Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

We’re Headed for Heat-76ers, Aren’t We?

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With Victor Oladipo recently announcing his decision to forego playing the rest of the 2019-2020 NBA season, it seems likely the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat will finish in the 4- and 5-seeds in the East. Currently, Miami is two games ahead of both Indiana and Philadelphia.

Yes, Miami does have a chance to catch the Boston Celtics at the 3-seed. But Miami faces a difficult schedule in Orlando. They’re already 2.5 games back and play Boston on a second night of a  back-to-back. And again, considering their strength of schedule, it’s a must-win if they have any  hope of grabbing the 3-seed.

The 76ers face an easier schedule. Unless all the 76er players forgot how to play basketball during the break (doubtful), they should easily move past the Pacers in the standings.

They only face one team in the top-4 of the standings from both conferences: the Toronto Raptors. It’s hard to predict if Philly can bump the Heat to the 5-seed, considering all the uncertainty of the resumed basketball season.

Either way, the Heat and 76ers will be the 4/5 matchup.

 

Heat-76ers Matchup

Both teams are confronted with lineup and rotation questions. Brett Brown experimented playing Al Horford off the bench, however it was only for three games because point guard Ben Simmons got injured. The sample size is too small to make definitive conclusions, but the spacing on the floor is clearly worse when Joel Embiid and Horford are on the court together.

It’s important the Heat use their seeding games to get lineups and sets aligned, regain team chemistry, and continue to build on the brotherhood.

The Miami Heat have yet to play at full strength after acquiring Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodola and Solomon Hill. With Meyers Leonard, Tyler Herro, and Kelly Olynyk expected to come back fully healthy, Spoelstra is going to be challenged with lineup decisions and rotation options.

After it was announced the Miami Heat were closing its facilities after three players tested positive for the Coronavirus. It is even more important now to use these eight games to adapt to each other’s play style and establish roles.

The Heat are 3-1 against the 76ers this year and hold the tiebreaker against them. After their first matchup getting blown out in Philly, Miami has controlled the matchup. They’ve beat them three straight times including an overtime thriller in Miami.

The Heat use their infamous 2-3 zone against Philly during portions of the game. They pack the paint and force an erratic shooting team to make outside shots. Philadelphia uses their size to exploit Miami’s defense and to get easy points with Simmons leading fast breaks.

What a Show it Would Be

Fans from both cities want and need a Jimmy Butler vs 76ers first round matchup. After Philly refused to sign Butler to a max contract, Butler made it clear he wanted out. He landed in Miami where 76er fans claimed the Heat wouldn’t even make the playoffs.

We should expect a high intensity, competitive matchup between two teams and fan bases that sometimes hate and disrespect each other. Philly has high standards to meet after many expected them to be favorites out of the East before the season started. Miami has exceeded expectations this season and looks to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Ultimately, this matchup won’t be anything less than a brawl.

One View of Where Miami Heat Players Rank

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Bleacher Report has been ranking the top 15 players at each position throughout this week. And it’s pretty promising for Heat fans. The Miami Heat players placed three times on these top 15 lists.

Having two starters be placed as small forwards might not make much sense, but this is their list not ours.

Either way, here’s where the Heat players were placed…

#14 Small Forward: Duncan Robinson

Duncan Robinson has been one of the most surprising players in the NBA this season. Coming into the season, nobody even thought he’d be getting playing time, let alone start. As mentioned by Bleacher Report, Stephen Curry and Steve Novak are the only players in league history to match his volume and efficiency from three.

His importance to this team as a Heat player by his outstanding shooting ability is what catapulted him to 14 on this list. As seen throughout the season, even if he’s not helping the offense with his shooting, he helps by opening up the floor for others once he begins to get double teamed out on the perimeter. It should also make Heat fans happy that he was ranked one spot higher than a familiar opponent, TJ Warren.

#3 Small Forward: Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler has been one of the most consistent stars on these lists throughout the last few years. He ranked three on this list, only behind LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. This makes Jimmy the number one small forward in the East this season. It’s great that they acknowledge how great he’s been this season without just viewing stats.

Though he’s had a pretty great stat line this season other than his shooting, his defense and leadership is what puts him in this elite category. The playoffs is what will truly separates him from others since the player ranked one spot behind him, Khris Middleton, seems to shrink in playoff games. And Jimmy being 12 spots higher than TJ Warren truly proves “he’s not in his league.”

