Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

The Continued Offensive Growth is Second to Nunn

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Kendrick Nunn’s NBA career thus far has been a constant cycle of ups and downs. NBA starter to bench warmer then back to NBA starter has happened over and over and over, and yet, he’s still competing with the best of them whenever he gets an opportunity out on that floor.

It’s always the “now” when discussing Kendrick Nunn. Can he step up tonight? How much of a boost can he give this team at the current stage? But although he’s 25 years old, he is only in his second NBA season, and he’s still growing as a player.

Growing a lot.

It’s not easy to stay mentally or physically ready when you’re constantly being interchanged between roles, but not only has he stayed parallel to his old self, he has made necessary improvements that make him more than just a “spark.”

The Heat organization had many expectations placed onto players that were a bit unrealistic in hindsight. But they didn’t seem to put any expectation on the future of Nunn, and that’s worked out very well.

So, after yet another scoring explosion against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, let’s take a look at what truly stood out on the offensive side of the ball.

– Punishing bigger defenders

Miami’s offense has obviously been inconsistent so far this season, but one area they’ve been highly effective with is transition offense. When a team relies on their defense on a nightly basis, that must translate to fast-break opportunities, and Nunn has been at the forefront of that.

As seen here, Bam Adebayo gets a steal and pushes the ball down the court as Nunn trails. He was forced to slightly reset after he caught the pass, and this is where an interesting growth in his game is apparent. He has the ability to take advantage of bigger defenders, not just through his speed, but through angles and body separation.

Although a quick crossover gets him this open look on the reverse, his ability to keep defenders on his hip as he rises up is something he wasn’t as comfortable with last year. An underrated element to some of the changes from last year to this year is headlined by his body language, since he’s playing at a completely different speed with a defined role.

– Tighter handles leads to more separation

When seeing Nunn’s confidence level rising in an empty corner in isolation, it just shows the type of rhythm he is in. The exact reasoning for this confidence rising has a lot to do with his improved attributes.

He is much more comfortable putting the ball on the floor since his handle seems a lot tighter. On this play, he keeps the dribble alive as he’s scanning toward the opposite side, before he realizes it’s time to just go. And when he’s moving left toward the baseline, you can almost guarantee he’s going to utilize the pull-back dribble into a jumper.

When talking about the lack of separation created between Miami’s guards, the evolving ball handle from Nunn can really change some things for him in the big picture.

– Reading each and every defender

As Nunn catches the ball on the wing with a short shot clock, his initial move is to read the first defender. Most player basically just flow into their comfort move, but not K-Nunn.

Seeing his defender running at him full speed, he flows into a slow pump-fake to truly sell it, and it eliminates him from the play. Now, it looks like he has his favorite mid-range jumper with nobody in sight, but he immediately reads the next defender.

Keldon Johnson is forced to split the difference between him and Jimmy Butler, and you can see there’s a slight hesitance from him to fully lock on Nunn. So, he rises up for a smooth finger roll at the rim, just further showcasing the most crucial attribute of all: reading a defense in fast motion.

– A mixture of the past three things discussed

After touching on his success against bigger defenders, an increased handle, and reading his defender, here’s one play that shows all three of those elements.

Jimmy Butler begins the possession in the high post, which is where he finds himself frequently lately, as Nunn circles around to find an opportunity with the Trevor Ariza off-ball screen. Now, as he receives the ball on the wing, he patiently reads the defender, gives a slight jab left knowing that he can take the bigger defender off the dribble, and uses his body to create separation for the open layup.

The reason this play is important to show is to prove the fact that these moments aren’t one time instances, and actually are things he’s incorporated into his game every night.

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– Diversified scoring, drop coverage killer

Before last night’s game, I mentioned that it could set up for a big time Nunn performance due to the Spurs drop coverage that he always loves to exploit from the mid-range area.

Since last year, he’s always been a good mid-range scorer, but he’s actually controlled that area of the floor a lot more than usual. Instead of awaiting an open jumper to present itself, he searches for it and finds his favorite spots in any of Miami’s normal sets.

On this possession, he gets to his spot and rises up for the bank-shot, which just shows his soft touch and diversified scoring abilities as time goes by. And the most important thing to observe here is his eye level. An issue lats season was his hesitance in a pick and roll, not knowing whether to make the pass or take the shot. Now, he seems to know exactly what he’s going to do every possession.

– Some catch and shoot excellence

There’s nothing to over-analyze on this play specifically, but it’s important to note the big picture improvements with catch and shoot opportunities. He shot a little under 35% on catch and shoot threes last season, which has shot up close to 42% this season on the same amount of attempts.

But the numbers aren’t the only thing that has shown this, since the eye test has pointed toward the different ways he’s being utilized, even as a Duncan Robinson type off-ball runner at times, which is interesting to say the least. An unexpected story line this season is that he’s been their best three-point shooter among the other small guards, and frankly, he’s been the best player overall.

– The Goran Dragic-Kendrick Nunn minutes are……effective?

Something that has stood out to me lately has been the amount of minutes Goran Dragic and Nunn have played together, and better yet, how good that they’ve been. When I asked Erik Spoelstra about their minutes together lately, he said, “Until about two weeks ago, I started to notice more and more that combination was actually being pretty effective, so it’s something we’ll continue to explore.”

