Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Warriors

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat blew a decent lead to the Golden State Warriors to lose in overtime. Steph Curry struggled throughout, but showed up when it mattered to close the game out late. Jimmy Butler’s triple double and Bam Adebayo’s overall impact weren’t enough as well, which led to yet another very embarrassing loss for this Heat team. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Bam Adebayo utilizing all-around abilities, leading to Miami’s natural flow.

Bam Adebayo’s first half 10 point, 4 assist, and 2 rebound performance doesn’t explain his overall impact. He was needed more than usual against this Golden State Warriors team for an abundance of reasons. For one, Draymond Green being out means a more controllable offense for Miami. Also, Golden State is the number one switching defense in the NBA, which means he would need to take advantage of certain match-ups. Either way, he did just that throughout, controlling the paint area with his scoring at the rim, but more importantly directing traffic more than usual. When Adebayo’s scoring gets going, everything else kicks in at an elite level.

#2: Kendrick Nunn’s shooting and scoring will be harped on, but don’t overlook his defensive presence.

For starters, let’s acknowledge quickly the offensive presence Kendrick Nunn was against Golden State, making an impact from all three levels. The most consistent level was the three point line, which he continues to look more confident with. But instead of diving into that part of his game that we know is there, his defense must be discussed. He’s not looked at as a great defender, but proved capable of making an impact when necessary. He played terrific defense off the ball on the greatest shooter to ever play the game, Steph Curry, holding him to 1 for 9 from beyond the arc in the first half. There’s a pattern with Nunn’s defense, and it begins with his offensive flow. When shots are falling, defense improves for everybody, but even more so for a guy that derives from confidence like K-Nunn.

#3: Tyler Herro making an impact in other areas as well.

Tyler Herro’s offensive package is rounding out lately, since there’s only one surprising issue that has been apparent: Three-Point shooting. He actually has been consistent with his catch and shoot threes, but pull-up triples have not been falling as much. Once that gets fixed up a bit, that can take Miami to the next level if they can have a sense of consistency. But much like Nunn, let’s not look into his scoring too much. Instead, his 7 rebound first half must be discussed at least a little bit. It’s clear that he is a very great rebounder for his size for a multitude of reasons. He has great instincts to crash the boards, which leads to his aggressive ability to grab the ball off the rim with force. We can discuss the evolution of Herro’s scoring package, but his all-around game improving means he’s evolving into a very complete player.

#4: Precious Achiuwa continues to be an energetic spark with his consistent play.

Precious Achiuwa has been discussed lately from a rotational perspective, instead of an actual basketball impact perspective. But once again tonight, he proved what kind of player he is at the moment. He’s a guy that can make an immediate impact as an energetic spark, as he threw down an open dunk as soon as he got subbed in to begin the game. But more importantly, his consistent and polished play must be noticed. He went through a long Covid layoff, as did the rest of the rookies, while bypassing a Summer League. And all that aside, gets a constant role to replicate the things Bam Adebayo does on both ends of the floor. Although that may sound like a lot, it doesn’t seem to be for Achiuwa, which is why the constant conversation about an increased role will continue.

#5: Not enough fight.

Not enough fight. That’s all that can be said about this late game collapse from Miami. Kent Bazemore’s constant disruption on the offensive glass against Miami led to them falling in overtime. They were out battled, out worked, and out willed to finish this game. There were plenty of open three point looks to put the game out of reach, but couldn’t convert at the end of the fourth quarter or overtime. Finishing games is an important attribute in this league, and it’s an attribute that continues to be a weakness for this Miami Heat team. Playing with a lead continues to be problematic for Miami, since beginning to coast, means beginning to become complacent.

Loading
Loading...

A Tyler Herro Leap Incoming, While Others Staying Stagnant

/0 Comments/in , /by

After reaching the NBA Finals in his rookie season, being included in trade talks with James Harden, and much more, Tyler Herro has had an interesting start to his NBA career. But the necessary leap in his offensive game seems to be happening right now.

Although Miami has struggled to begin the season, he’s pretty much done all that he can with the role he has been given. And his new role as the sixth man has allowed his scoring abilities to be viewed in a way that many have known to be in there.

When discussing a certain offensive leap, it’s not as much about scoring numbers per game, as it about the ways in which he’s scoring those points. When he got drafted by the Heat, he was basically looked at as a guy who can be a spot up shooter, and that may be his biggest weakness in his entire offensive package at the moment.

Loading
Loading...

