Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Breaking Down the Film of a Miami Heat-Olympic Reunion

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After Team USA faced off against Team Nigeria on Saturday night, also known as the Miami Heat showcase game, there’s plenty of things to dive into from this match-up. Gabe Vincent dominance, Bam Adebayo starting, Precious Achiuwa’s block, and a crucial possession from KZ Okpala leave us with plenty to discuss.

So let’s not waste any time, and jump right into the film of each of their individual performances.

Bam Adebayo:

Double Drag Dominance 

When discussing a Miami Heat offense, the DHO’s will obviously be harped on, but they mix in a bunch of base sets with double drag. The frequency of those actions is another story.

With the firepower that Team USA has, they can run this set into the ground with an off the dribble shooter like Damian Lillard, a perimeter threat like Bradley Beal, and an athletic and skilled roller like Adebayo.

It felt like almost every time Adebayo received the ball in this action, points were an end result. When looking at the first clip above, the initial screen from Beal forces Okpala to switch onto him, leaving an open floor PnR for Lillard and Adebayo.

There’s no way for a defense to react that quickly on the front-line, meaning the back-side help is what they’re relying on. Easy slam for Adebayo for the first bucket of the game, and it wouldn’t be his last time in that action.

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Obviously Miami wouldn’t have the offensive gravity that a USA team has, but there’s a consistent theme with what I’ve been discussing. Finding ways to get Adebayo on the move is the point to harp on here, and these type of plays get him in his comfort zone.

Moving to the second clip above, it’s the same personnel, same action, just a different side of the floor. They start it off the same exact way with an Okpala switch, and a pocket pass to Adebayo, which I will dive into deeper in the next section.

The only difference this time around is that Okpala helps down for the cut-off, triggering some needed rotations from a defensive standpoint. Beal sees these rotations occurring as Vincent recovers, and immediately cuts to eliminate any offensive reset. Adebayo is patient and hits Beal in stride, and it’s the spot that he’s been doing most of his play-making damage for the last two years.

While the goal is to get him downhill with a scoring purpose, the most important part is the stuff that can be ran with added layers. The Heat’s constant back screening and movement would lead to plenty of these looks, but it would only happen if Adebayo gives his defender a reason to step up.

Pocket Pass Perfection

In that last double drag clip, we saw what that pocket pass led to, but that was far from being the only possession. The Heat adding a point guard will never stop being discussed, especially when seeing the immediate offensive leap from Adebayo when receiving the ball without hesitation after the ball-handler is blitzed.

The first clip above isn’t a pocket pass, but it’s important to show what can happen when capable passers are able to draw defenders whenever attacking the basket. An off the ball screen forces Beal and Adebayo into a 2 on 1, which leads to him getting Achiuwa to jump for an easy dump-off to Adebayo.

The second clip is the more important one, where Lillard avoids the screen in the PnR and gets Adebayo the ball in stride. After some easy rolling and paint buckets early on, both Okpala and Achiuwa angle themselves toward the paint on this possession. Adebayo reads it and takes that free throw line jumper that I expect to expand by the start of the season.

It’s really just as simple as getting him in his spots while putting a defense into a state of constant movement and recovery. If that can be semi-replicated in a Heat offense, that is when Adebayo can take yet another jump.

A Post Move Deficiency 

Before stating the one negative aspect from Adebayo in this game, I decided to expand this play a few seconds to point something out with Achiuwa, who is up next in this piece. His ball control and hands still seem to be problematic at times, and I don’t believe it will be fixed until he slows down a bit. And well, he won’t be able to slow down until he gets significant playing time, which is what the Olympics and Summer League will do for him.

Back to Adebayo, this play flows into an isolation for him on the block, and his next move is usually pretty predictable. (Especially when you’re being defended by your teammate) After one shoulder check on the back down, he tries to spin into that baseline jumper. Of course he’s much more comfortable when he is facing the basket, but shifting to that whenever he’s in the post will get shut down quickly.

This puts him in an odd spot as he tries to scoop it up with the reverse, which doesn’t work. The positive flashes were fluid with him on Saturday night, but developing some type of go-to with his back to the basket feels like it’s essential.

Precious Achiuwa

Major Defensive Flashes

Precious Achiuwa clearly had his moments last night, but we have to start it off with “the” moment. Jayson Tatum feeds the ball into Kevin Durant with a wide open baseline, which is the last player you want to give that to. As he spins into the drive, Achiuwa reacts and tries to beat him to the spot.

He may not have beat him to the spot, but he beat him at the rim. An incredible showcase of athleticism leads to an emphatic block at the basket, taking some things out of Adebayo’s book from last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Using the left hand for a block on that side of the rim eliminates the contact for a foul call, and he gets a career highlight in the making.

In some ways, the second clip above is more important than the first. Achiuwa’s defense is an interesting topic, since his individual defense has looked pretty good up to this point, both on the block and the perimeter, but some rotations and switches become problematic at times.

But as seen above, he locks in on Beal to finish the second quarter, as he begins to put his moves on him off the dribble. The first part of this is that his foot speed is looked faster than ever, as he didn’t give Beal a slimmer of hope the entire possession. The second part is that he didn’t fall for any fakes, which wasn’t the case in his rookie year.

If Achiuwa’s able to contain in that fashion without biting on the slightest of fakes, it changes a ton of things about his game. Once again, we will continue to harp on playing time being the hidden gem for him, especially since this is his first true off-season.

Stretch Big?

From a film breakdown sense, there’s nothing to dive to deeply into here. From a shot selection sense, I don’t think anybody expected to see this from Achiuwa this soon.

Adebayo backs off of Achiuwa as he receives the ball on the perimeter, and Achiuwa makes him pay. Expanded range for Achiuwa not only helps his own game, but it could possibly shift the way Miami elects to utilize him in the future. To answer questions a lot of you probably have, yes, this could very well mean that he could play next to Adebayo for extended minutes.

Do I expect this to become a high frequency thing for him? Absolutely not. Well, just not this soon.

Looking at that play, his form looks perfect and there’s no hesitation when he lets it go. Will he have that same freedom in an NBA environment? I don’t think anybody can answer that but Achiuwa, yet it’s very clear that his self confidence translates to level of effectiveness.

Needing A Decision-Making Boost

If there’s one thing that can be taken away from this game in a negative sense, it’s that his decision making still needs a major upgrade. Looking at the first clip above, he just doesn’t really ever decide what he’s going to do with the ball until the last second. It refers back to slowing down a bit and just reacting, instead of forcing stuff.

Some unnecessary dribble moves lead to a trickling shot clock into a poor shot to end the possession. Those type of things just can’t happen, and they will continue to happen until he is comfortable enough to just make the occasional defensive read.

The second clip isn’t as much an inability to be decisive, but just about his shot selection. The shot clock was once again ticking down, but relying on a baseline isolation into a deep two is quite the choice.

One thing I will say is that he looked much more patient on his screens in most possessions, but patience with the ball in his hands has to be next in the queue. And well, he’s only coming off his first year, so he has time.

KZ Okpala

One-on-One Defensive Attributes

KZ Okpala’s evaluation only needs two sections: a defensive one and an offensive one. The reasoning is that’s his positive and negative elements. He looks so comfortable and fluid on one end of the floor, while so out of place on the other.

Starting with his defensive presence, I could probably make a 3 minute montage of him pressuring the ball-handler down the court every play, or sprinting toward the baseline after a bucket to press. But that doesn’t sum up his abilities on that end the way this play above does.

Nigeria basically went 14 deep in this game, subbing guys in and out for different circumstances. This situation, though, is a 3 point game with 13 seconds left. Everybody in the building, everybody on the team, and everybody watching on TV knew they were getting the ball to Kevin Durant.

But what if you don’t let it get to that point?

That was Okpala’s mentality on this final possession, while it says something about him for the Coach to trust him in this spot from a one-on-one sense. Aside from that, just watch Okpala on this play. He stays square between Durant and the ball-handler, not allowing them to get into the initial action.

It leads to them fouling with 3 seconds left which essentially ended the game, all due to Okpala’s DB skills. It’s not an overstatement that his defensive skills are that good, while the only thing I can add is that his over-aggression can get him in trouble at times, such as the two early fouls in this game.

