean possibly a second 10-day if he plays well, or they could circle back down the line whenever their roster spots open up.

Either way, these guys will get their opportunity in this day-by-day league. Next game is Friday night against Houston, and we have no idea who will be available. But these guys will be ready to showcase themselves either way.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

Who are the Miami Heat’s biggest rivals?

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As every great bettor knows, examining two teams’ past games can be incredibly helpful if you want to gamble on them.

 

That’s why we’ve prepared a detailed piece that will tell you the most important facts on the Miami Heat’s most prominent rivals — the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and the Dallas Mavericks. Read on to learn about each one.

 

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

The rivalry between the home team of The Heatles and the Knickerbockers is a long one that began on March 2, 1989, when the two first clashed. On that day, the Knicks won by nine points, but the two have been true equals since then, giving headaches to both bettors and fans alike.

 

It’s hard to give good basketball betting tips for two teams that have played against each other for decades, with the Heats winning 79 games and the Knicks 77.

 

The two were the most poised to beat the other from 1997 to 2000 when they met in four consecutive playoff series. Many exciting and incredible things marked their games, from aggressive plays to foul calls. Interestingly, it was primarily due to one man — Pat Riley, who coached both teams and was known for his defensive style.

 

After that, the rivalry died down, but in recent years, we’ve all seen some sparks that might be an indication of something exciting yet to come.

 

Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls

The two teams truly started competing in the 1990s, during the Bulls’ domination period, while Michael Jordan was playing. The rivalry wasn’t really a rivalry back then, as the Heat were eliminated three times by Jordan’s team, and the Bulls then won the NBA championship after each elimination.

 

Things started to heat up over time but took a short break until the 2006 NBA playoffs when the Heat won four games and lost only two. That same year, the Heat won the NBA finals as well.

 

The rivalry truly heated up in the next few years when the Bulls started playing much better and when the Heat brought back Dwayne Wade. It was also the time when the massive stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed up, which further intensified the rivalry.

 

2013 was especially interesting in this heated rivalry when the Heat managed to set a record within the playoffs for the entire NBA. They won by the largest margin ever, with the result being 115-78 in their favor.

 

Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic

The rivalry between the Heat and Orlando Magic is so famous that it has its own name — the Sunshine State rivalry since both teams are in the same state.

 

he teams first met in 1989 and have had more than 120 meetings since then. The Heat have a better record as they have more than a dozen more wins, but, interestingly, both teams have nine consecutive wins against each other.

 

The rivalry got heated up in the media in the early days of The Heat’s The Big Three but cooled off from 2012 onward. We had only one exciting event in the 2020 All-Star Game when Aaron Gordon from the Magic and Derrick Jones Jr. from the Heat competed against each other.

 

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

The rivalry between these two is not a very long one. It started only in the 2010 playoffs when the Celtics defeated the Heat four times to one.

 

The start of The Big Three in the Miami Heat happened around the same time, and LeBron stated that the Heat’s big three were a mirror to the Celtics’ own with their three stars Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.

 

The two teams intensified their rivalry and met again in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Heat won 4-1. They were ecstatic and soon moved on to win the Eastern Conference Finals against another major rival, the Chicago Bulls.

 

This interesting rivalry died down when Ray Allen moved to the Heat, which felt like a massive betrayal to some of his former teammates. The animosity between the two hasn’t died down, though, that’s for sure.

 

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

The two teams played against each other many times, but the rivalry was only triggered in the 2012 playoffs when both teams went too far. During the series, each head coach was fined, while the games were marked by numerous suspensions, confrontations, and fouls. The series eventually ended with 4-2 in the Heat’s favor.

 

Thankfully, they were better in the following year when they met in the Conference Finals. The games were truly breathtaking, and in the end, the Heat managed to win once again, with the final score being 4:3. 2014 was similar when the Pacers lost yet again. On the other hand, the Heat went further to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive time.

 

Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

This interesting rivalry began in the 2006 Finals, which were the first for both teams. At the time, the Heat had Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne Wade, while the Mavericks had one of the greatest power forwards in NBA’s history, Dirk Nowitzki. The games were incredible, but the Miami Heat ended up victorious after six meetups, with four wins compared to the Mavericks’ two.