He’s currently shooting 35% from three, which should not be a huge worry since that won’t be an issue for long. He’s actually shooting 39% from three off the catch and shoot, while pull-up triples are falling 31% of the time.

But surprisingly his game beyond the arc isn’t what is causing this soon to be leap. It’s actually the things he’s doing inside of the three point line.

He’s become very comfortable with putting the ball on the floor, looking for an open crevice off of a pick and roll. He has doubled his attempts when shooting a shot after 3 or more dribbles. He has a natural gift to survey the floor for dead spots, which means he has open mid-range jumpers when playing against drop coverage.

But once again, that doesn’t even seem to be the main reason for the upcoming jump. The biggest reason is his impact around the rim this season, which is even harder to do on a team that is struggling from three.

He has doubled his attempts less than 10 feet from the basket, which is a very positive thing since he has a natural feel when moving downhill. He utilizes the backboard with great touch, leading to easy points for him and creating more of a headache for a defense.

But all of that aside, there’s not much growth from many of the other guys. I’ve discussed minor improvements in Kendrick Nunn’s game with shot attempts and defensive close-outs, but it’s not enough to take this team to the next level.

Depth, improvements, youth. Those have been the terms used to describe this Heat team, but those are also words that entice other teams in the trade market.

Miami has clear holes to fill in their current roster, while other teams are searching for promising young players to insert into their program. And after the loss to the LA Clippers without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, dropping Miami to 11-16, it’s clear that players are being looked at closely.

This has been a season of many opportunities, which means players becoming stagnant in their progression is becoming even more apparent. Miami has some decisions to make, while players have some improvements to make.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Clippers

/0 Comments/in , /by

Well, the Miami Heat fell to the LA Clippers on Monday night, while they were without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley, and Nicolas Batum. This was a game that Miami needed to get in this tough West Coast road trip, but that wasn’t the case. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Jimmy Butler, the continued offensive glue throughout.

This is a constant theme with this Miami Heat team, since Jimmy Butler keeps everything in tact. For one, his ability to create for others and obtain the amount of assists that he has over this past stretch. But more importantly, his recent scoring should not be overlooked. Not just the amount of points, but the timing of those points. Butler can pretty much score in a variety of ways when he gets down hill whenever he wants, but it’s up to him to read the game to make that decision. When Miami goes through a tough stretch, it’s clear by Butler’s body language that he’s going to get to the basket, and try to get to the free throw line. Once again, it’s just not about the numbers when discussing Butler, since it’s more about the glue that he is with this Heat team.

#2: Tyler Herro with a needed early offensive spurt.

Tyler Herro was inserted into the game early on after Duncan Robinson picked up a couple fouls, and he began to get into a rhythm. But his offensive rhythm has come in a much different fashion this season. He has struggled a bit from beyond the arc this season, which has led to him shining when getting to the rim. He can control the pacing of a pick and roll much better, since he can play to his own speed with his pull-up jumper and lob pass abilities. Without Goran Dragic, Herro was needed to step up in certain spots offensively throughout, and he did that early on when Butler was on the sideline. And when he gets an efficient three ball again, it elevates all of those things that I just discussed.

#3: Defending the three point line an issue once again.

It seems like the copy and paste button could be utilized for these takeaway articles with this certain statement, since it’s a constant issue. Miami’s defense actually hasn’t been the reason for their struggles as of late, since their offense has been the problem focal point. But defending the three point line is still an issue with the current personnel. Marcus Morris was 6 for 7 from three in the first half, while Amir Coffey was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc in that span. The reason it’s an issue to discuss against this Clippers team is because there was no serious interior threat that would lead to constant paint crowding. Two threes from Morris came when Moe Harkless checked in, since he seemed to drop down off of him two possessions in a row, leading to that stat-line that is far from ideal.

#4: Miami’s depth not looking too deep at the moment.

When looking down the line at the moment, there’s not much offensive contributions off the bench, other than Tyler Herro. Tonight, Miami rolled with Herro, Max Strus, Precious Achiuwa, Andre Iguodala, and Moe Harkless off the bench, which they weren’t making much impact offensively throughout. The depth of this Heat team has been harped on, but that depth may not be so deep after all. Obviously Goran Dragic being out cuts that down a bit, but that doesn’t make a difference of the second unit as a whole. Iguodala will make a major impact when needed, mostly when playoff time comes around, while Achiuwa is still thriving in his small role, awaiting for a boost in minutes. If Miami can get added production from these types of guys, it takes a lot of weight off of Butler this early in the season.

