Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Nets

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The Miami Heat were in an absolute battle with the Brooklyn Nets in Saturday night’s matchup, but fell short in a disappointing loss. Bam Adebayo was clearly the story of the night, but it’s much more than just a one night explosion. It’s mostly about what is to come in his game moving forward. Either way, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Bam Adebayo comes out aggressive early, showcasing his year to year growth.

It feels like everyone of these takeaway pieces as of late include advanced aggression in Bam Adebayo’s game. But instead of harping on his offensive initiative early, including a buzzer beating three before halftime, it’s necessary to look at these performances in the big picture. When Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro return, it’s when it’ll be much more intriguing to evaluate his offensive game. Bam has done more than enough for this team over this long stretch, and it’s very promising to see him improving game-by-game. It’s not just about the length of shots increasing more and more. It’s more about the confidence that he’s taking these shots day-by-day.

#2: Shot attempts and turnovers not problematic early for Miami, but shot makes were.

The usual issues with this Heat team that are discussed are headlined by turnovers and lack of shot attempts, which go hand in hand. But those weren’t the true downfalls for this Heat team tonight. Instead, shot makes was the area that Miami was lacking, since the role players continued to struggle with three point shooting. This is another positive aspect for Bam Adebayo, since shooting elevates his abilities tremendously. And on these poor shooting nights, he continues to shine. There’s nothing really schematic to discuss when referring to lack of shot makes, especially when two of the primary contributors are out. Some players have struggled in their elevated roles throughout this unique stretch of games, while the hope is everything comes together with a healthy roster.

#3: The Kendrick Nunn ups and downs.

Kendrick Nunn needs to be noticed in tonight’s game as well, even after being discussed the last few games. For one, the first thing that has been in question with Kendrick is consistency, so getting a look at his game over a stretch of games is important. There’s no way to tell if this type of play is sustainable for a long time, but he clearly has the capability of making an impact on this current team. His role will change when Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler return, but that will only benefit him as a player. His scoring is the primary part of his game, but the other areas of his game continue to be showcased. A tighter handle, quicker decision making, better defensive possessions. Those are the areas that lock up a spot in the rotation, so it’ll be interesting to see how he responds moving forward.

#4: KZ Okpala gets some minutes and has positive flashes.

After a Moe Harkless injury in the first half that caused him being out for the remainder of the game, KZ Okpala started the second half. He showed a bunch of positive flashes on the defensive end, one being an incredible block as he dropped down low. He can showcase those types of things, as well as his one-on-one defensive abilities, but the only downfall seems to be a certain level of understanding and decision making on defense. And that’s expected with the amount of floor time he has gotten in his career, and the only way for it to improve is floor time. He also can impact offensively when needed, which he looks very comfortable with the corner three. If he can polish up his offensive game with the ball in his hands, he will have a much bigger opportunity.

#5: Big picture evaluations must be looked upon.

Looking at things big picture is necessary in the current situation Miami is enduring, and that doesn’t mean creating excuses. It’s just being realistic. For one, as discussed previously, Bam Adebayo is making more than a simple leap. He’s becoming the player that he’s very capable of being. The reason big picture comes into play is because he’s doing this without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. If he can sustain this into that stretch when the roster is fully healthy, it elevates the team tremendously. Duncan Robinson is another player to look into full picture since he went from being one of the priorities on opposing scouting reports, to basically becoming the actual number one player on the scouting report. Teams won’t be able to fulfill that total elimination when Miami’s guys return.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Loss to Toronto

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The Miami Heat played the Toronto Raptors once again on Friday night, and fell short this time. Miami’s early struggles put them in a hole, and a couple of late pushes just weren’t enough. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Slow start for Miami, fast start for Toronto.

The first takeaway that was apparent tonight was the slow start Miami came out with. It didn’t seem to have anything to do with energy though, just mostly an inability to get into their normal offense. Toronto clearly made adjustments from Wednesday to Friday night, mostly by trying to eliminate Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo from the offense as much as possible due to constant double teams. And it’s hard to make adjustments to the adjustments when you don’t have Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro, as well as Goran Dragic in early foul trouble. But those excuses are unnecessary, since they just beat this team the other night with Kyle Lowry. Either way, Miami’s poor shooting early was the primary reason for their early struggles, especially since the role players couldn’t capitalize.