 

After 2010, the Mavericks managed to get their rematch, even if that was during the regular season. Unfortunately for them, they never won another game in their bigger showdowns with the Heat. However, they haven’t really played against each other either, with the last postseason game being in 2011-12.

 

Interestingly, this hasn’t destroyed the rivalry, most notably for Mark Cuban’s comments about the Heat. The majority owner of the Mavericks even went so far as to state that hate wasn’t a big enough word to describe his extreme dislike of the Miami Heat.

 

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Wizards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#3: Some more creative Erik Spoelstra ways.

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

#4: A Duncan Robinson night.

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

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

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

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over the Magic

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

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

So, here are five takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler comes out firing to start.

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

#2: Udonis Haslem enters, Udonis Haslem produces.

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

#3: Tyler Herro with an early passing display.

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Pistons

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The Miami Heat played a wild one against a depleted Detroit Pistons team, but don’t let that distract you from Miami being just as slim.

Some big shots from Tyler Herro and Max Strus down the stretch iced it for Miami.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Down another body.

The Miami Heat have been dealing with availability issues recently, and not in the same way the rest of the league is. It’s not that they’re covered in health and safety protocol tags, but instead pure injuries. And well, it was a rough start to this one as another front-court guy on this team went down, and a pretty important one at that. Dewayne Dedmon going through his usual sets as the roll man, yet this specific play he ended up on the floor in a ton of pain. He ended up getting up on his own power and walked straight to the locker room, which ended up being called a knee sprain. Obviously Miami slightly dodged a bullet since it could’ve been a lot worse, but it’s yet another hurdle that Miami will have to leap over and monitor. The theme of their season.

#2: Three-point shooting comparison quite unbalanced. 

At the half, the Detroit Pistons were shooting 11 for 21 from beyond the arc, while Miami was 5 of 19. The interesting part about those numbers was Miami slightly padded theirs a bit to end the half, behind Tyler Herro and Max Strus explosions which I’ll get into next. The threes being generated on both sides were quite different as well. Detroit was just picking apart Miami’s zone and finding the open man, which was spread around equally as every Piston starter had at least 2 threes at the half as well. Miami, on the other hand, just couldn’t get them to drop within the offense, leaving them with 4 starters half-way through with no made three. When two teams are down so many guys like these two teams are, usually the team with the better outside shooting numbers has the lead. And well, when they’re that one-sided, you put yourself in a tough spot.

#3: The Tyler Herro-Max Strus show early.

Aside from all of the struggles I discussed in the last section, Max Strus kept them afloat early and Tyler Herro took the keys from there. 33 of 55 first half points from Miami were scored by Herro and Strus. The role of Strus early was intriguing, and it led to a 7-0 run from him. As he’s slotted into starting power forward, he began merging into that role a bit. Baseline roaming, dunker spot reps, which led to an easy dunk early in the first. Herro was just doing Herro-like things. Really carving things up inside the arc, leading to tough mid-range fades and nice lay-ins around the rim. But most of all, his control stood out. Running certain lineups that many of us thought we’d only see in Summer League, yet he’s still playing within the offense. And well, that’s an improved player.

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#4: Udonis Haslem, the spark.

With Dedmon going down early, Miami had to quickly transition into a strict, and small, 8 man rotation for a good portion of the game. Well, that was until Erik Spoelstra gave Udonis Haslem the look to enter the game late in the third. After some rough possessions to start, he quickly gave Miami some production, aside from the big time home crowd spark. One immediate and-1 after the whole team did some complaining on the other end, and a nice face-up jumper down on the box right after. Like I said, sometimes that stuff doesn’t even truly matter in games like this. Instead, it leaves many looking around for the ignitable piece to get a group going. And UD can do that rather quickly, as Miami finished the third quarter strong.

#5: Marcus Garrett giving Miami some underappreciated minutes.