Lack of Offensive Stability 

As for the other side of the ball, things just don’t appear to be coming together. Before the game, I mentioned that I wanted to see Okpala in a role that wasn’t a spot-up guy in the corner or the wing.

But that was exactly what his role was offensively.

PnR’s with him as the ball-handler seem to be a cakewalk for defenses, since they can go under screens effortlessly, without adding any weak-side help. The play above was just a miscommunication on the switch, and still he couldn’t capiatlize.

Other than that, his length and quickness should be the perfect combination for a versatile attacker on the ball. Yet, some things seem to be holding that back.

Take a look at the second clip above, where although he’s being defended by Adebayo, the dribble spams have continued to be the unnecessary go-to. His player build shows that he has the pieces to put it all together, but at the moment, the pieces are all over the place.

Gabe Vincent

Defensive Physicality Continues

Before jumping into the topic of the night with Gabe Vincent, his shooting, I want to touch on something that continues to pop up with him. His defensive toughness is no fluke, since he showed that whenever he was plugged into the lineup last season, basically being the sample for how the 2-2-1 press should work.

Diving on the floor, scrappy possessions, and most importantly, utilizing his unexpected strength. Plays like the one above occur frequently, where the offensive player sees a clear height advantage, not knowing the strength advantage is nonexistent.

Beal tries to bully Vincent on the back-down, but it just doesn’t work as he stays complacent with the contest and positioning, leading to a miss. While many observers were focused on shooting when he came in the game last season, his defensive physicality forced some to do a double take. And combining that with a revived jumper makes it quite interesting.

A Shooting Leap or a Shooting Normality?

When Vincent spoke with media after the season ended, he mentioned that he tweaked his jumper mid-season, which forced him into an adjustment period. He wanted to maximize his range and consistency, and this first game proved that to be true.

He shot the ball in multiple ways: pull-ups, spot-ups, off the dribble. That type of diversity for him is so crucial, and it may have been a focus for him over the past few months.

I asked him after the season about his next step being a leap as an on-ball threat, after being utilized more and more in that way with the Heat. He said that would be a focus for him in the off-season, sharpening those skills with the ball in his hands, and there was some immediate production against Team USA.

Playing on that stage against some of the NBA’s top talent, it’s not normal to be the leading scorer as a NBA player on a two-way contract. But between the Heat’s developmental system and Vincent’s self working improvements, he has a shot to be really effective as long as consistency continues to be his label.

It may be looked at as a shooting leap in this initial game, but I believe it’s actually a shooting normality. It’s just now really coming together.

 

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How Would Jeff Green Plug into the Miami Heat’s Roster?

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After diving into a bunch of top free agency and trade options for the Miami Heat this off-season, it’s time to take a look down the depth chart a bit more. In a perfect scenario, the Heat snag their point guard as free agency opens, and possibly get a deal done for a three level scorer through a trade.

No matter the situation, cheaper guys will need to be added to fulfill the rotation. And as much as I touch on a young big being slotted in next to Bam Adebayo being super ideal in a long term sense, it just doesn’t seem like a viable option at the current moment with what is out there.

One group of guys that is for sure out there though is cheaper wings and bigs that can be plugged into that four spot next to Adebayo. There is still a chance that Trevor Ariza could be back on a similar deal, but it seems like certain guys on the same money-line may be better fits for next year’s roster.

The first guy up is Jeff Green, who is getting up there in age, but doesn’t seem to matter considering the fact it’ll be a short-term deal and he’s still contributing at a high level. So, what exactly does he bring to the table at this stage, specifically in a Miami Heat system?

Pick and Pop Specialist or Pure Floor Spacer

When watching Jeff Green this past season with the Brooklyn Nets, next to a big three of that caliber, he found himself as the corner spacer a lot of the time. He’s the perfect guy for the job, since his smooth looking jumper took a three-point shooting leap to the best mark of his career.

Shooting 41% from three on a little under 4 attempts a game is impressive, but the spot-up numbers made it look even better. Almost all of his threes come off the catch and shoot, but untimely possessions force some stats to become jumbled. On set jumpers though, he shot 44% this past season, while it jumped to 56% in the post-season in a small sample size.

Most of these options that I will discuss are capable of knocking down that corner three to eliminate easy tags on the roll. But incorporating more than the corner three shifts this conversation.

In a Brooklyn offense, he played a good amount of small ball 5, meaning he was a constant screener in many lineups. And when guys like James Harden or Kevin Durant are in the PnR, easy wing threes are a result as seen above.

Relating back to the Heat, the question becomes: would those looks be similar without Nets-level rim pressure? As mentioned earlier, in this scenario, I’m acting as if they completed their agenda by adding a veteran point guard in free agency. And if you give Jimmy Butler another attacker and facilitator, like Kyle Lowry, then things can look similar.

But those type of vets can obviously mesh with a stretch four like himself, but what about Bam Adebayo?

The Bam Adebayo Complement

In simple terms, you can say it’s clear they would fit well together with his natural perimeter spacing, as pointed out in the previous shooting section. But I believe this conversation can be expanded in different ways.

For one, take a look at the first two video clips above. The outcome you may get from that is the same as before, a spot-up threat from deep, but that’s not the important part.

Instead, his area of operation strikes as an interesting point. Both of those possessions that resulted in a three began with him creating the space from the elbow. Who else loves those elbow jumpers? Bam Adebayo.

We’ve been talking about ways to push Adebayo into more of a scoring mentality, and this could be equally as important as a point guard. Guys like Jae Crowder and Trevor Arize didn’t operate from those type of spots inside the arc, forcing Adebayo to take advantage of it.

The only time actions on the wing were ran for him was when the shot clock was ticking down and he was forced to shoot. This acquisition may push him into different spots that can propel his offensive abilities. Why else should he relocate from the elbow at times? Well, look at the last clip above.

They must slowly back Adebayo away from the constant DHO’s, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to abort the entire offensive plan. To continue the spacing, hand-offs must be run to get guys like Adebayo into the right spots to be effective. But it just doesn’t always have to be Adebayo running that action.

As seen in that clip, they can expand Green off the free throw line into DHO’s, which we can call the Adebayo role. Now, don’t take this as Adebayo never occupying the free throw line, where he’s grown so comfortable, and Green leaving his second home in the corners. It’s just that this pick-up gives the offense some diversity, and it’s well known that Miami’s offense needs some additional options to keep it fresh.

Defensive Versatility

When I said he was playing a lot of small ball 5, it was mostly because he’s very capable of doing it, and that alone has to grab Miami’s attention. He’s able to switch onto smaller guys, much like Ariza did last season, while holding his ground on the block, much like Crowder did the year prior.

They need middle ground between those two players, and I believe Green can be that guy, regardless of his age. As seen above, easy rotations once guys get blown by at the top of the key became second nature for him, and that’s a necessary element on a Heat team with the lack of strong point of attack defense.

It’s not just about a guy that can handle a bigger match-up, which I’ll dive into next, but taking those match-ups mean that they have a viable weak side defender for Adebayo to roam the perimeter. Ariza’s quickness allowed him to be the perfect tagger when Butler and Adebayo were in the action, but once the big man got the reception, he was one drop step away from an easy basket.

So, could Green change that narrative in some ways?

He does a very good job at containing in a general sense, either the avoidance of biting on the perimeter or the non-committal play-style when defending the PnR. In the play above, he doesn’t overplay either one of them, forcing the ball-handler to dump it off to the big.

Alex Len gives Green that shoulder that usually works against those type of forwards, but he didn’t move him like he expected. He stays strong when he rises up, and gets the block to complete a great defensive possession.

The reason I included the word versatility to begin this topic is not just because of his ability to guard the perimeter and paint. It’s actually because he can be plugged into some different spots on that end of the floor, either as the help-side guy that I mentioned before, or the main defender in the action when Adebayo is on the sideline.

His length plays a big part in all of this, and his experience definitely helps a lot as well. At this stage of his career, he probably wants structure, and a coach like Erik Spoelstra would definitely give him that.

Secondary Offensive Options

To cap this off, it’s always great to talk about the “other” parts of his game. We know about the shooting stuff and his favorite spots on the floor, but what is his secondary option?