#2: Kendrick Nunn not only looked like himself, but looked better.

Even when Miami’s entire offense could not get in a rhythm due to constant doubles on Bam and Duncan discussed earlier, Kendrick Nunn became the only reliable scorer. He continues to showcase the ability to get downhill and to the basket, but more importantly stop on a dime for the immediate pull-up jumper. The offense can be discussed continuously, but what really stood out was the defensive end. He was very active on that side of the floor all night, but really thrived once Miami switched into a 2-3 zone. That’s when he began to look most comfortable, and a high comfort level is the most important attribute for his overall game. Seeing Kendrick Nunn look like himself once again is terrific in itself, but seeing him look like an improved version of the guy who placed second in rookie of the year voting last season is even better.

#3: When the role players don’t play their roles early, it doesn’t end up well.

As discussed previously, Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo had their hands full with Toronto’s defense early, while Kendrick Nunn handled the offensive load. But what about the rest of the team? Well, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus had major opportunities but did not play very well on the offensive side of the ball. Kelly Olynyk did not have many early minutes after Toronto went small, which would’ve been a huge boost before the Raptors got an early lead. The surprising minutes stat line in the first half though was 5 minutes for Precious Achiuwa. That has a lot to do with Bam playing 18 first half minutes, and they never seem to get inserted together. When the role players struggle early as demonstrated here, it’s pretty obvious how Miami trailed throughout.

#4: Bam Adebayo increases energy to begin the second half.

Miami clearly needed a boost of some kind to begin the second half, and Bam Adebayo took that upon himself individually. Mid-range jumpers and skip passes aside, he just brought the energy that Miami needed to make a run to begin the quarter. That was mostly sparked on the defensive end, which is no surprise. When the team is without Jimmy Butler, it’s needed to have somebody they can look to for some type of spark, and it’s great to see that Bam continues to take on that leader role. As he has mentioned in the past, there’s a big difference between leading by example, and leading vocally, and he looks to be evolving in both areas.

#5: Erik Spoelstra utilized exactly what he was given, plain and simple.

Before people begin to make comments about certain rotational decisions in this game, it ultimately doesn’t change a thing. Coach Spo went as deep into the bench as he could, due to the absence of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Avery Bradley. Some guys down the line may not have performed as great as many had hoped, but that doesn’t fall on coaching or lineup insertions. And playing Brooklyn tomorrow night on a back to back makes those decisions even more viable. He utilized the cards that he was given. The issue was that he just doesn’t have that many cards in his deck.

Bam and Duncan DHO Success to Precious and Tyler PnR Success

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The Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo dribble hand-off combination has been known to be one of the best in the entire NBA.

The reason it has so much success is because it emphasizes each player’s biggest strength. Duncan Robinson shooting on the move with defenders flying high on him, and Bam Adebayo setting hard screens with the ability to put the ball on the floor when he catches on the roll.

There’s a reason Miami leads the league in field goal percentage when the roller gets the ball at 73% this season, and it’s because of the gravity of this duo.

But is there a new duo looking to do something similar?

The answer is yes. Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa’s unique pick and roll abilities have been one of the real bright spots to start the season.

As discussed with Duncan and Bam, it allows their biggest strengths to be utilized, and the same goes for Tyler and Precious.

Tyler can clearly score at all three levels, which makes for a good start to an efficient pick and roll. As seen above, there’s an opportunity for a pull-up three at all times, but that isn’t what makes this duo special.

Herro’s comfort level once he steps inside the three point line has been on display this far into the season. Once he gets the defender behind him, and gets into a 2 on 1 opportunity, it usually ends up in a score.

But why is that exactly?

For one, Tyler Herro’s tough in that mid-range area is great, which allows him to stop on a dime for a pull-up, go right up with a floater, or lay it up right at the rim.

The other reason is that Precious Achiuwa’s offensive activity around the rim has been remarkable. The ability to catch the lob with no problem, and can adjust when the ball comes his way as well.

I’m not sure if those off-season workouts allowed these two to have an immediate on-court connection, or their unique skill-sets just automatically aligned.

Either way, Miami has something with these two in the pick and roll offensive sets. Erik Spoelstra has been mentioning finding their identity since the start of the season, and I believe the best way to do that is placing players in spots that they’re most likely to thrive.

Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo’s ability to read each other’s game when running dribble hand-offs is one of the small parts that doesn’t get discussed. And since this Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa duo is only a few games in, it will continue to evolve. But seeing it to this extent this early in the season truly is promising.

These two unique offensive sets will create major headaches for opposing defenses, especially if all four share the floor together. But that doesn’t appear to happen anytime soon due to “simplifying” Precious’ game as much as possible.

But these flashes just reassure that this is the long term goal with this team. Not only Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa wrecking havoc on the defensive end, but each having the ability to run individual sets that each continue to thrive in.

A Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic Breakdown Against Toronto

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Kendrick Nunn was the story of the night yesterday for the Miami Heat. He got yet another opportunity and scored an efficient 28 points, while getting 8 boards and 5 assists. Goran Dragic was second on the team in points with 17, but truly showed out with his impact that will be shown here.

Here’s a look at these two against Toronto last night…

Goran Dragic:

– Running Multi-Option Set

This offensive set seen above is clearly something that makes a defense uncomfortable. Goran Dragic has the ball in his hands, Duncan Robinson slips off of a pick to the three point line, Bam Adebayo rolls to the basket for a lob, and Goran can attack the basket. The defense becomes so focused on all of this movement, that it leaves Kelly Olynyk wide open in the opposite corner, which is the 4th option for Goran in this set. This is something you will continue to see with this personnel, since it allows each player’s strength to be utilized. And there’s nobody on this team you want running this other than Goran Dragic.

– Reading the Defense 

Reading the defender is a great skill to have in a one-on-one match-up, but it takes it to a whole other level when you read the defenders of your teammates. On this play, Goran runs a pick and roll with Kelly Olynyk, and he notices Fred VanVleet slightly turn his body toward the roller. Duncan Robinson then edges up slightly to the wing, while the pass has already been made from Dragic, leading to a three. Those are the small parts of Goran’s game that are so impressive, since his overall feel is just great.

– Gravity Moving Down-Hill

The word gravity is usually linked with Duncan Robinson on this Heat team, but Goran meets the criteria of it as well. As Goran drives to the basket here, you can see that all eyes turn right to him under the basket. VanVleet went for the double as he attacked, leaving one defender on the other side guarding Vincent and Olynyk. Kelly immediately cut to the basket for an easy layup. That is the definition of gravity, since the defense has to go for that double team, due to the fact that Goran probably would’ve scored at the basket if it was one-on-one.

– Reverse Late-Game Offense

This doesn’t really fall under the criteria of Goran Dragic’s game being broken down, but it still needs to be noted. We basically see a reversed offensive set, since the center is dribbling the ball down the floor breaking down his defender, while the point guard stands in the corner. Bam Adebayo drives to the basket two consecutive plays late in the fourth, both ending in the same result: a left corner Goran Dragic three. It puts so much pressure on opposing teams for a big man to be the primary play-maker and ball-handler late in games, which makes Bam so unique as a player.

Kendrick Nunn:

– Hitting Passing Lanes

Kendrick Nunn’s defense has been a struggle for him, since he hasn’t been great on defense individually or in pick and roll situations. But one thing he has consistently been good at this far into his career is hitting passing lanes. He’s clearly quick, but his timing defensively allows him to be good in that area. And as seen here, it’s useful since it usually ends up in 2 points on the other end of the floor. If he can make up for his sruggles in other areas like this, it makes him much more trustworthy.

– Scoring from all Three Levels

The first clip shown above with Kendrick Nunn is something that is great to see him do, but it’s unknown if it will be consistent. Pull-up three pointers in transition won’t always fall, but what he can rely on is what is seen in the second clip. Kendrick finding his spots on the offensive side of the ball is one of the most important things for him, and his most comfortable area is the mid-range on a pull-up. In that clip, he’s patient with the ball in his hands, waiting for Bam to come set the screen, leading to an easy jumper in that area discussed.

– Confidence to Play-Maker

When people think of Kendrick Nunn with confidence, they think of him as a scorer, but I think there’s much more to that. His confidence last night was clear, and so was his play-making abilities. The clip above is one example of many in which he made some great reads leading to lobs or easy opportunities, and as seen there, I don’t think he makes that pass unless he has his offense going. Body language was apparent yesterday for Kendrick, and it’s much needed for his success on this team. But if he can continue to improve as a passer, as seen last night, it makes his role on this team much easier to be plugged in.