Now, it’s necessary to evaluate why it has been so effective all of a sudden, and the reason for that is no surprise, Kendrick Nunn. As mentioned previously, Nunn has been involved in a lot more off-ball sets due to his increased catch and shoot abilities, meaning Dragic can direct traffic, or even vice versa.

This play was an example, as Dragic turns the corner for a hard attack, then floats it over the top to Nunn on the wing for the three.

These not so minor improvements from Nunn should not be swept under the rug, since he’s basically been that one steady rock to give them offense on any given night, which is why we’re approaching him being a closer from here on out.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Spurs

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The Miami Heat got a much needed win over the Spurs on Wednesday night, after a bunch of good individual performances. Jimmy Butler got some buckets late in the fourth quarter to sustain the lead, which has been one of their issues as of late. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The first half offensive ups and downs continue, and one reason for that was clear.

The first takeaway after these games have basically been locked into the overall offensive evaluation, but tonight was just more of those inconsistencies. Early in the first quarter, everything was clicking, while things went in the other direction to finish the first and begin the second quarter. The obvious reason for that is the bench drop-off, due to the fact that Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo having to sit on the bench together leads to rough offensive stretches. Now, another element to this that isn’t discussed enough is Duncan Robinson. Not that things go south when he’s off the floor, but actually when he re-enters. He just doesn’t have the same involvement as he does to begin the first quarter or second half, and that may have a lot to do with defensive adjustments. But either way, Robinson’s second stint in the first half can’t consist of running around the perimeter, while Goran Dragic kick-outs to Trevor Ariza is the result.

#2: The Dewayne Dedmon pick-up was an absolute steal.

Although I’m diving into specifics from this game, my evaluation of Dewayne Dedmon was much more big picture: It was an absolute steal. He has fit their need to perfection, while Adebayo relief minutes were a real issue early in the season. Tonight, though, he made an offensive impact as a roller well known, especially with the unexpected connection he has with Butler. He’s very patient when waiting to receive the ball as the wings are lurking, and he shows to have much more bounce to him than originally expected. This performance tonight may have been sparked from his past with the San Antonio Spurs, but either way, these moments continue to foreshadow the things he can do for this team in a playoff series, especially when the team is clicking.

#3: Bam Adebayo’s offensive question marks slowly fading.

There aren’t many question marks next to Adebayo’s game other than the amount of shots he takes, but there are many areas of his game that are truly being polished up. For one, as Butler said a few games ago, the mid-range jumper is all good, but his attacking is the real asset, also known as bully ball. Well, that is what translates to the free throw line, as Adebayo went to the charity stripe 5 times in the first half, while the only other player was Butler with one free throw attempt. Another element of his game involves the low-post play, which clearly isn’t something he is extremely comfortable with. He showed some increased comfort in that area when finding a smaller defender on him, and even utilizing the occasional post hook, leading to an additional weapon in his offensive package. If he continues to round out those type of things in his game, there really will be only one question about his game, which would be the amount of shot attempts he has on any given night.

#4: Kendrick Nunn showcasing his greatest skill: Scoring.

I’ve dove into Kendrick Nunn’s game a lot lately, highlighting his evolving decision making abilities, but it’s time to discuss the one element that has consistently been on the top of the list. He truly doesn’t get enough credit for the overall growth in his game scoring the ball, since he’s scoring in facets that he once wasn’t capable of doing. I’ve touched on his catch and shoot abilities from beyond the arc, but he’s taken the mid-range control to another level this season. Against drop coverage, as I mentioned before the game, it basically signals for a Nunn game where he puts the ball in the basket all night, and that’s exactly what he did by sparking offense in different stretches when they struggled.

#5: Goran Dragic having his moments. Dragic-like moments.

When constantly discussing Goran Dragic’s age after his poor games, let’s talk about it after a good performance. An aging Dragic must flow right into an effective three-point shooter. He won’t be able to get to the rim at the same rate that he once did, even though he got there frequently tonight, but that outside shot is something he can rely on. When looking at Nunn, as discussed prior, he’s played a good amount of minutes alongside Dragic this season, which wasn’t the greatest combo last season. A big reason for that is Nunn’s off-ball growth, since they currently have an offensive rating of 110 when they share the floor. Either way, Dragic taking over at times in the fourth quarter is a great thing to see if you’re the Miami Heat, since as he said earlier today, “This is already the playoffs for us.”

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Chicago

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The Miami Heat fell short to the Chicago Bulls this time around, after some fourth quarter struggles on both ends of the floor, due to the spaced out minutes of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. The Heat were without Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala, but it was still a very winnable game. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami increases the pace early on, and that leads to good things.

The Heat’s early half-court offense was quite awful, but luckily, another element picked that back up. One thing that is known with this team is that they are defensive minded, which transition offense can be their specialty. The pace began to increase in that starting lineup with Goran Dragic, running the floor time and time again, with Jimmy Butler leading the way in that area. Most of their half-court sets were leading to absolutely nothing for a good amount of stretches, meaning the constant contested threes were fluid. But one positive is that if Miami can continually lock up on the defensive end and turn that into offense, that will be crucial to truly know what the team’s offense really is.