Well, he is not much of a mid-range player, but can knock it down when it is given to him. Going back to my point about his work on the elbow, that number may rise in a Heat offense.

Other than that, he shoots about 3 shots a game less than 10 feet from the basket, which is where he does his damage offensively when we aren’t discussing three-point shooting. And if we’re going to get very specific, a good portion of his two-point attempts are generated from the perimeter.

With slower bigs defending a quick trigger, it leads to plenty of pump-fakes into dribble drives. While Ariza lacked that type of rim pressure, Green can bring that when the triple is falling, which is super beneficial to the Heat’s motion offense.

The other way stuff inside the paint is generated is when he’s the screener. Once again, it helps when you’re playing with the offensive firepower the Nets have, due to constant blitzes becoming the theme, but it’s still his game when he receives it in there.

The Heat aren’t really known for those type of entry passes for post touches, but a point guard will get him that pocket pass when he needs it. Not only do we see another utilization of the pump-fake on the play above, but it’s another strong and hard take that Miami misses. They may not want to fully commit to a true big, but a stretch four that plays bigger than he is will truly be useful.

And going back to Adebayo, once he gets the confidence and offensive freedom next season, it makes all of these guys’ jobs easier. Cleaner spacing, some 4-5 pick and pops, and much more. It’ll be an Erik Spoelstra field day.

 

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

How Would Lonzo Ball Cover Up Some of Miami’s Issues?

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Well, well, well. Another Miami Heat possible acquisition, another point guard. While the three different Heat needs are basically all over the board, it gives us some diversity to talk about certain options. But as I will continue to harp on, the other two needs just won’t work unless you fulfill the point guard position.

Unrestricted free agents like Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley are clear options, but why not talk about it in a more complicated fashion? Lonzo Ball will be a restricted free agent this off-season, and decisions will have to be made.

As I’ve talked about with players like CJ McCollum in the past, new coaches like to take the franchise player and try to build around him only. That leaves second and third options in a weird spot, which could either be used as a trade chip or just walk away.

The New Orleans Pelicans are going to have to immediately please Zion Williamson following recent reports, and the way to please him is to win. So, if they end up moving on from Ball, could the Miami Heat enter the discussion?

I believe so, but it’s going to come down to timing this off-season. As I usually do, let’s just jump right into his overall game, and evaluate the ways that he can patch up some of Miami’s weaknesses…

Oh, A Point Guard

If you’ve been watching Lonzo Ball for some time, you’d know that the clip above isn’t anything new. It was seen in AAU basketball, high school, college, and now the NBA. He’s a gifted passer, but more importantly, he’s a fast paced passer.

What that means is that he’s instinctive. Decision making is a key element to many young player’s games, especially most of the youthful Heat players on the current roster. The thing about that attribute is that it can always be improved, but it’s obvious that you either have it or you don’t.

Well, Ball has just that, and the Miami Heat need just that. Transition play-making aside, which I’ll dive into down the line, they need a guy who can set up half-court sets for guys like Bam Adebayo to truly thrive.

It’s not just about his passing opening guys up, but what that skill leads to. In a very odd New Orleans environment, including another point guard in the back-court and plenty of isolations for Brandon Ingram or post touches for Williamson, he had a bunch of off the ball reps. And that’s the one thing that prepared him for this type of offense.

Yes, Adebayo and others need a trusted facilitator to take the keys, but creating a free-flowing offensive rhythm is more than that. Those off-ball reps in New Orleans allowed him to be a screener in many actions, either slipping them for triples or getting guys moving downhill.

Not only does Adebayo need that guy to get him downhill, but being a threat when slipping screens eliminates the delayed recovery. Luckily for Ball, he’s become a threat in that area….

Increased Shooting

Entering the NBA draft, everybody had an opinion about Lonzo Ball’s crooked looking jumper. Would it work at the next level? Would he eventually tweak it or is it too late? And the answer to that last question was apparent recently.

As time progressed, the jumper began to look more and more fluid, which then leads us into the effectiveness of it. Last season, he was still trying to figure it out a bit, and shot 37% from three on 6 attempts.

Then we saw both numbers increase this past season, jumping up to 39% from deep on 8 attempts a game. And from the Heat’s perspective, I believe that’s what makes him so much more intriguing at this stage.

He’s still growing as a player and a shooter, since the pull-up triple territory definitely needs another numbers booth. But nobody expected his spot-up shooting to look so pure this soon, so I guess anything is possible. When comparing him to some of the Heat’s guards, I believe they share a mutual thing relating to the mental side of the game.

We’ve noticed Tyler Herro thriving with confidence and rhythm when a couple of shots fall early, and Ball looks to be that same way when looking at him under a microscope. Discussing physical growth and dedication to improve is one thing, but being willing to jump up to 8 three-point attempts a game following a previous play-style is clearly another thing. That type of willingness is something else Miami should be taking note of as their exact build.

How Do Things Look Inside the Arc?

When shifting into the other two parts of the half-court offense, the narrative changes a bit. Some of the offensive issues are shown when he’s put in these one-on-one or downhill situations, which is clearly something the Heat also lack.

He thrives in certain PnR sets, but not for the same reasons that many other players that I’ve discussed do. He doesn’t dominate with a great amount of separation or a go-to floater/mid-range pull-up. He pressures the rim with his gifted passing ability that the defense is awaiting.

It’s not that he’s incapable of surveying the mid-range for good looking buckets, since plenty of flashes came up like the one above. The beloved snake dribble and right to left step-back equals Lonzo Ball’s PnR peak scoring abilities. If they could get that consistently, this discussion changes.

I don’t want you to think everything is all good with this type of acquisition, even though I’m highlighting a lot of strengths. Miami would be putting a lot into this type of addition, so they will have to be absolutely confident that it makes sense for the team’s short-term and long-term success.

Will the inside the arc stuff be the deterrent for Miami’s interest? I don’t believe so, but the cost may do that for them instead. Once again, the timing of all this will be the true tell, since the Heat won’t be risking this off-season all together for Lonzo Ball. If things line up though at the right time, it’s definitely a possibility.

Some Fast-Break Control

Speaking of high school and college flashes, nothing has changed about Ball’s willingness to run the floor freely. As I touched on in my latest piece answering some off-season questions, transition buckets are an interesting way to view things.

Usually pure youth lineups are the team’s that dominate the fast-break, like the Charlotte Hornets, but with a “position-less” unit, it feels like that area should be harped on more. And after the latest playoff series with a general lack of half-court offense, opening up the floor wouldn’t be the worst thing.

In a lot of ways, the point guard this team ends up getting will tell you how things will operate offensively. The offense would look much different with Ball in it compared to Lowry or Conley, leaving this whole topic up in the air. But in the event that Ball does find himself in Miami, I believe we see an offensive shift.

As I touched on earlier, this type of move would be a pretty big risk for the Heat, so they must alter certain things to make it work. Ball is the type of player that can adjust rather quickly, and he would fit an Erik Spoelstra type of scheme. Why is that? Although Ball is linked to an AAU or high school play-style, Coach Spo is basically the same way, just in a much more complex way.

2-2-1 presses to 2-3 zones to defensive gems free lancing. He’s basically the ideal coach for a guy like Lonzo Ball, but how does he look on that end of the floor?

Point of Attack Defense Slotting In

To answer that question that I just proposed, he is known to create havoc on the defensive end. Unlike a lot of other defensive guys that I dove into so far, Ball isn’t good at just one specific spot of a defense, which is why I say that Coach Spoelstra would love that type of gem.

Active hands, quick feet, and other physical adjectives don’t do him justice, since his IQ is what makes him so impactful. Looking at the clip above, you’d notice at the beginning of the play that four Pelican defenders are guarding three Warriors players.

How did they not capitalize with Draymond Green surveying the floor? Well, that’s because of the small elements of Lonzo Ball’s game.

He was the one guarding Green on this play, which led to him dipping all the way down for tags, daring him to shoot the three. It leads to a bunch of switching and recovering, leaving Ball guarding Andrew Wiggins as Green drove to the basket.