#5: Precious Achiuwa showing more flashes in less minutes.

There’s not much more to dive into when discussing Achiuwa’s minutes moving forward, since he just plays every minute and second that Adebayo is off the floor. It doesn’t seem like them playing together will be utilized any time soon, which means this is about all that we will see from him in this role. He continues to bring intensity in short stints, which is hard to do since it’s tough to get into any type of natural flow. There are some small rookie mistakes that he makes, but that’s expected. Miami’s soft switches mean Achiuwa finds himself out on the perimeter a lot, which isn’t a problem for him, but it is a problem for the guard who is now guarding a center. His jumper looked pretty crisp tonight as well, which could be the only possible way for him to get into nightly lineups with Adebayo.

A Dive into Necessary Offensive Improvements from Heat Players

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat lost to the best team in the NBA currently, the Utah Jazz, on Saturday night in poor fashion. It wasn’t just that Utah was the better team, which they were, but Miami’s offense was just so out of sorts.

I’ve discussed the overall consistency, lineups, and game-plan following their performance, but let’s take a dive into the individual improvements that will be essential for this team’s success.

Bam Adebayo:

Getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line

Adebayo’s mid-range jump-shot may have become harped on in his offensive package for quite some time following his 41 point night against the Brooklyn Nets, but that isn’t what makes him shine. The jump-shot will begin to fall much more as he goes along, but he’s becoming too reliant on it, instead of doing what he has done up to this point.

And well, that’s getting to the rim, which means getting to the free throw line. He has been doing this at a much higher rate lately, following the lead of Jimmy Butler, but it doesn’t seem to be a consistent route he goes to, while that is Butler’s primary objective. A player with the level of talent Adebayo has must attack the basket off the dribble, especially since he’s faster and more skilled than most opponents.

There was a bit of hesitance against Utah in that area, and rightfully so since he was facing Rudy Gobert. But once he overcomes that hesitance in his ability to get to the rim effectively, that will elevate the play of not only him, but the entire team.

Loading
Loading...

Duncan Robinson:

A different game-plan incoming

Well, it’s finally time to discuss something that has been approaching rapidly as of late. These constant offensive sets with Duncan Robinson getting the hand-off has become predictable, leading to him getting taken out of Miami’s entire offense. Adebayo discussed that after the game, saying “They’re trying to take Duncan out the game. The stuff we did with Duncan last year, we can’t do this year.”

So, that clearly means there will be a change in game-plan with players noticing it to this extent. Robinson does not have the luxury to do other things with the ball in his hands to create shots, which makes game-planning stuff a lot tougher.

As I’ve mentioned, his impact off the ball truly is valuable due to his gravity and off-ball screening to get shots for others. But now it’s time for him to worry about shots for himself. When Robinson gets up more triples, the offense is much more effective, which is why we will see some changes as soon as tomorrow against the Clippers.

Goran Dragic:

Health

Well, this is the only improvement that Miami needs from Goran Dragic at the moment. Some may think Dragic doesn’t make the difference in a game against Utah, but he does make the difference from the perspective of offensive effectiveness.

For one, he changes everything for Butler, both through minutes and his on-court play. The thing I’ve harped on a lot lately is not having him on the floor when Butler takes a break has really hurt Miami. Dragic has the ability to settle a group down while he takes a breather, which is exactly what Miami is missing right now.

But that’s not all they’re missing, since the minutes with Butler and company against Utah were very poor as well offensively. Even when looking back at the past bubble run, putting Dragic’s outstanding scoring run aside, he just hit the shots that were necessary. The shots to spark a run after the team goes through a touch stretch, except against Utah that tough stretch never ended, since Dragic wasn’t able to save them once again.

Tyler Herro: 

The confidence needs to return

The word confidence has been tied to Tyler Herro since his first NBA game, but now it’s being discussed in a different sense. He has been playing well this season, even showing more positive flashes yesterday in the pick and roll. He’s currently shooting 45% on mid-range pull-ups this season, which has seemed to be one of his best areas.

But there’s still that splash of hesitance. It’s not that he doesn’t have that trust in himself, but there seems to be a half-second hesitation at times before shooting, which alters his entire shot. He’s a natural scorer, and natural scorers thrive without thinking. I’m not sure if it’s trade rumors, the role change, or the constant Covid protocols he seems to have to go through, but that same confidence isn’t there.

And once that same confidence or enjoyment for the game fully returns, you will begin to see Herro’s best version of himself.