#2: Bam Adebayo switching onto guards is tough against two big lineups.

For starters, this is not to downplay the scheme in anyway, since it’s shown to be pretty effective with Bam Adebayo bitzing, while Butler and Trevor Ariza swarm on the back-line. The only issue is that Adebayo getting caught onto guards like Coby White creates problems when a team has Nikola Vucevic and Daniel Theis sharing the floor for long stretches. The Bulls basically wanted the Heat to make that switch each possession, so they can get into their post play without Adebayo getting in the way. Another aspect of that switching is that the Bulls also have a big small forward in Patrick Williams, meaning Chicago was prepared to attack that match-up of Duncan Robinson on the first possession in the interior. Once again, this isn’t an Adebayo issue or scheme issue, but it might be a bit of an awareness issue at times when playing a team that is front-court heavy.

#3: Jimmy Butler doing Jimmy Butler-like things.

When walking away from that first half in particular, aside from offensive or defensive evaluations, Jimmy Butler was the true focal point. He had 16 points at the half, while going 7 for 8 from the field, and this traces back to the first takeaway in a lot of ways. When he is running the floor like he was tonight, he’s tough to stop. Really tough to stop. Not only was he punishing them in transition, though, since he was very comfortable with that mid-range jumper throughout. One thing this points toward is Butler in the big picture. When he says just get me to the playoffs, he means it, due to the fact that he’s shown time and time again that he can score the basketball whenever he chooses, while continuing to compete on the defensive end. The first half wasn’t his only time of offensive impact, since he exploded even more in that third quarter as him and Adebayo scored 25 straight points for Miami.

#4: Heat missing bench production even more than usual.

Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala were all out of tonight’s game, meaning the bench would look a lot different than usual. Even though players like Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and KZ Okpala were leading those lineups, it was much worse than originally expected. Miami’s entire bench didn’t have a made field goal until late in the third on a Dewayne Dedmon layup, which just shows the offensive holes that were waiting to be filled. Although the bench unit will be harped, which is filled with two-way guys and players who could be in the G-League, that offensive vacancy was also shown with the starting lineup counterparts. It’s not important to harp on the bench tonight in particular, but they will need some level of production with a full roster. These issues have been occurring even when Herro, Iguodala, and company were playing, and that’ll be the moment this team takes that next step forward.

#5: Bam Adebayo continues to have his flashes of aggression and impact, but it wasn’t enough to win.

Even though I touched on the earlier run with Adebayo and Butler, it’s necessary to mention Adebayo’s continued flashes of realization. With guys out and Butler resting on the sideline, the early fourth quarter minutes were truly going to come down to Adebayo. And well, he had his flashes in that stretch. Running the floor and taking the contact in transition after a Vincent deflection and Bjelica dive comes to mind first. It’s important for him to get to the free throw line when he’s looking to dominate, due to that unlocking that next level for him. He also began to wait on the block, instead of facilitating on the elbow, which is another sign of realization. Although this was all great, he was then subbed out as Butler entered, which is a main reason for Miami falling late. They didn’t have that additional boost, and it’s harder to gain rhythm when they’re forced to lead lineups on their own.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo Aren’t Your Traditional Duo, and That’s a Good Thing

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Let’s just be honest, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are not your normal star duo. They just aren’t. And that’s a good thing.

They aren’t looked at in the same light as many other top duos, not just because of their current seeding, but also their skill-sets. Two stars leading the way for their team without a consistent three ball in the arsenal. When a three-point shot is needed with the clock running down, the team is looking toward their 3rd, 4th, or even 5th best player to knock it down.

But still, is that the only measuring stick?

Obviously shooting is needed in today’s NBA, but a non-shooter is basically looked at in a much more negative manner than a non-defender, which is odd to say the least. Defense sometimes goes under the radar when discussing individual abilities, and well, Butler and Adebayo are two players that love when things they’re involved in go under the radar.

The numbers are a hard thing to point toward when looking at Adebayo and Butler’s on court effectiveness, since that side of the ball just has been all over the place from a team perspective. But when watching game after game, there’s just a different level of disruption when both of them are on the floor together.

An Adebayo switch onto a star point guard while Butler is awaiting on the backside for the double on the big has been quite the formula so far this season, even though that switching seems to only be highlighted in a negative manner.

When I asked Butler about Adebayo’s defensive impact last night, he said, “He takes the challenge of being able to guard whoever in this league, and he’s actually pretty good at it…Around here, we know he’s very good at it. And it’s not always him getting a stop or a block or something like that, it’s tough to have to be in a spot and help, then close somebody out and have to guard them. That’s what people really overlook and how he’s everywhere for us on the defensive end of the floor and he never complains.”

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The funny thing about that Butler quote about Adebayo, is that it sounds like he could actually be describing himself as well, which is the exact thing that makes this duo so unique.

Even when looking at the Chicago game on Saturday night, where Miami was in an unexpected spot late in the game, Butler and Adebayo took matters into their own hands to takeover in a different way than others.

It isn’t Jayson Tatum side-steps or Kyrie Irving dribble-moves into a pull-up. It consists of doubles and deflections and steals leading to transition offense for great looks at the basket for both of Miami’s physically gifted stars.