If you watch the play slowly, you’d notice that Ball reacts as soon as Green goes into his spin. The thing about that is he knows the following step is usually the easy kick-out in motion. He jumps out onto Wiggins, putting his arm up in the air, without looking, to deflect the pass. The steal is obtained and into transition offense they go.

The phrase one-dimensional comes up a lot in all of these pieces, but Ball could be able to cure some of that with his diverse and growing game on both ends. To be honest, if you were to ask me if this acquisition is super likely, I would probably lean no due to the unrestricted free agents appearing to be the favorites, but anything can happen in an NBA off-season.

If some things go in a different direction over the next month or so, we may be having a different discussion about the new starting point guard of the Miami Heat, and I’d bet Lonzo Ball’s name has swarmed around the front office at times.

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Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

Answering Your Heat Off-Season Questions

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After spending quite some time diving into individual Heat players, or possible free agency/trade acquisitions, I want to talk about some things in the big picture.

So, I’m going to be answering all of your questions in this piece. Personal opinions on specific players, scenarios, and more. Well, let’s hop right into it…

Some may view this as a tough question to answer, but I believe the perfect combo for this current Heat team is a veteran point guard and a young big.

Now, this doesn’t mean that if a type of deal with Collin Sexton and Kevin Love came available that I wouldn’t do it. But when talking about players in a general sense, that is not only the best option in the short-term, but also the long term.

There are two point guard options that I believe are 1 and 2 on Miami’s priority list, and neither of them fall under the youth category. With the cap room that they have, it feels like Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley will be on this Heat team in a matter of time.

The reason I say that the youthful big man is the way to go seems pretty clear. Veteran front-court pairings is all Bam Adebayo knows in the NBA, and if they want to maximize his game, a viable sidekick is necessary. Not switching from Meyers Leonard to Jae Crowder one year, then reiterating the same thing with Kelly Olynyk and Trevor Ariza the next.

They did what they had to at that time and they plugged those holes, but if they can find a stretch four that they trust via trade, I believe they pull the trigger.

As much as I just harped on finding a young big, a cheap front-court filler seems to be the most likely option moving forward. I don’t believe Andre Iguodala will be back, while Trevor Ariza could be resigned to play a much different role.

But if both are off the table, there are plenty of guys to plug into that spot, and two of them come to mind for me.

The first one is Jeff Green, who is getting up there in age but continues to be effective. He’s coming off some big time playoff performances next to Kevin Durant, and obviously, that’s not what he would be asked to do in a Heat uniform.

Green fits the build of the players that they like to plug next to Adebayo, and could be plugged into whatever spot Coach Spo needs him to with the amount of experience he has.

The second guy that could be a possibility is soon to be NBA champion Torrey Craig. Not only is he about 5 years younger than Green, but he seems to me like the type of player that the Heat would like for super cheap. If a lot of the guys that we expect to be out the door for the Heat actually are, then cheap deals like this one will be neccessary.

Those are just two options, and I could spend much more time on that subject with the amount of guys that are in that play-style/money range.

For starters, I don’t believe there’s any way that the Heat would trade Bam Adebayo under any circumstance. The reason we have the timeline discussion with Jimmy Butler and Adebayo is that you have the other one to balance it. Jumping fully into the Butler age range just doesn’t seem remotely close to a smart idea.

Now, to answer your question, a team with Butler and Damian Lillard leading the way is a good way to start, but if you call beneficial becoming the Portland Trail Blazers of the East, then possibly. But frankly, that team will be having the same exact discussion the current team is having: how can we get that final piece?

Except in the Lillard-Butler world, you don’t have the option to go into a younger mode. This is clearly all of a fantasy discussion when talking about sending Adebayo out of Miami, especially when the team wouldn’t be seeing tremendous growth on what’s coming in.

If Duncan Robinson was able to become a reliable on-ball threat, it definitely changes the things that Adebayo and Butler are able to do offensively, but that just doesn’t seem likely.

Minor improvements will most likely be made over time for his ball-handling duties to increase, but the current focus for him this off-season has to be the second level of the half-court. He’s surprisingly efficient when he gets to the rim, while defenses know if he is chased off the perimeter, the mid-range pull-up isn’t an option.

But it should be.

Even a little bit of a mid-range game changes the things they can do in the offense, and all that includes is 1-2 dribbles. I don’t ever really see him becoming a true facilitator, but I do think he can be at least average once the true expansion occurs down the line.

I definitely agree that type of play-style should be integrated into the scheme regularly, but more importantly, it should be focused on with certain players.

The interesting part about it is that they focus so much on preventing it, but don’t harp on it themselves. For example, when the Heat miss a shot, the two guards are supposed to immediately sprint back to fill up the open court. It’s easy to scheme against, but harder to scheme for.

When I mentioned before that the focus should be for certain players, a guy on the top of that list is Bam Adebayo. When he decides to attack in transition, it always leads to good things, either with his pure ball-handling and speed or a nice looking DHO fake for an open lane.

The issue is that he always seems to be searching for a bull-dozing Butler when running the floor. He basically needs to obtain the Goran Dragic mentality, since he’s one of those guys that locks in on the basket when trotting down the floor at full speed.

In all, I think it’s more individual tweaks than scheme tweaks, but it should definitely be seen more on a versatile unit like Miami.

Unless those two close friends would really love to play together again, it would probably be hard to do. Both will be looking for similar money that the Heat would not be able to give. But in this sense, should the Heat even be willing to give it on a pay cut?

As stated in that question, three non-shooters would be a tough thing to see in today’s game. Andre Iguodala became the scapegoat at a lot of points this past season, but in reality, it was just the inability to play him next to two guys that can’t truly space the floor.

Demar DeRozen is no Andre Iguodala, but my point still stands. The only way I see the Heat doing this is if they’re very confident that Bam Adebayo expands his game to the perimeter at some point this season. Other than that, it just feels very complicated from every perspective of this addition.

If we’re talking about things that may not sound very realistic, I think they should sign Kyle Lowry for that point guard presence and Jimmy Butler pleasing, then flip Tyler Herro and other assets for a guy like CJ McCollum. Some cheap fillers to plug into the front-court will be needed, and you are good to go.

The issue is that the McCollum move may not be very likely, even though I believe he will be moved no matter what happens with the Lillard situation in Portland.

As I’ve listed many times, I have point guard and half-court scorer above front-court pairing in my priorities. As I mentioned earlier, the amount of veterans four’s that are out there make this even easier to focus on the main two things.

Grabbing either Lowry or Conley, then flipping assets for an all-around scorer feels to be the thing the Miami Heat’s front office would be eyeing.

And for my final bold statement, I believe they end up grabbing an undrafted player following this year’s draft who end up becoming a bottom of the rotation player for next season’s Heat team.

 

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Diving into the Tim Hardaway Jr Option for the Miami Heat

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After it was reported by Greg Sylvander that Tim Hardaway Jr is intrigued by the idea of landing in Miami and joining the Heat, it presents an interesting question: should the Heat share the same feelings?

Well, walking into the Heat’s arena and looking up at the ceiling may give you a certain answer, since his father, Tim Hardaway Sr, has his jersey retired in the rafters. But clearly, this front office is no longer in a sentimental state, they’re in a win at all costs state.

Although I’m going to dive into Hardaway Jr’s game in this piece, it should be noted that combining the money he’s looking for and the players that Miami needs, it just doesn’t seem to be something that the Heat would be focusing on. However, if other top options fall through, I could definitely see them checking back, but by then, I believe it will be too late.

He’s coming off an outstanding offensive season, as well as a progressive playoff showing. But would his strengths that he displayed be enough to elevate the current state of the Heat? Well, let’s hop right into it here…

The Special Ability

When people give him a label, they usually start with the term “streaky” shooter. The thing about a lot of streaky shooters is that “3 and D” seems to come up a lot when discussing them.

The difference is that his defense is much worse than the typical “3 and D” guy, while his three ball is much better than the average guy with that build.

It’s not just that the Heat need two-way players moving forward, but they need guys who can at least survive on both ends. When the front office and coaching staff come together, it feels like there will be a general agreement that’s the way they will operate moving forward.

Aside from that point, Hardaway Jr’s offensive game almost makes you forget about that other stuff. He may be up and down with his shooting at times, but that was flattened out a bit more this past season. And the “ups” were much higher than they’ve been in quite some time.