Kendrick Nunn:

Continue this offensive consistency

Well, I honestly didn’t expect to be saying this about this Heat team at this point in the season, but Kendrick Nunn has been one of Miami’s most consistent players, and sustaining that changes some things. For one, that has always been his downside, since his ability to score the basketball on any given night has never been in doubt.

This point refers back to Dragic being out as well, since having that consistent rock is necessary for this team, and Nunn has been that for them at times. He’s improved his catch-and-shoot abilities, he gets to the rim at a good rate, and most importantly, he’s made the slight improvements defensively to keep him on the floor even longer.

Now, the main reason for that is because he’s scoring the ball well recently, and defense increases when offense is flowing. This is why his offensive consistency is so important, since that is keeping everything else in tact.

Jimmy Butler:

A Supporting Cast that shows up

And finally, the improvement from Jimmy Butler doesn’t even include Jimmy Butler. Of course he didn’t shoot or score the ball very well against Utah, but everybody expected Butler to have one of these games after exploding offensively since his return from Covid.

But even after that performance, his supporting cast is what is necessary for him to thrive. Butler can carry the weight on his shoulders at times, but he needs others around him to play their role for him to be completely effective. And the recent poor spacing and execution in their usual offensive sets have forced him to alter some individual ways of offense.

The previous points that were made about other players all lead to an improved Butler, and it’s clear he will be letting them know about specifics any chance that he gets. This one loss should not be harped on very long, since they played the hottest team in the NBA, but some of the signs that were shown led to these conclusions. And until these improvements occur, those offensive struggles will continue.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Loss to Utah

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the hottest team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, on Saturday night and came away with a loss. That snapped their four game winning streak, since Miami’s stagnant offense allowed Utah to pull away fairly easily. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Miami’s three point defense was needed against Utah, and came out clicking.

The Utah Jazz are a very dangerous three point shooting team, mostly since they have four shooters on the court at all times. It was needed for Miami to make that part of their defense a priority, and well, it looked like they did. The Jazz were 3/21 from beyond the arc in the first half, and that wasn’t all a product of just missing shots. The Heat were closing out very well on shooters, even some of their weaker defenders. Kendrick Nunn has been making some strides in that area, while also hitting passing lanes at a much higher rate. It’s important to see Miami’s capability to tighten up in a certain area of weakness when they make it a priority, but there’s just not one particular area.

#2: Just missing offensive consistency.

As much as we can look at certain things from this game, it’s important to look at Miami’s early offensive struggles. Instead of evaluating exactly what went wrong, it’s necessary to look at it big picture. They are just clearly missing a level of consistency on that side of the floor. Even with players being in and out of the lineup, it’s an issue to go through stretches where not only shots aren’t falling, but also when sets aren’t clicking. And when this is occurring in spurts offensively, it’s just not ideal to turn the ball over at a high rate to give easy buckets to the opposing team. This probably begins with Jimmy Butler being on and off the floor, which will be discussed next.

#3: Coach Spoelstra making rotation adjustments.

Erik Spoelstra has made a few essential rotation changes lately with the constant injury report changes, but the one with Goran Dragic out has been essential. As I’ve mentioned quite a few times, the non-Butler minutes are sustainable when Dragic plays, since he can also calm an offense down to take charge. But without Dragic, Spo has had to change some things up a bit. He’s began to stagger Butler and Adebayo’s minutes throughout, so Miami can have a trusted player to work the offense throughout. And since Precious Achiuwa has struggled lately with offensive limitations, Coach Spo doesn’t have many other options. Another small rotation change has been the Max Strus substitution for Duncan Robinson throughout, so Miami can try and sustain that shooting gravity the entire night. If there’s ever a time to discuss coaching adjustments, it’s this season with the constant twists and turns with Covid protocols.

#4: Tyler Herro returns, but not enough with Goran Dragic still out.

Discussing Miami’s offense seems to be the hot topic in this tough showing on that side of the ball, but there are positive flashes at times, which points back to that consistency. Tyler Herro returned after missing the last game due to a false positive, and showcased that scoring ability that the Heat have missed. He can bring some of it, but he’s missing his veteran co-pilot with that unit to completely control the offense. Now, this isn’t to say Goran Dragic changes everything for Miami’s offensive struggles moving forward, but it does shift some things other than added scoring. It alters the role of Herro in a positive manner, while Butler can have his backbone on a night that he struggled. On a night where offensive pacing was an issue, Dragic would’ve been useful to calm the team back down, per usual.

#5: It can’t always be waiting for Jimmy Butler to create offense.