An interesting element when looking at the current stage is the inability to truly play the two of them together for the amount of minutes that they would like. Of course they play together for stretches, but there is absolutely no way they can be on the bench at the same time, meaning there minutes must be staggered.

Looking at the Bulls early fourth quarter comeback, when buckets were needed for Miami, offense consisted of Adebayo surveying the defense on the elbow, awaiting a back-cut for many of the role players. Or even Butler’s time on the floor consisted of bulldozing to the basket, then kicking it out for contested threes. It’s not their fault, but it’s the Victor Oladipo factor.

That third guy allows them to do different things with lineups, meaning the game wouldn’t have gotten to that point after running some empty side Butler-Adebayo PnR’s to close that thing out.

Everything is magnified when watching a seventh seed team go through the nightly inconsistencies, but there is a certain confidence level in that locker room when they get to that final stage. Since Butler and Adebayo have done it before, and it’s clear they aren’t afraid to do it again.

Once again, these two guys aren’t the traditional stars when evaluating it in the big picture, but that’s exactly how they like it. They want to be the underdogs. They want to be doubted.

They also love to hold each other accountable, since after last night’s game, Bam Adebayo said, “We cursed each other out in the huddle.” And that quote right there just completely sums up what these two guys are. When Adebayo was asked to expand on what was said, Butler responded jokingly in the background, “That’s between me and Bam. Stop being nosy, next question.”

The only task at hand now is that they have to chip away to secure a decent seed in the Eastern Conference before the post-season. But the key point is: you have to be different to win in this league.

And well, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are very different.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Bulls

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The Miami Heat got a win over the Chicago Bulls, but it ended in a much closer fashion than originally expected. What looked to be quite the blowout, turned into a nail biter late, as Miami allowed Chicago to claw back into it in the second half. But at this point in the season, a win is a win, so here are five takeaways from this game….

#1: Duncan Robinson. That’s it. That’s the takeaway.

It’s nothing new when Duncan Robinson is on one of these takeaway pieces, but this game was unlike the past ones. Beginning the game 4 for 4 from beyond the arc, and finishing the half with 6 triples can’t even fully explain the level of shooting that was being displayed. When he shot 2 for 10 from deep on Friday night, many labeled that as a bad game, but in reality, he played a pretty great game overall. Tonight though, he just showcased his primary attribute and deadliest skill, which is clearly the outside shooting. One major difference tonight was the dribble hand-offs were easier to flow into, even though he was being blanketed. That comparison takes us back to last season, since that’s where all of his looks were generated, but it just shows how many things open up when he has that as an option.

#2: Jimmy Butler’s play-making abilities are noticed and discussed, but still somehow underappreciated.

It’s widely known that Jimmy Butler is a crafty passer, but more importantly, a huge play-maker in Miami’s unselfish and motion offense. But when offense is flowing and shots are falling, that ability is magnified greatly, due to doubles on Duncan Robinson leading to open cutters. There are a few elements to this that make it so special. For one, he is such a patient player which is known with his scoring, but he’s such a calm play-maker. He doesn’t watch his teammate, he watches their defender, and that is the pure definition of a good play-maker. A main reason that his passing isn’t discussed enough is due to it being linked in a negative way at times, when people are mentioning him over-passing instead of trying to score. But once again, games like this put that all to the side, especially when he didn’t have a made field goal until a couple minutes into the third.

#3: Gabe Vincent’s immediate description was the wrong one.

Gabe Vincent was a part of the back-up back-court tonight due to Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro being out, but this type of game really shows his actual description. The original label he got with the Heat was a shooter, and it almost felt like that was all he could give them, since that’s all he showed in his short stints last season. The difference with his minutes this season is that shooting is the only element that he hasn’t shown. He’s a very active defender that never stops moving, and really knows how to scrap which is quite the Miami Heat description. Another interesting part about him that wasn’t known was his ability to get downhill at a pretty good rate, which looks to be his biggest strength in his offensive package. He’s been a spot guy with this Heat team this season, and he’s played that role to perfection whenever he’s been inserted.

#4: Trevor Ariza’s deep balls aren’t falling, but everything else is looking as good as ever.

Trevor Ariza went on a pretty unexpected run recently shooting the ball from the oustide, but the thing about 3 and D guys like him or Jae Crowder, is that there will be plenty of ups and downs. The thing about the role on this Heat team is that it truly doesn’t matter, since that element is just an add-on. The real impact is the defensive impact that Ariza has given Miami out on the perimeter, which was really shown early in this game tonight. The amount of deflections he accounts for is outstanding, which just highlights his intangibles of great length and quickness to clog the passing lanes. While this doesn’t seem like a game to give Ariza positive comments when looking at the stat-sheet, he actually deserves it which just furthers the point about Ariza as a player.

#5: The staggering of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo hurting Miami nightly.