– Attacking Equals Rotation Insertion

Of course it’s great to see K-Nunn shooting the ball like he did last night, but there’s a good chance it’s not sustainable. Those shots will not be falling every night, but his ability to attack the rim will give him plenty of opportunities moving forward. Teams know that his mid-range is something he looks to get to, which means defenders play high on him when he gets downhill. This then puts them out of position for a straight line drive to the basket for a layup, and this is when his confidence can be built up for the jumpers to fall. There are a lot of elements to Kendrick’s offensive game that were impressive last night, but while some talk about the consistency, Nunn is talking about the minutes.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Raptors

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The Miami Heat played the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night without Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Avery Bradley once again, and came away with a very impressive win. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Well, Kendrick Nunn is officially back.

The story of the night for the Miami Heat was Kendrick Nunn. With Goran Dragic and Gabe Vincent starting tonight, Kendrick was the only guard off the bench, so it was clear he’d get a good amount of minutes. But the questions were about how he’d perform in those minutes. And well, he looked like rookie of the year candidate Kendrick Nunn. He scored 16 points in the first half, going 6-8 from the field, scoring from the outside, off the dribble, off cuts, and more. The overall reason for this though was confidence. His body language was just very different throughout the game tonight, and that’s when he performs at his best.

#2: Duncan Robinson’s impressive three-point shooting and three-point efficiency.

If Kendrick didn’t have this unexpected comeback game, Duncan Robinson would probably be the primary story. He hit 4 first quarter threes on 4 attempts, and I don’t know which number is more impressive. His efficiency continues to be a huge part of his game, which is clearly a great thing, but it seems like his attempt numbers matter more than the percentage, especially without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. After that first quarter shooting display, he didn’t attempt a three in the second quarter. This team needs Duncan to get as many shots up as possible, since as seen tonight, it opens everything up for others. His game looks to be evolving game by game with his increased role, which we will most likely look back at this stretch down the line as the moment Duncan took the leap.

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#3: Miami’s big man defensive versatility continues to impress.

I think this takeaway goes without saying, but it truly needs to be noted after seeing the match-ups with Toronto. Bam Adebayo being able to switch onto a guard out on the perimeter is clearly impactful for this team, but seeing Precious Achiuwa enter doing the same thing makes it stand out. The Raptors strength is their guard play and the Heat’s weakness is their guard defense, but it doesn’t look as problematic when the bigs switch out without hesitation to lock them up on the perimeter. It doesn’t make this issue any better, but it does highlight that ability on a nightly basis. There’s never a dull moment with Miami’s interchanging energetic big men, since even though they don’t play together, they clearly bounce off each other.

#4: Kelly Olynyk doing the small things.

It didn’t seem like Kelly Olynyk would be in tonight’s takeaway piece, but the stat-sheet solidified it. He scored the ball pretty well tonight, but truly stood out in the other areas. He rebounded the ball well and dished out plenty of assists, which is needed with Jimmy Butler out. He played in plenty of lineups with Precious Achiuwa, which meant he was needed to be the facilitator. He’s also great at making the skip pass to an open man, although it sometimes leads to unnecessary turnovers. Kelly Olynyk seems to be forming into a great fit with the starting lineup, especially since it gives Bam his space to work in the mid-range area.

#5: Miami handles a guard heavy Raptors team without their top guard defenders.

Now, the overall evaluation from the night is actually the guys that Miami was missing. Jimmy Butler and Avery Bradley being out makes you wonder about the perimeter defense on any given night, but especially when facing a Toronto team with Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. Miami’s guards defending them were Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, and Gabe Vincent, who actually defended quite well during his minutes tonight. The point is that it’s a great sign for Miami to win a game in that department, no matter if Toronto has been struggling or not. This win is clearly a confidence booster, but they will need to do it for another 48 minutes in 48 hours.

Tyler Herro Out Tonight Vs Raptors

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Tyler Herro was ruled out for tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors due to neck spasms.

When Erik Spoelstra was asked about the injury, he responded, “I don’t have any new update for you, other than he’s making progress.”

He was then asked if he has practiced at all this week, but once again reiterated that’s the only update he has.

This means that Miami will be rolling with the same team from the other night against the Detroit Pistons. But will it be the same starting lineup?

Well, it makes sense to go with a starting Goran Dragic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach Spo makes another abrupt adjustment.