Although I discussed offensive consistency previously, it’s important to evaluate the offense itself. The overall theme is that Jimmy Butler can’t always be the offensive savior. The obvious evaluation is just making shots that are open, but it’s much more than that. When shots aren’t falling on this team, offense always becomes stagnant with players standing around waiting for that to change. And the only time it seems to even remotely change is when Butler begins to charge the basket to kick out for continued open looks. Adebayo had a good amount of good looks in the mid-range area throughout, but as mentioned before, they weren’t dropping. Tyler Herro had some nice moments in the pick and roll, while finding his spots on pull-up mid-range shots, but that just isn’t enough. Miami’s offense can’t just be a product of made jumpers.

Jimmy Butler: The Definition of Impact

/0 Comments/in , /by

When you hear the name Jimmy Butler, there’s a lot of things that may come to mind. Grit, hard-work, overcoming the odds. But well, the word impact seems to outshine any of those descriptions.

Butler has been in and out of the lineup for pretty much this entire season, but after missing some time with Covid, he has played the last seven games and has been absolutely rolling.

For starters, he’s averaging 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists a game since he returned from that unfortunate break, leading Miami to a 5-2 record in that span.

Loading
Loading...

And yet, nothing compares to the outstanding changes that he brought on the defensive side of the ball. There are players that are just absolute great individual defenders, there are guys who can protect the rim, and there are people who are great team defenders.

But great defensive impact is when you alter a team’s overall image.

Miami went from being one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, to being second in defensive rating since Butler returned. This has a lot to do with his overall presence on the perimeter, as well as deflecting passes and being a disruptor. But the biggest reason is the level of leadership he brings to the game, and that is not an overstatement.

Hearing about on-court leadership may seem a bit cliche at times, but with Butler it’s far from that. This team constantly discusses holding each other accountable while not taking anything personal, and that’s exactly what has changed as of late. If somebody makes a late rotation on a certain possession, they will hear it from Butler right after the play or in the huddle.

And that right there is defensive impact. That right there is a leader. That right there is Jimmy Butler.

The key for Miami moving forward in this West Coast road trip is sustainability while Butler takes a breather on the bench. Surviving the non-Butler minutes is always essential, but it’s even harder when Goran Dragic is out.

The offensive rating with Butler on the floor since his return is 115, while it drops down to 94 when he’s off the floor. So as much as his defensive impact has been apparent, his offense has been just as great.

But as much as we can discuss role players playing their role, imagining certain guys healthy at the current moment, or waiting for a certain player to emerge right in front of our eyes like Max Strus, it doesn’t really matter when you have a superstar carrying the load night in and night out.

Now, him having to carry this weight this early in the season may not be what many wished for, but it’s the current situation that Miami will have to continue with.

And although Butler getting that short layoff to prepare for that outstanding bubble playoff run was important, this is a different season. So getting into an early flow for a late regular season push may not be the worst thing in the world.

Butler is taking it game-by-game, and he will do whatever it takes to win each night. No matter the weight on his shoulders, no matter who is in the lineup, no matter the opponent. Jimmy Butler’s impact will be felt on this Heat team.

A Breakdown of Max Strus Against Houston

/0 Comments/in , /by

Well, the Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets to begin their West Coast road trip, and somehow Jimmy Butler putting up a stat-line of 27, 10, and 10 wasn’t the biggest story of the night. The actual story of the night was Max Strus getting some unexpected playing time, and absolutely shining. He scored 21 points off the bench, while knocking down 6 triples.

So, let’s take a bit of a dive into Strus’ performance last night…

– Oh, so this guy can shoot.

In the first half, Houston didn’t seem very afraid of the two-way guy who hasn’t seen much playing time in the NBA, but that changed quickly. Jimmy Butler was getting a lot of attention at this point in the game, for obvious reasons, which allowed others to get going.

Strus runs a slip screen for Butler at the top of the key, which catches Victor Oladipo staying put instead of switching. He knocks down his first triple of the night on a pretty wide open look from Butler, which isn’t surprising since Strus mentioned Butler constantly telling him to shoot the ball when he gets it.

– Physicality over everything

If there’s one part of Strus’ game that is like no other, it’s the level of unexpected physicality he brings on both ends of the floor.

As seen here, Strus gets the ball in transition and doesn’t hesitate to rise up on Oladipo to draw the foul. He’s had limited playing time this season, but probably has hit the floor like this more than anybody on the team.

Sometimes players that are trying to prove themselves need a bit of an X-factor. And that X-factor being grit and physicality on a Miami Heat team is the perfect fit.