Something that has to be done with Miami on a nightly basis is stagger Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, due to their inability to survive when both are off the floor, but it seems to hurt them nightly. When the team needs a boost early in the fourth or late in the third, it always becomes Adebayo looking for a hand-off or back-cut, while Butler looks for a drive and kick opportunity. The only thing is that Miami should be running Butler-Adebayo PnR’s at that point in the game, but just plainly can’t due to rotations. Not to make any excuses, but it’s the Victor Oladipo factor, since his short stretch with the team allowed Miami to run different lineups than the ones they’re forced to run now.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Depleted Hawks Team

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The Miami Heat were looking to expand their winning streak to four games against a Hawks team without Trae Young and Clint Capela, but Atlanta just seemed to want it much more in simplistic terms. These type of losses just further magnify the issues of this current Heat team, which leads us right into the five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s first half defense was not their strong suit.

On a night that Atlanta was without two starters, in Trae Young and Clint Capela, it seemed like defense wouldn’t be as much of an issue. John Collins would have to see Bam Adebayo for valued minutes, instead of him being glued onto Capela, but he got his way anyway. The Hawks were forcing switches leading to mismatches time and time again, and did a great job of taking advantage of Miami’s blitzing, swinging the ball to the open shooter. And the thing about that open shooter is that this Atlanta team didn’t miss much in that first half. Lucky for Miami though, they were knocking down shots as well, but it’s not ideal that you’re identity is the point of inconsistency against a depleted Hawks team.

#2: Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn take turns generating offense.

There have been some discussions lately about the long term options of Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, which has caused these two to be compared constantly. But something that must be noted, is that they can actually be impactful together. Nunn kept them going early by knocking down some shots from the outside, but an interesting element is him becoming the Trevor Ariza of the three-guard lineups, when he should actually be the Kendrick Nunn. Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro struggled on blow-by’s, while it shined light on the fact that Nunn should be the on-ball option. Herro got into a flow in the second quarter, once again, as an off-ball option. Some of his movement led to open space on the perimeter, which is what he will have to do until he becomes comfortable again on drives to the basket.

#3: Duncan Robinson doing the same thing he does every night. Oh, except shoot the deep ball well.

It may become a bit repetitive when reading about Duncan Robinson on everyone of these pieces, but truly, that just showcases his level of consistency since the trade deadline. He obviously didn’t shoot the ball well from deep tonight, but it’s so intriguing when watching the differences in his offensive sets. He’s running much more stuff out of the high pick and roll, which gives him much more room to navigate, and ultimately, forces him to drive more. And a driving Robinson isn’t the worst thing in the world, since he seems to be getting more and more comfortable in that area every night. When I asked Bam Adebayo about his decision making in those spots, he highlighted Robinson’s level of work everyday to improve, and that seems to be exactly it with this level of improvement.

#4: Mistimed third quarter decisions led to Miami’s drought.

It’s hard to pick out some of the small things when a team is just absolutely shooting the lights out, but there definitely were some signs in that third quarter that played a part. Bam Adebayo was having trouble on the boards, which led to an early insertion of Dewayne Dedmon, who always seems to give them good minutes offensively around the basket. The only issue with that was it was clear Miami was heading toward that surprising 2-2-1 press into a 2-3 zone, but they may have gone into that a bit too late in the quarter. When going zone, Dedmon probably isn’t the best big man option due to limited mobility, which forces the lower tier defensive assets to have more of a load. And that right there is the point of the zone, meaning that exact timing of subbing and defensive adjustment was a bit off in that stretch.

#5: This game was……well, predictable.

If there’s anything that is widely known about this Heat team, it’s that they truly rise up when facing the best teams in the NBA, while fall short against depleted rosters or lower tiered teams. Well, that’s what happened tonight, since they played like the team without two starters. The main theme of this game tonight was to instill a certain level of consistency after finally getting into a rhythm over the last few games. And even though shots were falling at a good rate throughout, everything else basically fell apart. A bad defensive performance, tough time on the boards, and an odd passing display with a team that usually looks so crisp with their ball movement. Jimmy Butler said a few weeks ago that you don’t know what team you’re going to get whenever they play, and that once again shows to be the case.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Spurs

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The Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, expanding their win streak to 3 games. Bam Adebayo early on to Jimmy Butler mid-way through to Tyler Herro closing it out, while Herro’s fourth quarter explosion was very important for his near future. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: An early aggressive Bam Adebayo sighting.

Bam Adebayo came out in this game in a way that many people would want. Attacking the basket, trying to get to the line, and most importantly, capitalizing on the mid-range jumper. When playing against a drop scheme like this, that free throw jumper was available time and time again. Although Jimmy Butler’s passive ways early didn’t take advantage of that open space, Adebayo did, which ultimately allowed Duncan Robinson to flow in nicely per usual from the outside. Even smaller moments, like the second quarter poster dunk that was changed to a charge, shows the initiation he’s taking as the offensive focal point to play some “bully ball,” as Butler likes to call it.

#2: Getting a look at the Butler-Dedmon duo.

After Jimmy Butler missed the last two games and Dewayne Dedmon got significant minutes for the first time in that span, it meant tonight would be the first time we would see those two in action together. And as I talked about before the game, it didn’t disappoint, since the initial set when he checked in was a Butler-Dedmon PnR, leading to a Dedmon slam and a Butler assist. Miami has needed to stagger Butler and Adebayo’s minutes more and more lately, but adding a consistent back-up big for Butler to rely on is a much bigger deal than originally expected. Dedmon once again gave them some solid minutes, while showcasing his current shape due to the extra minutes Spoelstra is playing him game by game.