Toronto’s two guard lineups with Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet will clearly hurt Miami’s point of attack weaknesses, which makes me think Gabe Vincent may get the start.

Not because he’s a great defender, but they feel more comfortable with him on that end than others.

Either way, the starting lineup doesn’t hold much value, since as seen the other night, the bench lineups are the ones that seem to spark the team.

Kendrick Nunn will get yet another opportunity, but will KZ Okpala?

I’d bet on him starting again tonight, even though he only played 3 minutes. And if he doesn’t get playing time tonight, don’t bet on him impacting this team any time soon.

Can Kendrick Nunn re-emerge in Miami Heat rotation?

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Kendrick Nunn has been on the outside looking in this year when it comes to his role on the Miami Heat. Nunn has only played in seven games this year after starting 67 games for the Heat last season.

 

However, a strong performance Monday night against the Detroit Pistons showed a glimpse of what he could provide for Miami moving forward. Nunn put up 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 8-of-15 from the field in a strong 34 minutes of game action.

 

Many were quick to banish him from the rotation in favor of Miami’s second year two-way contract player Gabe Vincent, but Nunn has proven he can play as well as he did last year. What could be Nunn’s role with the Heat after his latest strong performance?

 

The best role for Nunn may be as the ninth or tenth player coming off of the bench. The trends from Erik Spoelstra has shown that Goran Dragic, Precious Achiuwa, and Andre Iguodala will be the first few players off of the bench.

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Maurice Harkless was another name who played well Monday night who could find himself in the rotation moving forward. Harkless had a relatively light stat-line, but his impact on the court defensively can not be overlooked with eight deflections and solid play.

 

This leaves Nunn as the ninth or tenth man coming off the bench. This spot may ultimately be the best spot for him at this point. If he can have a hot scoring night on different occasions, it will provide a nice bench boost scoring wise for Miami as they rank mid-pack at 15th in the league.

 

Nunn has made many mistakes in his previous games this year, but a set rotation the rest of the season would do wonders for every player on the team. They rank dead last in the league when it comes to turnovers per game, which is contributed to the lack of consistent rotations through 12 games.

 

If he can average 10-20 minutes per game in a set rotation, I believe he could have a positive impact for the Heat. Nunn played relatively well last year and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. There are reasons why he could be out of the rotation, but there are positives such as his ability to score and chemistry with other teammates.

 

It wouldn’t be a big loss for Miami if this didn’t turn out well for Nunn. They can easily take him out if he is inefficient and possibly package him in a deal at the deadline. There are many different things they can do with him and Erik Spoelstra has those options.

 

Jimmy Butler and Avery Bradley still remain out due to health and safety protocols and who knows how much longer they may be out. Nunn should have a significant amount of minutes during that stretch of time and he could string off some consistent performances.

 

While many fans think his inconsistency is a detriment to the team, it may be best to not give up on Kendrick Nunn quite yet.

 

Will The Bam Adebayo-Precious Achiuwa Duo Be Seen?

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The two guys that many fans have been waiting to get a look at on the floor together is Miami’s centerpiece, Bam Adebayo, and the rookie, Precious Achiuwa.

They have similar games, due to their high energy and versatility on the defensive end, which makes many people wonder about them on the court at the same time.

Erik Spoelstra was asked about it, and said, “Defensively they can wreck a lot of havoc just with their size and quickness and physicality. We’re just trying to simplify as much as possible with Precious.”

And that last part tells you why they haven’t been seen together.

One of Precious Achiuwa’s biggest staples this far into the season is that he plays his exact role no matter who he is facing, and doesn’t get rattled or flustered.

And the coaching staff seems to want to keep it that way. “Simplifying” his game has a lot to do with allowing Precious to do what he does best, without changing anything within his role or play-style.

Although Erik Spoelstra hinted at these two not being seen much together as of right now, he mentioned possibly utilizing it once in a while.

It’s pretty clear that Erik Spoelstra always keeps something in his pocket that he can use when most needed, and this may be his card this season.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t play them together in all 72 games, then throws them out there in the first round of the postseason.

And this year’s unplayable card is much more deadly than a 2-3 zone that he kept in his pocket last year. This is something that seems like the perfect fix when Miami needs a defensive boost, and it’s a low risk due to both players being so under control.