– Speaking of X-factors

This part of Strus’ game has been on display in his limited minutes as well, which is something not many could’ve expected.

Instead of analyzing this very impressive and unexpected throw-down from Strus in itself, let’s look at the importance of it for his overall game.

He doesn’t have the tightest handle, which is normal for a catch and shoot guy, but being able to get downhill at this rate elevates that weakness. As mentioned earlier, he’s a physical player who will put his shoulder in your chest when attacking the rim. So, putting even the slightest second thoughts into a defender when having the shooting ability that he does, leads to a very intriguing attribute in his game.

– The Duncan Robinson effect

Now, there’s a couple things to discuss in this play regarding Duncan Robinson. For one, Strus showing the ability to run the usual Robinson sets through dribble hand-offs with Bam Adebayo was great to see. As the defender went under the screen, it gave him just enough room to get into his normal shooting motion for a three.

But also take a look at what Robinson did on this play. They ran a set where Robinson screens off the ball to get Strus running around the perimeter, while the defender can’t leave Robinson’s hip even across the court.

That’s the part about Robinson and Strus that can’t be compared. This notion that Strus can replace Robinson in his role is just false at this stage. Although he can replicate three point makes, the things Robinson does off the ball every single night cannot be easily replicated.

– The Strus-Robinson lineups look good

To take a break from people discussing Strus and Robinson from a comparison perspective, let’s take a look at them together.

This was the most intriguing part about yesterday’s game, since the lineups with Strus and Robinson were very effective offensively. As seen here, there’s not a moment on this play that Robinson isn’t covered by two defenders. After trying two consecutive times to find open space for a three, he passes it inside to Adebayo, who can make the decision on the weak side to pass to the open man.

Andre Iguodala was the one who got covered on the box, which led to yet another Strus triple. These are the reasons these lineups work so well, since Robinson’s gravity allows more opportunities for Strus. And before long, teams won’t be able to just focus on Robinson in these lineups.

– Perfect shooting balance

The first thing to look at when evaluating a catch and shoot guy is the consistent balance that they shoot with. And well, it’s been clear since Strus first stepped on the floor early in the season that he’s polished in that department.

As seen here, it’s yet another dribble hand-off from Butler. If it was Robinson in this situation, he would allow his body to carry him into his shooting motion on the move before releasing. Strus, though, doesn’t lean or continue momentum when running a DHO, since he grabbed the ball and already had his lower body set to release it.

Obviously both ways of doing it are difficult to do and effective to use, but it’s just interesting to look at certain ways guys are comfortable.

Once again, Strus gets the ball running up the floor, and is already in his stance before releasing. Did you notice anything between these past two plays?

Well, it’s that no matter if it’s a pull-up catch and shoot opportunity, a dribble hand-off, or something else, he shoots the exact way every single time, which just showcases the well known thing that he’s just a natural three point shooter who doesn’t get rattled easily.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Rockets

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat got a very impressive win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night to begin the road trip. It wasn’t pretty, since they struggled in the first half, and had trouble closing it out late in the fourth, but a win is a win at this point. Anyway, here are five takeaways….

#1: Well, Miami clearly loves the three point line.

Instead of going through different Miami Heat issues once again, let’s just take a look at one: shot-making. After three triples from Duncan Robinson to begin the game, Miami went cold. Real cold. And the only way to overcome tough shooting stretches is to get to the basket, but only Jimmy Butler seemed to realize that, and it even took him some time to do. They were 9 for 25 from beyond the arc in the first half, which proved the continued mindset to chuck up threes throughout. Kendrick Nunn, who I will discuss later, began to realize the need to attack the basket during these stretches. The most important part of the game for Miami was to survive the non-Butler minutes, and they did somehow hold it to a single digit game. And of course, the penetration resumed upon him entering.

#2: Jimmy Butler, the continued glue through tough patches.

Now, if there was phrase to describe Miami’s first half, it would be a tough patch. And there’s not a better player to have on your team to overcome tough stretches than Jimmy Butler. His continued ability to control the pace of the game, even when trailing, kept Miami in the game early on. On a night where Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro were out, it was known Butler would have even more on his plate, especially with the way Bam Adebayo was getting fronted. The point is that he can glue together certain units, even when they include guys who would probably be in the G-League right now in a normal season. It’s not just about getting to the free throw line 7 times in the first half, but the amount of times he got players open shots throughout. But as explained before, those shots just weren’t falling early on.