#3: Duncan Robinson improving decision making on the move.

It’s time to discuss the undercover areas of Duncan Robinson’s game, instead of talking about the obvious abilities with his shooting. I’ve also dove into his solid defensive rotations, the off-ball screening importance for their offense, and much more. But something that must be noted is his growing decisiveness when moving downhill. It wasn’t as important to bring up in the past since he didn’t get to the rim much, but that number has been increasing as time goes by. The 2 on 1’s created by PnR’s lead to Robinson choosing between that lob pass or laying it up with confidence, which he’s surprisingly been pretty good with around the rim. The reason this is so essential is due to him gaining that trust in his own abilities, which can spark even more growth in his game throughout the season.

#4: A defensive third quarter gets Miami back into this game.

The offense seemed like it was finally tailing off in the third quarter, just like it has in many spurts throughout this season. But during those stretches, it’s time to rely on your team’s identity, and that’s exactly what Miami did. Other than Adebayo’s continued dominance in this quarter, the headline was their defense locking in after the Spurs went on a run. The Spurs did not have a made field goal for about 5 minutes of basketball, which has a lot to do with the coaching side of things. Miami went into a soft press for many possessions, which then flowed into a 2-3 zone. An intriguing element to this zone tonight was that Robinson found himself at the top of it, which may seem to be an issue in the big picture, but it was the complete opposite tonight.

#5: A rough night for Trevor Ariza, but next man up mentality comes into play.

Trevor Ariza has found himself on most of these takeaway pieces since joining the team, but this was the first night that there were some down moments. He didn’t have the same offensive impact that he’s had lately, which is expected from a role, 3 and D player, but the issues actually came on the defensive end at times. Some blown rotations, lack of effort at times, and more seemed to jump off the screen, which is when KZ Okpala came into play. Okpala got minutes tonight due to Andre Iguodala being out, and the eye test said more about his performance than the stat-sheet. Shots weren’t falling throughout, but he really had some great defensive possessions and knocked down an important triple early in the fourth. It’s the motto of this team, and next man up was in full effect tonight.

The Immediate Rise of Dewayne Dedmon

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“They were in need of a big and a rim protector, so I felt this opportunity was right for me.”

That’s what Dewayne Dedmon said when he first spoke to media after joining the team less than two weeks ago. The initial takeaway when things like this were said, was that explosive rim protectors and interior forces aren’t usually found on the buyout market, especially when looking for immediate production.

But well, Dedmon has been all that and more in his first two games played with the team. In his first game as the back-up big against Brooklyn, he scored 10 points on 100% efficiency on 1 field goal attempt. Yes, you read that correctly.

Eight for eight from the free-throw line did not seem Dedmon-like, but getting to the charity stripe 8 times definitely did. He’s a force on the offensive boards, meaning those battles down low lead to many fouls, and more importantly, extra opportunities for their offense.

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In his second game in this role, it was clearly different than the night before. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, while still keeping his role as Precious Achiuwa slid up to that starting spot. Dedmon contributed 12 points off the bench on 75% shooting, this time around with 8 shot attempts. Although it’s a small sample size, the clear thing is that his stat-line will look pretty much the same every night, which is exactly what they’ve missed.

When I asked Dedmon about Adebayo before his first game, as well as filling his shoes when he exits the floor, he responded, “I’m not Bam. I’m not looking to come in here and do what Bam does. I come in here and try to fill a defensive void that I feel like they need.” And he’s filled much more than just a defensive void on this team so far.

When Miami was evaluating their back-up big spot a few months ago, the thought process was to have an Adebayo-like player, in Precious Achiuwa, who is also an undersized big with a lot of energy. That hasn’t progressed nicely up until this point, which led to Miami going into the total opposite direction. A lengthy, veteran, rebounding, rim protecting big, which is obviously not Achiuwa at this stage.

A huge issue for Miami throughout the season was the non-Adebayo minutes, which was why the on-off numbers for him were so outrageous. It partly has to do with Adebayo’s unique self, facilitating the offense whenever he’s on the floor, while switching 1 through 5 on the defensive end. But it mostly had to do with the drop-off behind him, since it seemed the team was just praying to stay afloat whenever Adebayo needed a breather.

But that’s not the worry anymore. They’ve got a guy that they seem to trust, and it hasn’t even been two weeks since he joined the team. When Erik Spoelstra talked about him after the last game, he said, “He’s a savvy veteran. He’s a big muscle defender, extra effort guy. He can fit into a lot of different systems like he has, and he’s been a starter for several years, so we were thrilled to get him at this time of year.”

The key word in that quote was “system,” since finding a guy that can plug into their schemes this late into the season was a very important element to rounding out this year’s roster. The next evaluation period for Dedmon will come when Butler finally hits the floor again, since we’ve yet to see that tandem work the offense when Spoelstra is staggering Butler and Adebayo.

And if there’s one thing that is known about Butler, it’s that he elevates high IQ veterans like Dedmon whenever he hits the floor. Obviously, Miami has some other issues to straighten out before getting into post-season mode, but at least they can check off one of those things with the latest Dedmon acquisition.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Shorthanded Win Over Rockets

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The Miami Heat got a win over the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back to back, without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. The entire supporting cast stepped up on the offensive end all the way through, headlined by a pretty impressive night for Kendrick Nunn. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Kendrick Nunn stepping up early as expected, continuing his catch and shoot clinic.