Miami knows they have something with each of these players individually, but the question becomes as a duo. And I believe it has much more to do with timing, than it does about simplifying.

A Bam Adebayo Breakdown Against Detroit

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Bam Adebayo was the story of the night against the Detroit Pistons, since his offensive package was finally put on full display. Many are aware of his defensive presence that I’ll highlight a bit here, but taking a look at his offensive improvement is the most important thing to highlight.

Here’s a breakdown of Bam Adebayo’s performance…

– Bam and Duncan 2 Man Game

The first thing to obviously evaluate with Bam Adebayo on offense is the dribble hand-off connection with Duncan Robinson. Coach Spo inserted them both with 20 seconds left in the quarter, so they can try and get a bucket before the buzzer. As seen here, Duncan’s gravity even stands when attacking the basket. The deadliness of this DHO combo has been discussed, but Duncan’s ability to put the ball on the floor like this elevates them even more. And although Duncan is harped on with this combo, it wouldn’t be possible without Bam’s screen setting, offensive activity, and most importantly his main job of being the safety net.

– The Improvements of that 2 Man Game

The play shown previously is pretty much what we are used to seeing with these two, but this play showcases the evolution. Duncan becoming more confident in other areas of his game allows Bam to thrive even more in these sets. He fakes the DHO to Gabe Vincent, then hands it off to Robinson for a 2 on 1 opportunity. He threw the lob up comfortably and Bam finished at the rim. These last two games without Herro and Butler allowed them to develop their chemistry in different ways offensively, and it looks like it is paying off.

– The Jab Step Jumper

For starters, I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season that Bam’s jumper looks most fluid after a jab step. It just seems to put him into his normal shooting motion, since he creates the space that is needed. On this play, Bam gives a jab step left, and sends Plumlee flying backwards, which gives Bam more than enough space to connect on the elbow jumper. After teams watch film on Bam, they’re aware of his ability to put the ball on the deck and get to the rim, and that ultimately allows Bam’s jab step to become more and more effective.

– Rebound, Dribble, Full-Court Dime

Well, this is Bam Adebayo at his finest, surveying the floor after a rebound to find the open man. Here, he grabs the board and sees the open Kendrick Nunn at the other end of the court. He throws a pass in-between all of Detroit’s defenders for a Kendrick Nunn layup. That is when Bam Adebayo’s full offensive package is seen. He’s able to do so many things on the floor, and it’s hard for a defense to keep up with, especially slower big men. This isn’t really highlighting growth, since he’s always had this and utilized it, but it’s still an important part of his game to get others involved.

– An Attacking Adebayo

As much as it’s great to harp on Bam’s jump-shot, this is the best part of his offensive game. He dribbles the ball up the floor on the first possession of the second half, and immediately attacks the rim. The other four Miami Heat players are cleared out on the opposite end of the floor, giving him the space he needs to do what he does best. Not only did he get to the spot he loves to get to, it ended up sending him to his actual favorite part of the floor, the free throw line. Bam’s free throw attempts and makes have been increasing rapidly, and that’s when his entire game will come together.

– The Small Things Aren’t So Small

This play right here may look like a normal Bam Adebayo pass seen every single game, but that just makes it more impressive. First off, his ability to read everything so thoroughly, noticing Kelly Olynyk being open after the screen down low. But more important, his ability to throw a wrap around baseline pass in a congested area isn’t normal for a big man. And although many will say it’s because he’s not a normal big, these types of plays solidify that.

– Adebayo’s Defensive Activity

These are the types of plays that label Bam Adebayo as the great defender that he is. He switches out onto Derrick Rose on the pick and roll to double team, and forces him to swing it. Detroit then tries to find the open man, while Bam immediately drops back down to Plumlee. As he gets there, he notices the pass Plumlee is about to make and jumps the passing lane, poking it loose from Grant. His defensive awareness is off the charts, but pair that up with his natural quickness and length, and it’ll tell you why he continues to wreck havoc on that end of the floor.

– The Jumpers are Coming as Confidence Rises

Now, here are the possessions that Bam’s jumper comes into play. First off, as I mentioned earlier, it all derives off of confidence. On the first play, Bam notices Plumlee giving him way too much space, so he takes one dribble up to the free throw line for a pull-up mid-range. After that shot, you can tell by his body language that he has that confidence in his jumper now. The next play he looks to take Plumlee off the dribble on the baseline, and when he’s cut off, instinctively pulls back for a step back jumper. His jump-shots need to be instinctive, since that’s when he shoots naturally without thinking about it. He clearly has it in him, but it comes down to him utilizing it consistently.