The part that makes this a bit more intriguing is that his offensive game isn’t one dimensional. He’s not a guy that’s just shooting off the catch every night, since his on-ball stuff seems much smoother when watching him play.

When looking at the first clip above, you see him awaiting the screener to dive before making his move. A crossover left before flowing right into his high arching jumper, and it leads to an and-1 triple.

Although that’s probably his best ability, playing next to Luka Doncic means that spot-up three will become your best friend even if you don’t want it to. He shot 41% on catch and shoot threes this past season, which is where 40% of his shot attempts came from.

In a Heat offense, the frequency would probably differ a bit, since they’d be looking to him as more than a spot-up guy. As I’ve listed in the past, the top three priorities should be a half-court scorer, point guard, and front-court pairing. If they circle back to a guy like Hardaway Jr, they have to believe he can give you that type of production on the ball at a much higher rate.

The pull-up three numbers definitely don’t look as good as it does when you’re watching, due to him shooting 35% this past season. But it still seems to be one of his biggest strengths, as well as his go-to that opens everything else up.

There are a ton of transition killers in the NBA, but none do it like Hardaway Jr. Running at full speed before stopping and popping on the perimeter like it’s nothing.

That one shot type fully explains why the outside shooting looks so pure and fluid for him. Just take a look at the clip above, and I’m sure we will agree what stands out most from that shot.

He’s a rhythm shooter, and that shot gets him into a comfortable motion. What is that motion exactly? His lift.

Go back and watch the clip again, focusing on the air time that he gets on his jumper. This can be evaluated from a couple different standpoints, but I’ll focus on the main two.

From a positive side of things, it’s a shot that is hard to guard to say the least. Shooting over the top of guys who are on their heels is a pretty interesting skill. It is why he finds himself in the high PnR so often, since he gets a head of steam while his defender trots backward, maximizing his best ability.

Now, we can also look at that shot above in a negative manner. He’s labeled as a hot and cold type of shooter, but can that be talked about further?

Aside from seeing the ball go in the basket a few times leading to a ton of confidence and rhythm, there’s more to it. Yes, that huge lift on that shot may translate to hard-to-guard buckets, but that may be what alters his shooting consistency.

When your lower body movements are constantly being changed depending on the shot type, it forces things to become unorthodox. It’s why Stephen Curry is such a special shooter, since it doesn’t matter if he’s shooting a mid-range pull-up or a half-court heave, the process of the jumper looks the same.

To finalize that rant, these small things that come up in his game may be enough to hold Miami from pursuing him. While certain parts of his game have been cleaned up with major improvements, I’m just not sure if it’s enough of a sway for Miami to fully go after him.

What Else is in the Offensive Bag?

The phrase “one dimensional” comes up at times when discussing his lack of defense, but it definitely wouldn’t be used to discredit his offense. He’s just one of those pure bucket-getters that I always discuss, mostly due to him switching it up when he has it going from deep.

The mid-range comes into play here, but I don’t believe it’s utilized enough for him when he has on-ball duties. In the play above, we see a normal occurrence for Hardaway Jr in the half-court, where he faces up to the basket and explodes.

Those transition pull-up shenanigans allow him to be so impressive in this spot of the floor. He rises up effortlessly on the baseline and knocks down the jumper. He shot 41% from that area of the floor, but the attempts was the bigger issue.

Only shooting 2 mid-range pull-ups per game seems to be something that would change in a Heat offense. It’s the thing I’ve talked about with Duncan Robinson, who is not even close to being an on-ball guy. If he’s going to be in that type of role, diversity would be key, and I believe he’s more than capable of doing just that.

Manipulating a Defense

In all of my pieces of diving into a possible acquisition, I always highlight a certain offensive set that Miami runs, and compare it to where the player fits in. Hardaway Jr could probably be placed into some of those off-ball screen actions for good looks off the catch, but as I’ve touched on, the Heat would be looking to expand that.

The double drag in the clip above is where I’d see him slotting into the Heat’s scheme. The interesting thing about him here is that he just puts a ton of stress on the defense, especially as he comes off the screen for a possible three.

A lot of the time he can force a favorable switch in these sets, which leads to him backpedaling out for a reset, leading to some of those isolation buckets that I touched on earlier.

But no switch is forced on this play, as he methodically uses the defender to his advantage. A couple shoulder bumps are utilized before he gets into his fade-away at the free throw line for a tough bucket.

Why is this important? Well, it wouldn’t just be about the perimeter shooting for him in a Heat uniform. Although I’ve pointed out a ton of reasons why it just doesn’t seem likely, the interest is obviously there on Hardaway Jr’s side and it’s still an option for the Heat to come back to.

Do I believe it will actually get to that point? Honestly, probably not due to the team’s point guard deficiency leaving them with a clear target in free agency. On a championship roster, Hardaway Jr is a great surrounding piece, but it just doesn’t seem possible to have him as a third option next to two guys who aren’t primary scorers.

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Breaking Down Mike Conley Possibly Being the Heat’s Back-Up Plan

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Free agency will be a close watch for the Miami Heat this off-season, even though there seems to be a certain expectation about a certain acquisition, Kyle Lowry. It’s a position of need, he has a close relationship with Jimmy Butler, and it gives Miami a positive boost for the upcoming season.

But what if it doesn’t happen?

Many are approaching it as a guarantee, but that’s a tough way to operate in this business oriented league. If we’re acting as if Lowry slipped through their hands this off-season, it feels like Mike Conley is next in line.

Labeling him as a back-up plan definitely sells his overall abilities short. He’s coming off a pretty great individual season, which was important after he had a rough go the season prior. And with the Miami Heat, that’s a crucial part of things.

I think they’ve had enough of these short-term trials, such as Victor Oladipo, where they’re going to invest a whole lot into a guy that has question marks next to him. Not only does Conley no longer have as many question marks, he’s most likely not a short-term, or cheap, option.

This is known when discussing these veteran point guards like him or Lowry, but it’s clearly going to be the team’s number one priority. So, if things don’t end up working out with Lowry, let’s take a dive into how Conley would look in the Miami Heat’s system.

Finding a Trusted PG

The Heat and Conley will most likely be looking for similar things this off-season. Miami looking for a trusted point guard and Conley looking for a structured organization. At this point of his career, it doesn’t feel like mentor-ship is where he’s heading, but a team looking for that extra push may be enticing.

We obviously know the position doesn’t have to be harped on, due to the Heat playing a new version of position-less basketball. It’s more about the things that position generally brings to an NBA offense.

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Conley and unselfishness go together like Jimmy Butler and country music. When evaluating his game, it’s clear that his passing ability will always be utilized first. And well, that exact ability is what Butler and Bam Adebayo need to truly thrive.

When looking at the clips above, that point is seen further. He’s always one rotation ahead, which is just not a teachable tactic. Focusing on him running base offensive sets, we see him running the usual double drag, and the patience jumps off the screen.

After Paul George edges the screen, he splits the defense to get ahead of the play. In absolutely no rush, he lures Ivica Zubac away from the basket, and as soon as George makes his recovery leap, he feeds it inside to the rolling Rudy Gobert. It’s simple. It’s crisp. It’s Mike Conley.

The second clip above showcases the eyes that he draws with the ball in his hands, awaiting his decision on the side PnR. He avoids the Derrick Favors screen as both defenders are focused on him, ending in an easy bounce pass to the elbow for the jumper.

You may be thinking, that’s not a big deal. But it truly is considering that entry pass to Adebayo on the elbow has been missing all year. They need an alternative distributor, and Conley gives them that.

Using the Go-To

When thinking of Conley’s scoring skill-set over his career, his “go-to” immediately comes to mind since it just never changed: the floater. Right hand, left hand, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he’s going to get to his lifting area against drop defense, and a good portion of those are going to fall.

The reason this is important to note following the previous topic of his passing clinic is that exact ability opens up the floater. Take a look at the clip above. You see him turn his head to take a quick glance of the floor. Is he looking at Donovan Mitchell to eliminate George’s help defense? Is he giving the rolling Gobert a side eye to feel out his placing?