Since Miami was far from complete on Monday night, Kendrick Nunn was one of the few names that stood out when evaluating a possible explosive performance on the ball. And as expected, Miami relied on him heavily whenever he was on the floor, and he produced. He was forced to become even more involved as a passer, as the PnR’s were used over and over with Precious Achiuwa as the sole lob threat. But his offense that has really stood out lately is his shooting from the outside. This was mentioned after yesterday’s game as well, but it really unlocks a lot of things for this team when fully healthy. If he can be utilized as an off-ball threat next to a guy like Duncan Robinson, it makes their offense pretty interesting while Victor Oladipo is out.

#2: Andre Iguodala: The one calming hand.

Andre Iguodala was labeled as questionable before tonight’s game, which seemed as if he would be ruled out on the second night of a back to back. He did end up suiting up though, and it was definitely for the best when looking at Miami’s offense when he was on the floor compared to off of it. Many would expect that drop-off to occur on the defensive end, but it was actually that facilitating presence on offense that kept Miami going. He is actually capable of getting guys different looks other than the normal PnR, and more importantly, everybody just seemed much more comfortable when he was on the floor. Although some of the pull-up jumpers could’ve been eliminated tonight, he gave Miami an offensive element that they obviously missed.

#3: KZ Okpala truly misses those extra reps away from actual NBA games.

A pretty obvious takeaway is the fact that KZ Okpala really could’ve used those extra reps in a Summer League or G-League atmosphere. All of his experience has been him getting thrown into odd situations, which he’s far from being able to fill. One game he doesn’t look at the rim at all, while other games he looks at it a bit too much with the amount of space he’s given when standing beyond the arc. He’s clearly talented, but he just doesn’t seem to know how to use that talent at this stage, which is expected. One thing that is widely known is that he’s not a catch and shoot player, but he always seems to be plugged into that type of role. He won’t truly make a leap in impact until he’s able to play his own game, when playing freely off the dribble and in transition, which once again, will not occur until he gets additional opportunities in other areas.

#4: Dewayne Dedmon playing his role to perfection.

When Erik Spoelstra made the comments about utilizing youth before tonight’s game, it was pretty obvious he was going to insert Precious Achiuwa into that starting role, and keep Dewayne Dedmon as the back-up big. And the same thing stuck out tonight as it did yesterday, which is Dedmon plays his role to perfection, doing what he does well consistently. He truly battles on the boards, but most importantly, the constant effort on the offensive glass creates extra opportunities for the Heat’s offense. He’s also a very good defender in the paint, since he does a good job of contesting attackers without getting off his feet to foul them. There’s zero doubt that Dedmon has that back-up big spot for good with the way he’s been playing lately.

#5: Duncan Robinson showcasing an unfamiliar attribute: Shooting.

Most of these takeaway pieces involving individual player evaluations consists of discussion about the undercover areas of their games. But tonight, the most obvious attribute for Duncan Robinson cannot go without discussing, since he was lighting it up from deep on a night where the defense was expecting it even more. He’s on the top of the scouting reports every night, but when Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler aren’t next to him in the starting lineup, it felt like a lot of those looks generated by Adebayo screens would be out the window. But they weren’t, and in fact, this may be the type of game that gives him a bit more variety moving forward with his scoring abilities.

Breaking Down Miami’s Late Game Execution Against Brooklyn

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After a dramatic finish in Miami against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, all eyes are on Bam Adebayo’s finishing touch to put the game away at the buzzer. Now, although that shot was an incredible boost for this team after the recent losing streak, it’s mostly about the boost in confidence it can give Adebayo. And just plainly, he deserved that moment.

But instead of just focusing on that one shot, let’s take a ride through Miami’s execution under 4 minutes to go, since that final stretch really showed a lot of things about this team’s character in a game without Jimmy Butler.

– Trevor Ariza doing the small things

On this possession, Goran Dragic brings the ball down as Duncan Robinson runs over and slips the screen to allow him to flow into a PnR on the opposite side. They forced a switch as Bruce Brown went under to guard Adebayo, giving Dragic just enough room to pull.

Although it clanked off the rim, go back and watch Trevor Ariza on this play. When he sees Dragic get into shooting motion, he slowly crashes toward the basket. Most players would immediately bolt there when trying to get an offensive rebound, but Ariza slowly times it.

Knowing Adebayo was waiting under the rim with nobody his size next to him, Ariza taps it over to him, leading to an and-1, which was a very important spark for their offense. As much as people are pointing toward Ariza’s defense on small guards or outstanding shooting stretch, the small things that he does is the real reason for his effectiveness.

– Dragic generating offense down the stretch

One of Miami’s go to sets down the stretch of games with Goran Dragic as a ball-handler looks just like this, except it’s usually Jimmy Butler as the screener. Dragic/Butler PnR’s have been a huge bright spot in Miami’s late game offense, since they have everyone clear out, and allow Butler to catch the ball in stride on the roll where he’s at his best.