Whenever Marcus Garrett has gotten some run over this recent stretch, his stat-line has never really popped at all in any category. Why is that? Well, he’s another one of those Heat guys that doesn’t get rated upon numbers on a piece of paper, especially considering the main part of his game is on the defensive end. And tonight was a game where he really showed out as a pure ball-hawk. Not only in a Gabe Vincent-like way from baseline to baseline, but by cutting off simple reads in pick and rolls at the top of the key possession after possession. Haslem may have been the spark to finish the third, but Garrett was the spark to kick off the fourth. One play where he forced Cory Joseph into a quick pass and Herro stole it and dunked it was the fire setter. Yet, shortly after, he found himself in perfect position for a much needed charge. That stuff speaks volume.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Pacers

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The Miami Heat had the ultimate bounce back game on Tuesday night, beating the Indiana Pacers in intriguing fashion.

We can focus on certain guys in this one, but this was one of those cliche phrases: a team effort.

So, here are five takeaways from this one…

#1: The front-court projects coming up big without the front-court starters.

No Jimmy Butler. No PJ Tucker. No Bam Adebayo. That scarce front-court led to Erik Spoelstra plugging in Max Strus at the 4, but others stepped up even more in that spot. After a bad looking game from KZ Okpala and Omer Yurtseven against Detroit, they came up big in this one early on. The key: using them like themselves, instead of an Adebayo/Tucker role. Okpala was a very efficient 3 of 3 at the half, hitting a nice 3 in the corner, attacking well, and playing some of his best individual defense of the season in my opinion. Yurtseven was just playing one of his most active games of his young NBA career, hitting the boards hard, facilitating at a serviceable level, and setting some nice screens. These guys are still projects, but some reassurance in games like this is a great sign when down so many players.

#2: Duncan Robinson shifting has game little by little? Indeed.

The Duncan Robinson discussion is always an interesting one to have. Did he have another off game to evaluate or did he break the slump? But in the big picture, I have something else to think about: if the shot has been falling all year for him at a decent rate, we would be having the complete opposite conversation about Robinson. Why is that? Well, his inside game has improved more than anyone could’ve expected, and that’s not an overstatement. He took more dribbles in the last 6 minutes of the second quarter than he has in a single game all season. And those dribbles were leading to some nice looking sprays, nice retreat feeds in the lane, and most of all, an ability to really attack at a decent rate. His game has shifted, and threes falling like they were tonight puts it on full display.

#3: My microscopic game take: the defensive adjustments.

Looking at some things on a smaller level from this game, the defensive adjustments were intriguing, yet not unexpected. I don’t remember the last time an NBA team ran zone on the first possession of a game, but that was the case tonight. When Robinson and Strus are your front-court starters, it’s basically necessary. While that worked frequently, there was another outlet that didn’t work as much: blitzing. There are certain teams that just can’t work against, and there are certain lineups of your own that can’t work for. Tonight was one of them. Dedmon blitzing a pick and roll has worked well when PJ Tucker is the awaiting weak-side tagger. But when it’s Robinson or Strus on the back-side, it’s pure mayhem. Two passes, one lay-in. Obviously it didn’t last long since Miami played a great defensive game, but still something to keep in mind.

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#4: The biggest individual basketball leap on this Heat team this season.

Speaking of microscopic takes, another young guy development must be discussed. I’ve spent a lot of time recently talking about Gabe Vincent, but something else must be discussed. The recent topic has been three-point shooting, since that shot has been falling at a much better rate, but the fact that he rounded out every part of his game throughout his slump stands out more. An off-ball guard had to turn into an on-ball threat real quick, as he told me before the season. Yet, his handles look as crisp as anybody on this team currently. It’s not just about the highlight-like pull-back dribbles for good looking threes, but instead keeping his dribble alive, constantly shifting the defenders body, and much more. If you asked me what’s been the biggest young guy growth, my answer would 100% be Vincent’s handle.

#5: Tyler Herro is back.

I think many of us were viewing the name Tyler Herro as a name on the injury report too much, instead of the complete offensive player that can come back and make an immediate impact. I wouldn’t say this was his best game tonight, but that’s what you would expect when first returning. Shots will be short, but his ability to still impact the game in his minutes and shoot through the slight “off” early is big time. Then, all of a sudden, another burst has arrived. One three here, another mid-range fade there. And well, that’s just Herro at this stage. Coming into the season, if you were to tell me you knew what you were getting from Herro on a night to night basis more than any of the top guys, I’d push back a bit. But that has been the case. Tyler Herro is back, and they’ve missed him.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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