That’s a yes to both of those questions, since it’s the entire package of Conley’s offensive build. As I mentioned earlier, he’s always one rotation ahead of the defense, and that’s what is displayed here.

In previous pieces, I’ve touched on the exact meaning of a downhill threat that the Heat so very much need. It doesn’t just mean a guy like Butler who’s going to give you a shoulder to the chin every single drive, but it’s actually about putting pressure on the rim in some fashion.

Conley’s floater does just that, since it has become one of those player-basketball move NBA staples. James Harden and his step-backs, Kyrie Irving and his crossovers, or Trae Young and his shimmies. A bunch of players have their “thing,” but Conley’s under-the-radar type of play doesn’t allow it to be broadcasted on a greater scale.

But trust me, every NBA player is aware of it before playing him following the scouting report read.

A Major Deep Ball Skill

In this league, it’s pretty obvious that every player I’m going to discuss will have a three-ball attached to their offensive game. (Yes, that was a sign that there will be no Ben Simmons/Heat pieces moving forward)

Stand still threes are pretty much a given for veteran guards like Conley, who shot 41% on spot-ups this past season. Plenty of off-ball reps put him in line for that type of number, but I’ll dive into that a bit deeper later on.

He has a distinct skill when talking about his three-ball, and it’s actually about the pull-up triple. Among players who took 200 pull-up threes this past season, Conley ranked number one at 41.5%. For a further breakdown, that is far from an easy thing to do.

The Heat shifted into a heavy high PnR team down the stretch of the season, and that is essentially Conley’s happy place. It’s not just about the trusted jumper, but to reiterate a previous point, the interior domination with a looming floater takes a toll on a defense.

Why is it not just about the jumper itself? Well, take a look at the play above.

As Gobert comes to set the screen, he gives Reggie Jackson a mean jab step to totally take him out of defending territory. That means he can effortlessly trot into the pull-up, putting even more stress on the defense.

While we continue to connect some dots about his game, the high pick and roll effectiveness refers back to his passing. When blitzing begins to happen, pocket passes and skip passes get thrown into the queue, and then you’re just playing on Conley time.

How good is that 41.5% stat on pull-up threes? Stephen Curry ranks right behind him at number two, recording a number of 40.9%. Yeah, it’s definitely special.

Sprinkling in Some Defense

Conley on the defensive end is a fluctuating topic, due to the specifics carrying the answer to him on that end. When switches happen, he can be taken advantage of, but so could almost every other small guard in the league.

He’s not the physical defender that Lowry has shown to be, but he definitely uses his high IQ to his advantage. Passing lanes, passing lanes, and more passing lanes. That’s where he makes his impact on the defensive end.

Such as the clip above, making sure to come over for the tag before sprinting upward for the steal, flowing into transition offense. That exact type of defensive rep is what the Heat missed.

Of course they had a bunch of guys who were capable of doing so as defensive minded players, but the issue was that there wasn’t much being contributed by them on the offensive end. They clearly need more two-way guys, but in much simpler terms, they just need guys who can survive on the opposite end of their strengths.

This type of play-style just feels like something the Heat would turn into something greater, even being 33 years old, due to the fact we’ve seen this story so many times with Miami.

Picking Your Poison

Finally, it forces defenses into picking their poison. There are a couple ways to evaluate this, but for starters, Conley has an answer for basically any defense that is thrown at him, which just comes from experience. Teams must choose if they’re going to blitz him when he’s hot, ICE him when the floater is falling, or drop when he’s just putting on a passing clinic.

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Aside from that, it’s about Conley picking his poison between an on-ball controller or off-ball navigator. Why is that important? Well, because he’s capable of doing both of those things at a high level.

I’ve focused on a lot of on-ball stuff in this piece, but let’s look at one last example above. After looking at a ton of stuff with ball-screens, this one showcases his scoring in isolation. No screen, no problem.

Drives, stops, and fades. Another sequence of events that became a sticking point for him when getting into the teeth of the defense. That slight fade-away that you see on that jumper gives him such an advantage as the offensive player, forcing the defender to just contest as best as he can and live with the result.

He shot 45% on mid-range pull-ups this past season on only 2 attempts a game, which is pretty low for Conley, but I’m pretty confident that number would rise back up in a Heat uniform. Why did that number go down? Well, that leads me into my final point.

Playing next to a guy like Donovan Mitchell definitely means an off-ball role must be your thing at times. And clearly, that’ll need to be the case with the Heat.

Although I’ve highlighted a ton of positive things from Conley’s game, he wouldn’t be arriving in Miami to carry the entire offensive load. Either Adebayo must be in line for another big offensive leap, or the trade chips will be utilized to acquire a scorer to complement the other pieces.

If that was the case, Conley’s off-ball movement can be used freely, such as easy give-and-go’s off back cuts like shown above, or normal off-ball screens to set him up for easy spot-up opportunities. This topic is pretty similar to Lowry, since he was also forced into that type of role at times, and thrived in similar areas.

This wasn’t meant to be a Lowry vs Conley topic, but the point is that Conley as a back-up plan would not be a let down. For relationship sake and overall need, Lowry will be number one on the priority list in the near future, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Conley slid into that spot if things went south.

There isn’t just one need for this Heat team, but a trusted point guard can’t be passed up on when Pat Riley and others reach the decision making stage.

 

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Is Jaren Jackson Jr a Viable Front-Court Option for the Miami Heat?

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There’s going to come a period of time where free agency options will become the main discussion involving the Miami Heat. Who will they retain? Will they get a deal done with Kyle Lowry? Are there cheaper options that intrigue them?

But for now, let’s take a look at one trade option that I believe can “heat” up as time goes on: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Now, the first thing that comes to mind is his level of attainability. There were some recent reports about the Memphis front office possibly being worried about his long term sustainability, which makes you think something could occur after only playing 11 games this past season.

Another way of looking at it is the common theme across the league. The team has their young star that they will continue to build around, and decisions must be made about the second or third options. It feels like Jackson Jr is rapidly approaching that category.

The other side of things is if Miami will have enough to entice the Grizzlies to get him, but it just seems like the Heat have to at least make that call.

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Either way, let’s take a look at his fit in a Miami front-court alongside Bam Adebayo, as the search for a fellow big man continues…

Defensive Versatilities

When talking about the defensive side of the ball, most of the possible options haven’t fit the description of Jackson Jr. True bigs are looked at as interior forces for Adebayo to play the perimeter, while guys like John Collins are weak side helpers who allow Adebayo to control the action.

The difference with Jackson Jr is that he can also control the action, and he does it pretty consistently on smaller guys out on the perimeter.

As we know, the Miami Heat’s defensive scheme includes a ton of switching, ending in one of two ways: a swarming Adebayo forcing a miss or a turnover, or the guard feeding the ball inside to the big with a mismatch. The reason for that is due to Miami’s versatile front-court mate always being a guy that can play the small forward position.

The 6 foot 11 Jackson Jr wouldn’t fit that description, as his combination of length and quickness gives Adebayo a ton of freedom on the floor, and a natural sigh of relief when he’s off the floor. A continued issue has been the lack of an Adebayo filler when he needs a breather, and Jackson Jr can easily be shifted into different spots.

In the clip above, that defensive flexibility is perfectly shown. As Norman Powell slips the screen, he switches onto him immediately on the wing, and forces a tough shot which leads to a block. The Grizzlies get the ball in the open floor for an easy bucket.

You might think, well, that’s only one stop, what is his level of consistency on that end? Yet, the answer follows that first clip above.

Less than a minute later, he finds himself pressuring the ball as Jusuf Nurkic probes, flowing into a switch on the DHO to Damian Lillard. As Dillon Brooks leaps, the Blazers have clear numbers as soon as Lillard makes that pass inside, but the thing is that Jackson Jr doesn’t allow it to get to that point.

Once again, length dominates as he tips the pass, leading to yet another transition bucket. Now, take a second to imagine that next to one of the league’s best big man perimeter defenders, in Adebayo. Yeah, it just seems like Miami has to at least make that call.

Inside Positioning

When discussing possible Heat acquisitions in the front-court, it’s always important to examine the spots on the floor that are taken up compared to Adebayo. He usually stations himself at the elbow or free throw line extended, but as he mentioned on Thursday afternoon, a three-point line expansion could be coming soon, which changes a lot of this.