But with no Butler, they decided to do something similar yesterday, as Adebayo was the one on the roll. This is a much easier pass for Dragic to make, since they clear out the lane, meaning the only option here is to throw the lob pass.

Although there have been some down moments from Dragic recently, he’s still one of their most trusted decision makers, since his general basketball IQ makes up for that slight lack of quickness. And that was shown yesterday when the 34 year old veteran was the one making plays at the guard spot, instead of their evolving young back-court.

– Bam Adebayo predicting the offenses next move

One area of growth in Adebayo’s game has been his defensive IQ, since he’s reading offenses much quicker. Although different switches are harped on at times, that’s a scheme thing that he is asked to do, and most nights is effective when relying on backside rotations.

On this play, Bruce Brown sets the screen for Kyrie Irving, and Adebayo immediately reacts to cut him off on the roll. Another element to this is Adebayo’s comfort level when Iguodala is on the backside, since when he noticed him on that side, he knew he could roam a bit. This also shows some of Duncan Robinson’s defensive abilities from a team perspective, since he does a good job filling in the empty spots on the rotations.

This leads to a stop, but also take a look at what happens next. Something else that stuck out here is Miami’s offense looking their best when they immediately flow into their sets. It led to a foul call, but it would’ve led to an early shot either way, which shows some of the growth in their late game execution.

– Defensive IQ to offensive grit

There’s a lot to unpack here on this play, and it was by far the most impressive stretch of the game. Much like in the last clip, Ariza and Robinson blitz Irving at the top of the key, while Adebayo slides over for the cut-off. Robinson does a good job of filling in once again, as Adebayo absolutely blankets Landry Shamet, forcing a contested Jeff Green jumper.

Now, on the offensive side of the ball, Miami works the ball into Adebayo halfway through the shot-clock as he’s being fronted by Brown once again. Irving comes over for the double as he catches it, meaning he has somebody open on the opposite side. Dragic’s cut to the basket is the most underrated part of this possession, since that eliminates Green from being able to recover on a kick-out.

Ariza missed the open three, but after Adebayo and Dragic fight for the board down low, Dragic ends up with it and kicks it out to Ariza again. Except this time, he blows by Green and takes the contact to convert on a tough layup to cut the lead to two. Once again, he does the small things, but obviously this time it wasn’t so small. When re-watching this fourth quarter, I was really surprised how active he was on every single play, ultimately becoming a major reason that Miami came out with a win.

– The positive Adebayo switches

There’s a chance the title of this article could be called the Adebayo and Ariza show, since that’s basically what it came down to on most possessions. A major reason the Ariza pick-up was so crucial for Miami to plug into the starting four spot, was for plays like this, where Adebayo is able to switch without worrying about a fellow big struggling with the switch.

As I’ve repeated over and over, Ariza defends guards as good as anybody, meaning late game situations when he’s guarding Irving, leads to the ball-handler searching for a switch that doesn’t get much easier. Adebayo gets put on an island with him, and does what he does best, make shooters uncomfortable.

Irving’s signature behind the back dribble eliminates most players from the play immediately, but not Adebayo. He recovers rather effortlessly, as it clanks off the rim, giving Miami another opportunity. Oh and by the way, Irving was 0 for 8 from the field yesterday when Adebayo was defending him.

– Iguodala clamps to a downhill Dragic

The best intro to this possession would just be listening to what Mark Jones says to begin the play. “Iguodala this time on Irving, last time it was Ariza.” Since that right there is what makes this Heat team so interesting, due to the fact that they can throw a bunch of versatile and veteran wings on star players.

Iguodala doesn’t budge one bit when sticking with Irving, which may have a bit to do with him guarding him time and time again in past Finals match-ups. He finally falls for the ball-fake in the corner, but well, somehow stays with it to alter Irving’s shot again.

As Dragic grabs the ball off the rim, it’s pretty clear that there wasn’t any additional thoughts about what he was going to do on this play. It doesn’t matter if it’s Dragic in his rookie season or his 13th season, he’s still pretty close to unstoppable when he gets that type of momentum on a fast-break. He converts on the layup to tie this thing up for Miami.

– The shot

And finally, the play that doesn’t stop popping up on every social media platform you click on, and rightfully so. Before diving into that play, let’s rewind a few seconds prior, since honestly, that part is the most impressive.

One more time of Ariza guarding Irving, leading right into a swarming switch, and I don’t think there’s a better way to contest that jumper from Irving. That’s a shot he’s knocked down plenty of times in his career, and Adebayo especially does a good job of not fouling and giving Miami a final opportunity.

Then, the ball finds Adebayo’s hands with 11 seconds on the clock. If you take a close look, he looks over at the sideline by Erik Spoelstra, since he wanted to make sure that they weren’t going to call a timeout. Dragic sets a screen for Robinson, as he clears to the corner to eliminate any help from the weak-side.

As Dragic pops out to the perimeter, Adebayo motions his hand to basically say: I got this. And well, he did have it. He sizes up Green, takes three dribble to his left, and leans back into a smooth jumper that rolls in the basket as time expires.

That ladies and gentleman, is Adebayo’s first time in that type of situation, and I can comfortably say that it will most definitely not be his last.