#3: Kendrick Nunn still finding himself as a player.

It’s clear that Kendrick Nunn is still finding himself as a player, since there are certain parts of his offensive game that are still growing. He’s shown to be an improving catch and shoot guy over the past few guys, but that definitely wasn’t the case tonight. But the important part about this game was seeing how he reacts to the continued offensive struggles. This led to him finding other ways to impact the game in the second quarter, such as being active on the glass, cutting off the ball for easy layups, and most importantly, taking guys off the dribble. This is the type of game where a player like him can find a real breakthrough. He’s only in his second NBA season, and has yet to figure himself out as a player. But when that day comes, it will lead to overall consistency, which is the one thing that has some questions at this point in his career.

#4: A Duncan Robinson shooting bounce back.

The reason I labeled this Duncan Robinson game as a shooting bounce back, is because through his past “struggles,” he’s been elite in every other usual part of his game. Offensive gravity, off-ball screen setting, perimeter movement. The only difference is that the shots were actually falling tonight, which as I explained after last game, wasn’t going to be long. As mentioned earlier, he knocked down three triples to begin the game to score Miami’s first 9 points. He continued that into the second half as well, since he hit some big shots to slowly expand the lead in the third quarter. And Coach Spo may have found something interesting, after he inserted Max Strus in with Robinson, and the lineup was very effective. The recent perception of Robinson has been a bit different as of late, but as he continues to adjust to the different coverages being thrown at him every night, he will begin to thrive as much as ever.

#5: A four game winning streak, a win to begin the road trip, and great momentum as players will begin to return.

Well, this Miami Heat win may not have been pretty, but it holds more value than you may think. It’s the longest winning streak of the season for Miami, and it came at a necessary time, since it’s the first game of Miami’s tough West Coast road trip. But that aside, they scrapped their way through a game without Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro, which put even more weight on the starters. The key is that they’re beginning to find themselves as a team, or as the players like to say, they’re beginning to play for one another. Erik Spoelstra always discusses the need to find a true identity, and the current identity seems to be no matter the numbers on the scoreboard, it’s going to be a game that they’re going to battle and scrap their way through. And when the leading dog on the team is Jimmy Butler, that identity matches up perfectly.

Is Precious Achiuwa’s Role Actually Being “Simplified?”

/0 Comments/in , /by

When Erik Spoelstra was asked a few weeks ago about Precious Achiuwa possibly playing next to Bam Adebayo, he mentioned wanting to “simplify” Achiuwa’s game as much as possible. But is it all that simple?

For starters, the idea over the past few games that he’s getting his minutes cut down is not the whole story. The real reason for that is because Miami beginning to get healthy, means Coach Spoelstra wants Adebayo to be on the floor as much as possible. And every minute he is on the bench, Achiuwa is on the floor.

It seems as if his role though is not as simple as being the Adebayo relief guy. It’s a complicated role for a rookie to play since his minutes come in spurts, without having time to actually get into a rhythm.

This hasn’t seemed to be very problematic, since he adjusted so well for a guy with such little experience. But as seen lately, that extra few minutes of floor time can go a long way in Achiuwa’s short term and long term success.

Taking a look at Achiuwa’s basketball past, in both high school and college, he’s never been in a position to be effective in short spurts, since he’s been a high level starter in his recent past. He has always been in the Adebayo role, where he can just flow with the pace of the game, which is when he truly excels. He’s a high energy guy who can read the pacing of the game perfectly, but it’s a little less useful without fans.

From a coaching perspective, there aren’t many options involving an increased role, other than siding him next to Adebayo. It was seen in a very short spurt before, but as Adebayo continues to expand his range and improve his jumper, that option becomes more and more viable.

The point is that Achiuwa’s current role may be looked at as trying to “simplify,” but for him it may be the complete opposite. There’s a certain trust level with him compared to other guys, since he’s not an out of control young player who doesn’t know his role.

He actually knows his role better than most, but he seems ready to be pushed in the direction of a new role, not to complicate, but for him to thrive.

How is Duncan Robinson Being Defended?

/1 Comment/in , /by

Duncan Robinson is probably the most misunderstood player on this Miami Heat team. Even after struggling for this long stretch, there still isn’t much of a drop-off in his usual three point numbers. He went from making 3.7 triples a game on 8.3 attempts last season, to making 3.3 triples a game on 8.3 attempts this season.

Robinson may be looked at as a one-dimensional three point specialist, but there are some things that aren’t seen in the natural flow of the game off the ball. So, here’s a look into how Robinson is being defended lately, and the impact he has even when the shot isn’t falling.