But as for the mid-range spacing, Jackson Jr has not shown much of a scoring ability in that area. He can shoot from deep, which I’ll touch on later, and he can score at the rim.

Scoring at the rim can be a cliche phrase at times due to the fact that 7 footers with athleticism should be able to finish at the basket, but it’s more than that with him. It’s more about the process before his scoring down low.

Take a look through the clips above, which gives an idea of the different ways he positions himself to start a possession. In the first two plays, it’s about his confidence and set-up with his back to the basket. After receiving the ball late on the short roll, he gets to his comfort spot and rises up for the bucket with his off-hand.

Next, we see some more of that interior positioning, after he gets the ball in the deep post, turning into a short fade-away jumper for a bucket. The Heat haven’t done much of that offensively, but that’s mostly due to them not having anybody who plays out of the post or with their back to the basket.

The last two clips displayed his finishing as a roller, which is a crucial element for Miami. I touched on this in my Collins piece, since a strong roller frees Adebayo’s offensive game up so much more.

There’s nothing too complicated in the clips above as a roller in the PnR, but that’s what the Heat need: simplicity. Obviously both of those plays were set up by an elite point guard, which opens up another conversation regarding Miami.

If they were to make a move like this one, the only way for it to be effective is to find a trusted point guard at the head of the snake. Yes, Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are solid play-makers, but that can’t be their primary role if this team wants to contend.

Offensive Operation

After hitting on some of his favorite spots on the floor to operate as a scorer, let’s expand on that notion. For starters, take a look at the first clip above. Does it look familiar?

Yeah, I’m sure it does after many observers began to think of the dribble hand-off as a negative thing whenever Bam Adebayo overly examined the offense in that fashion. But this ability that Jackson Jr has grown to become very comfortable with, looks to be pretty enticing from a Heat building perspective.

The current talks have been finding the addition of a point guard to blend Adebayo into different spots, but a front-court pairing that is more than capable of running these sets effectively opens things up for him as well.

While we’re diving into his fits in many of the Heat’s base sets, take a look at the second clip to finish off this topic. A simple PnR getting blitzed is a very common thing when Duncan Robinson has the ball in his hands on the wing, which is exactly what occurs above.

In a Heat setting, it usually leaves Robinson with the pocket pass to get Adebayo flowing downhill on a 4 on 3. Similarly, the quick dish to the wing following the blitz eliminates the wing defender from dropping on the rolling Jackson Jr. Instead of the usual 4 on 3 that we see on a regular basis, it creates a 3 on 2, as he takes advantage of the smaller defender for a tough finish at the basket.

These small things that are seen from players in needed Heat positions won’t look as small if they were inserted into the lineup. Players like Jackson Jr allow some openings in certain spots of the floor, which just don’t happen when using a slow big or a small four next to Adebayo.

Shooting = Diversity

The outside shooting is what entices most people when watching him play on a regular basis. He struggled a bit this past season after returning from injury, but it doesn’t feel like that’ll be much of a worry moving forward.

Looking at the year prior, he shot pretty close to 40% from beyond the arc on 6.5 attempts a game. Clearly, that’s an intriguing tool for the Heat to utilize.

As I mentioned in this headliner, his shooting translates to diversity. Memphis was able to display that in their base double drag sets, that Miami also loves to use, using their two bigs as the screeners into the pop and roll. Why is that a big deal? Well, it opens up the offense.

When Miami runs this action, Robinson is usually the guy who pops out and Adebayo is the one that is rolling. Putting the key three-point shooter in that set leads to the weak-side help being fully invested in tagging the roller or coming for the double.

But if that’s Adebayo and Jackson Jr in that action, that weak-side help isn’t coming as the defender would be glued to the key shooter in the opposite corner. This may not seem like an essential thing to highlight, but it absolutely is.

We can talk about him knocking down spot-up threes all day, which can space the floor and create good things, but Coach Spo giving them different half-court looks is the real selling point. If I’m Miami, there’s no way I’m allowing my offense to get shut down the way it did in the previous post-season, and well, the reason it got to that point was the lack of diversity.

Going Fully Athletic

There’s a specific point in this piece that I’ve touched on a few times about Jackson’s build being a mixture of a small ball four’s skill-set and a true big’s length. Much like Adebayo, they’re going to have to find a way to allow those type of guys to utilize it.

I’ve mentioned getting Adebayo downhill with back-screens and individual sets a bunch of times, but they would basically be forced to use it when adding a player like Jackson Jr. Sometimes it feels like the thing that must be said to them is: go be the athletically gifted players that you are.

You see a couple of flashes within their game, where you say to yourself, why don’t I see this more? In the clip above, Jackson Jr slowly turns until he’s facing the basket, where he looks at the defense and just goes. It leads to a blow-by as the help comes over, but it’s too late as he goes up for the athletic finish.

At times, it feels like the Heat lack a ton of secondary attackers, which they do, but other times it seems like driving only occurs instinctively. Could Jackson Jr change that completely? I’m not sure, but I do know that he would be able to shift a lot of the other stuff discussed in a positive direction.

The more of these pieces that I do, the more I realize something about the Heat’s upcoming decisions: front-court fillers may need to go out the door, and fully committing to a long term guy to stick next to Adebayo seems to be the way to go about it.

 

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Heat Have Explored Collin Sexton Deal that Includes Kevin Love

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(With Brady Hawk)

To add to this report from Adam Borai, the Miami Heat have explored trades to acquire Collin Sexton individually, as well as in a package that includes Kevin Love, according to a league source. The Heat have also canvassed the league for a third team to get involved.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have multiple future second round picks that interest Miami as cost controlled, non-guaranteed contracts to add players to their developmental system.

According to league sources, there isn’t expected to be much traction prior to the NBA draft.

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Sexton would give Miami the much needed scoring boost that they’ve been looking for, while Love would give Miami a front-court pairing from a short-term perspective.

Since Sexton’s rookie year, he has added 4 points a game to his season average every year, reaching a career high 24.3 points per game this past season. There’s some more specifics of Sexton’s fit with Miami in this piece, but it basically gives the Heat a guy who can create on his own, and dominate the offense in the mid-range area.

Some of the three-point shooting declined this past season, but that happens when you’re playing on a poor team as the primary focus. Next to playmakers of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s caliber, there’s no doubt his numbers from the outside will rise.

Love, on the other hand, is coming off a less than ideal season, while the only year that mirrors it is his rookie season. He played 25 out of 72 games, and only averaged 12 points a game. But though that may be true, the Miami Heat have a thing for rejuvenating careers of players like himself.

Putting him in a winning situation, alongside an evolving Adebayo, may be the thing he needs to get back on the right track. The Heat have been looking for a front-court pairing that can space the floor a bit and crash the boards, and that’s exactly what Love brings at his best.

It’s definitely a situation to keep an eye on,  while discussions continue on who’s timeline are the Heat building on, the answer may end up being a mixture of both Adebayo and Butler’s age-lengths.

A Look into CJ McCollum’s Fit in a Miami Heat Back-Court

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This is a very complicated time in Portland. Backlash for coaching adjustments, Damian Lillard possibly being on the way out, and much more. But while all the focus is on Lillard’s future, CJ McCollum’s future with the team doesn’t seem very strong.

Aside from the reports about a McCollum trade looking likely, let’s look at this from a realistic perspective. If things don’t work out with Lillard in Portland, it’s obvious that they’re going to make a deal for the future, acquiring picks and/or young talent. That would leave them with a clear pathway to deal McCollum as well.

If things do work out and Lillard ends up staying, there’s a common theme when a new coach joins a team: the star player is locked in, and changes are made all around him.

To that point, I may discuss Miami’s needs as a point guard and front-court pairing, but ultimately, if a high level scorer is attainable, that’s the number one priority.

Now, let’s just jump right into the game of McCollum, and how he elevates this current Heat roster. (Spoiler: There aren’t many more ideal situations than this one, aside from the unrealistic superstar acquisition talk)

The Mid-Range Assassin

There’s no better place to start with McCollum than the second level of the half-court, the mid-range area. It’s always a fun aspect to look at things, especially in comparison of what the Miami Heat currently have.