– The Bam Block or The Bam Clamps

This Bam block to close the game out was described as the play of the game, but I don’t even think it was the most impressive part of the possession. Miami clearly needed a stop, and the ball was going to be in Jerami Grant’s hands. Bam switched out onto him on the perimeter, and did what he does best: Lock guys down on the outside. Not only does he stay in front of him the entire time, but he angles his body perfectly to cut him off before getting to the basket, leading to an outstanding block. It’s the small things with Bam Adebayo, but it doesn’t get highlighted much since he does it so effortlessly.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Pistons

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The Miami Heat faced off against the Detroit Pistons once again, and came away with a much needed win. They struggled again early, but battled back without Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler once again. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Precious Achiuwa the energizer, Precious Achiuwa the leader.

The player that stood out from the moment he checked in tonight was rookie Precious Achiuwa. It seems as if I discuss him in every one of these takeaway pieces, and that’s because he stands out in a certain area every night. Tonight, he showed his leadership abilities, while only being 11 games into his NBA career. When Miami began to trail big time early in the first quarter, Precious shared the floor with Kendrick Nunn, Gabe Vincent, and Moe Harkless, and Achiuwa seemed to become the voice on the floor. Communicating after plays to get the team energized, and he did just that. In both of Miami’s first half runs, Precious was on the floor, and it wasn’t a coincidence. He’s another one of those high impact players that Miami loves, and he continues to improve in all areas of his game.

#2: Kendrick Nunn gives quality offensive minutes.

Well, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Avery Bradley being out means major openings at the guard position. And even though many aren’t high on Kendrick Nunn at the moment, Coach Erik Spoelstra shows to have the utmost confidence. Kendrick did exactly what was needed from him, which was to score the basketball. He looked to have confidence in his jump-shot, and it’s great to see him showing these flashes. Now, he still may not look like rookie Kendrick Nunn, but it surely was a step up from his production to begin the year. Miami needed offensively sounded players to step up tonight without their primary scorers, and he played his role.

#3: Rebounding continues to look like the biggest Miami issue.

I’ve gone through a bunch of Miami’s issues including turnovers, lack of shot attempts, and others, but none stand out like the lack of rebounding. Obviously Detroit is a big team, but this is an ongoing thing that occurs nightly. The Pistons continued to dominate the offensive boards, which once again translates to more shot attempts. If Miami could’ve cut those offensive rebounds in half, they would’ve controlled the game with ease, but clearly that’s not the case. As many people harp on different additions that can be made to this team, a guy that can be plugged in the front-court looks to be the team’s biggest need. Many times throughout the game, Bam is the sole big on the floor, and when he flies out to the perimeter on a close-out, it leads to an easy put-back. He needs help on the glass, and it doesn’t look to be on the roster, unless Spo decides to pair him up with Precious Achiuwa.

#4: Duncan Robinson shoots Miami through this game.

Duncan Robinson looked like the same old Duncan Robinson, but in a game where Miami trailed for most of it, it’s necessary to highlight it. Miami needed a source of offense with Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro out, and Duncan gave them a huge boost after connecting on the usual dribble hand-off threes. Although his stats don’t scream off the stat sheet tremendously, it had more to do with the timing of his scores. He was the reason for Miami’s two big offensive runs in the first half. The reason he is the biggest threat when Miami begins to get momentum on a run is because he’s much better in a quick flow. When Miami begins to run and build a rhythm, Duncan becomes more and more effective as a scorer.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s scoring aggressiveness seems to come out with a Miami lead.

The big discussion throughout tonight’s game with Bam Adebayo was about him taking initiative. When Miami needed a burst of offense when trailing, he continued to facilitate and get others going. There were many moments throughout where Bam looked to have clear opportunities to try and score, but decided to defer. But once Miami got a decent lead in the second half, his offense began to be seen. Now, that could be a type of confidence that he can play free with the ball in his hands due to the game situation, but it clearly worked. This starts to make Heat fans wonder why this isn’t seen more often. He began to hit the mid-range jumper consistently, but as I’ve mentioned many times, I believe it’s more important to see him put the ball on the floor and attack.