– Non-stop off-ball screening

As Mitchell Robinson began to drop back on the driving Jimmy Butler, Robinson set him a hard screen to allow Butler to get to the cup and draw the foul. This is something I will point to a few times throughout this piece, since it’s one of his most underrated attributes.

When he sets a screen, it rattles a defense a bit since he’s a threat to pop out to the perimeter for a three pointer. This then allows Miami’s two stars, Butler and Bam Adebayo, to do what they do best, which is get to the rim and draw fouls.

– “Good looks” for Robinson aren’t “good looks” for many

The idea that many of his shots are “good looks” seems to be a bit confusing. The reason a lot of them seem this way is because his elite abilities to shoot over the top of people make it seem pretty easy.

But the truth is, these shots are far from being easy shots. He has a 6’8 Julius Randle contesting his shot in the best way possible, leading to a missed triple.

Once again, the 6’10 Nerlens Noel stays on Robinson off the Adebayo dribbe hand-off, leading to a smother three at the end of the shot clock. And although I used words like contested and smothered in these two plays, both shots had a chance at going in, which makes the overall shooting impact so interesting.

There were two shots in the fourth quarter that were actual “good looks” and didn’t fall, but the last thing you should be worried about is Robinson making wide open triples.

– The Butler- Robinson drive and kicks are essential for Miami’s flow

At this point in the game, Miami’s only offense was Butler getting to the free throw line. And the way he was getting to the charity stripe was by charging toward the basket right into defenders.

The defense was clearly waiting for this to occur again, which led to Elfrid Payton turning his head to look toward the driving Butler, which is something a defender never does when guarding Robinson. Although he missed the shot, these drive and kick moments prove to be most effective when Butler has it going when attacking the basket.

And as mentioned previously, those shots won’t be missing for long.

– More screen-setting impact

Giving Adebayo just enough room to put the ball on the deck and get to the basket is exactly what Miami wants. But when you realize who is usually giving him those opportunities, it’s Robinson.

The dribble hand-off sets are clearly beneficial to Adebayo when two defenders fly high on him, but even normal pick and pops grant him that room. If Adebayo didn’t lose control on this possession, it would have led to a wide open Robinson three, and it would have been generated by his own involvement off the ball.

– Finding other ways to get shots for Robinson

On this play, Robinson slips off the screen for Tyler Herro at the end of the first quarter, and slowly slides to the corner. As Adebayo comes up to set the screen, he just chose the wrong guy to pick. If he set the screen on Derrick Rose who was guarding Robinson, he would’ve had a wide open three in the corner.

The reason I bring this up is because there needs to be a bit more diversity at times with offensive sets for Robinson. He’s being figured out in a way because the same things are being run on basically every possession. The dribble hand-off between Robinson and Adebayo was so effective before since it was sprinkled in unpredictably, so they need to find that offensive upper-hand once again.

– Giving Miami many options

Here’s another example of Robinson being utilized in these offensive sets. He sets a pick to allow Adebayo to get the ball on the baseline, then immediately screens for Andre Iguodala as he cuts back door. Adebayo then has the option to hit him in stride, or immediately go into a DHO with Robinson in the corner.

If Obi Toppin didn’t foul Iguodala, it would have led to a layup, which further showcases the different things Robinson does for a free flowing offense.

– A main attribute that must be added

There have been some things that I have discussed involving ways to improve Robinson’s effectiveness, such as a one-dribble pull-up, but it’s time to look at ways to evolve his catch and shoot game in particular.

And there’s one thing that can do that: A pump-fake to catch defenders in the air to draw the foul. Foul calls and Robinson don’t really seem to go hand in hand, but that’s just in the normal shooting motion. Defenders constantly overplay and swarm him, which means that pump-fake can definitely get them out of position.

He uses the pump-fake a lot, but usually follows it with a side-step into a shot. But instead of avoiding the defensive aggression, he must embrace it, and once he begins to draw those fouls, it will give him much more room to operate on the perimeter.

– A natural feel for spacing and cutting

Robinson is once again being denied as he runs around the floor, but what he does next must be noted. He has a very good feel for spacing and timing, which is showcased on this very play.

As Iguodala drives baseline, he notices that he’s about to get stuck in the air, which leads to him instinctively cutting to the basket. And due to the many Knicks players in the area, he dumps it off to Adebayo for an easy layup.

These types of plays prove that comments involving him not making shots means he’s useless are just absolutely untrue.