I’ve discussed the mid-range with Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn all season, knocking down the pull-up elbow jumper against drop. It’s not just that McCollum shoots about 7% better in that area of the floor at 48%, but it’s the way he does it.

The Heat have clearly missed that consistent mid-range gravity all season. Guys like Nunn and Herro have respectable jumpers in that area, but the opposing scouting report is where the true separation between these type of guys is made.

Teams usually scheme their defense into giving Miami’s guards that shot, while teams try to take away McCollum’s mid-range as a top 2 priority. Number one is always going to be Lillard, which further shows the worry he puts on other defenses.

The reason I said it’s the way he does it, is because he’s just an absolute bucket getter. And this goes without saying, but the Heat need absolute bucket getters.

In the play above, he gets an iso with Nunn guarding him, leaving him with the entire right side of the floor to navigate as the other four starters bundle up on the left side. Duncan Robinson tries to come over for the double to eliminate his go-to drive into a baseline fade, but McCollum’s bag is so big that he has an alternative.

Not wanting to fall into that double, he stops and throws up a pump-fake, forcing Robinson to recover back. He gets Nunn in the air, jumps into him, and still buries the tough bucket. Why is that important? Well, that’s McCollum every single night.

The other part of his mid-range excellence begins in the full-court, which could be his most polished ability. Once he gets a guy on their heels, he’s pulling that shot with confidence and there’s no way to contest it.

Even when Lillard is on the floor, McCollum gets a bunch of on-ball reps, which always look pretty good. That’s a key thing to note when discussing his fit with Miami, since I’ve been harping on the point of acquiring a guy that can play both on and off the ball, which is Miami’s offensive scheme in a nutshell.

On this play, he breaks down Miami’s 2-2-1 press as they blend back into the 2-3 zone. After blowing by Gabe Vincent and Andre Iguodala at the top, he’s now in his happy place. This is where the mid-range diversity comes into play.

He has a bunch of options from a passing perspective, but he flows immediately into his comfort shot: the floater. This may seem simple and unimportant from an evaluation state, but it’s just the opposite when discussing him in a Miami Heat offense. Downhill threats have been a staple lately, but that doesn’t always have to mean bulldozing drivers such as Jimmy Butler.

They just need a guy with a strength inside the arc that can collapse the defense. But yet, his game is far from only consisting “inside the arc.”

An Upward Three-Ball Trend?

He has always been a pretty good three-point shooter, but the volume hasn’t always been there. He’s increased the attempts slowly over the last five seasons, finally making an even bigger jump this year to just under 9 threes a game. But with that type of leap in volume, the efficiency had to have gone down, right?

Actually, it’s just the opposite.

He went from knocking down 2.8 threes a game last season to 3.6 a game this year, and the stats don’t tell the full story. Actually, stats never tell the full story. In the first clip, we see a pull-up three in transition, which is something we see quite frequently from him in Portland.

He shot 6 pull-up threes a game this past season, and that is not an easy thing to do. Above, there’s a slight hesitance, as if he’s going to drive left, before flowing right into his high lifted jumper for a transition bucket. He shot 37% on pull-up triples, which is actually the exact percentage his Portland back-court mate shot this past season too.

In the second clip, we see some more of that half-court shooting ability from three, and it continues the discussion of his bag just being so deep. Speaking of his specific go-to moves, it’s on display here, as he tries to free himself up in isolation with a simple crossover before utilizing his signature: the pull-back dribble.

That move gets him into his rhythm, just as Bam Adebayo’s jab step gets him into his shooting motion. The difference is that defenders stopped biting on the Adebayo jab for periods of time when it became predictable, while McCollum’s pull-back is never taken lightly by a defense.

The Miami Heat’s offense may not see a lot of isolation possessions, but that’s because Erik Spoelstra built it around their personnel. They don’t have a McCollum iso type to take advantage of it, but it’s pretty clear that would change if they got him in a Heat uniform.

Lastly, he could benefit from a different offensive look as well, since it’s really odd that his catch and shoot volume isn’t very high in Portland. He’s a movement shooter, but playing next to primary play-makers, in Butler and Adebayo, would mean his spot-up attempts would more than double. If that was the case, I can guarantee his shooting numbers would make another leap.

Off-Ball Freelancer

Since we’re on the topic of offensive positioning with Miami, plays like this just further my point about his utilization. I touched on his usage as an on-ball guy next to Lillard, but clearly next to a player of that magnitude, his off-ball creation must be crisp.

This possession specifically was most likely a drawn up play for the in-bound, but this type of stuff is the Heat offense. Slipping screens after passing and screening away is a staple, but I’d like to see him in a position with some extra back-screens to free him up, mostly due to the fact that Miami would plug him into that role.

He’s a sharp cutter, and putting him into some of the Robinson sets that were run this past season could really benefit his scoring, without forcing him into the role of: just be our primary scorer with the ball in your hands every night.

Lillard’s play over the years has put McCollum’s value in a weird spot in my opinion. It’s clear that he is such a skilled scorer, but the question becomes: can he be the team’s leading scorer on a contender?

Some people’s answers may differ on that subject, but I am very confident in that notion, since the unselfishness of the Heat’s current stars would probably put him in a very comfortable spot. A point guard would still be vital if they acquired McCollum, which raises his effectiveness even more.

PnR Dissector 

The last part of his game that I would like to highlight is his PnR reads. Referring back to the Heat guards, a point that is harped on is their need for a screen every single possession, while McCollum can clearly create for himself.

The second part of that is the level of consistency on your PnR reads once you receive the screen, and there were some growing pains in the process for two of the Heat’s second year guards. But just take a look above at how McCollum handles these situations.

Adebayo as a screener in the high PnR truly expanded this past season, but it came down to who can take advantage of it. In the play above, he flows right into that pull-up triple that I discussed earlier. Why is this important? Well, take a look at where he’s looking when he has the ball in his hands.

Once Marvin Bagley puts his right foot back to retreat, McCollum pulls-up without even thinking. That’s what the Heat need: instinctive scoring.

In the second clip, it’s another pick and roll set, leaving him basically in a game of one-on-one with Hassan Whiteside. He knows that he’s a good shot blocker, meaning the floater or mid-range pull-up may not be the best call. Knowing he’s a bit slow footed, he goes with the euro into a one-hand push shot, fulfilling my point of his PnR dissection.

Certain guys are good scorers and others are good defensive readers. CJ McCollum is both of those things, which makes his value so much higher for a team like the Heat. It becomes a waiting game with the next steps of the Portland Trail Blazers, but it feels like a situation that Pat Riley and company would be watching closely.

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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

Tim Hardaway Jr Interested in Coming to Miami

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(With Brady Hawk)

As the beginning of free agency gets closer and closer, I can report that Tim Hardaway Jr is intrigued by the idea of landing in Miami and would love to join the Heat, a league source tells Five Reasons. However, the timing of free agency and contract details are perceived as likely challenges by Hardaway and his camp, according to the same sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

After knocking down 207 total threes this past season, which is his career high, it’s obvious that he’s in line for a decent sized pay-day. The specifics of that may not be clear at this exact moment, but it is clear that Miami could use his type of scoring ability next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

The Miami Heat simply have certain priorities this off-season, including a possible point guard and front-court pairing, but if some of those things fizzle out, it’s a great fall-back plan.

How much does he elevate the current Heat roster? Well, that’s a different story, since it matters what you’re losing out on to fulfill the signing of Hardaway Jr, but there’s no doubt it improves the team on the offensive end of the floor.

Defensively may be a different story, after Miami has gone through a long period of time with one-way guards, but there is a different element to this particular acquisition. His track record showcases two things that make up for that: reliability and consistency.

When looking back over his career, he hasn’t missed a lot of time, considering he only missed two games this season and four games the year before. Combine that with the on-court consistency, since even though a streaky shooter becomes the label at times, he’s seemed to line himself up well following this recent playoff run.

Once again, there are certain needs for this Heat team as they head into the off-season, while it feels like their priorities have stayed the same. But if Hardaway Jr’s interest in Miami continues, as a couple strike-outs occur in the process, there’s a chance he could find himself in a very familiar arena.

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