#5 Center Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo edging his way into the top 5 centers in only his third season is truly remarkable, especially because he doesn’t really start at center when Meyers Leonard is healthy. The players who ranked above him were Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. When they did this same exact list at the start of the season, these were the top four centers.

But Bam wasn’t ranked in the top 5. He wasn’t even ranked in the top 15. The jump he made in a matter of months is something you don’t see very often. What makes Bam so intriguing is that he has the ability of being an offensive guy like Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic. And he also has the defensive capabilities of Rudy Gobert. His ceiling is a mixture of the four players listed above him. This has the team, fans, and the league all excited about his future.

 

Who Gets Last Spot on All-NBA Team, Butler or Adebayo?

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When looking at the All-NBA teams for this 2020 season, it seems as if the final forward spot will either go to Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler. The two have been one of the better duos in the league this season. They both have been equally important to this Miami Heat team, but who gets the edge?

First off, the position placings are a big unknown when discussing the All-NBA teams. For example, is Bam Adebayo a Center or a Forward. Well, Bam has played 58% of his minutes at forward this season which is why I’m leaning towards that.

Now, to get the five forwards ahead of them out of the way, those players will most likely be: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, and Jayson Tatum. This is another instance where position becomes a factor since there’s question around Anthony Davis being a Power Forward or Center. But, he played 64% of his minutes at forward for the Los Angelas Lakers this season.

But who has the portfolio advantage between Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler for the last slot?

The Last All-NBA Slot

Jimmy Butler averaged over 20 points per game this year, even with the shooting struggles he had throughout the season. He also displayed his play-making ability at an elite level this year, averaging six assists per game which was a career high. And of course, he has all of the things that are not shown in a stat sheet. The leadership, the unselfishness. With all of these factors, he’s no question an All-NBA team level player.

And now, Bam Adebayo. Bam has had an incredible breakout year, leading the way for the most improved player award. He averages 16 points per game and over 10 rebounds a game. But even with these amazing stats, this isn’t his most noticed attribute. It’s his defense. Bam has shown that he is an elite level defender, especially on the perimeter. A definite boost to his all NBA case was his impact against some of the best teams and players this season. He shut down key players including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam and Joel Embiid. Which is always going to be a strong case.

With all of this information, it seems as if Bam Adebayo will end up getting the edge. For one, if you asked Jimmy Butler who he thinks should get it, he would no doubt say Bam. Also, there’s always a couple of players in the league who have that likable personality that media and coaches lean towards. Bam is that guy. Coaches like him, players like him, and the league likes him. When discussing the two, everyone seems to lean Bam.

This will be great to top off Bam Adebayo’s outstanding regular season play.

 

ESPN Ranks the Miami Heat Below a Familiar Opponent

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ESPN ranks came out with a new NBA power rankings list late last night that included a questionable placing: the Philadelphia 76ers over the Miami Heat.

For starters, a good portion of this ESPN ranks list was mainly placed based on the team’s record. Except this particular team. A 6th seed 76ers team was ranked two spots higher than the 4th seed Miami Heat.

Maybe this was because Philadelphia was better head to head. Oh wait, the Heat were 3-1 against them this year.

Maybe it’s because Philadelphia has the best player on the floor between these two teams. Oh wait, the Miami Heat have Jimmy Butler.

This could go on and on but the truth is, there’s no reason to have them higher as of right now. The only true argument would be that they are healthier. But so is Miami.

And how could a team be ranked 7th in the NBA when the team’s two best players play better when the other is off of the floor?

But at least we know now, ESPN is “trusting the process.”

For the record, here’s what ESPN’s Nick Friedell said about the Heat:

Is the bubble atmosphere perfect for the Heat?
Jimmy Butler has always believed that he could be the face of a championship-caliber team, despite some doubts across the league that his game is better suited for a secondary role. He has his chance now, as the Heat — who have cultivated a basketball-centric culture for years — believe they come into the bubble with a competitive advantage, given how business-like their mindset is. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes the bubble environment can bring the best out of Butler. — Nick Friedell

Remaining schedule: DEN, TOR, BOS, MIL, PHX, IND, OKC, IND

5 Takeaways from interview with Meyers Leonard

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The Miami Heat’s starting center, Meyers Leonard, went on a zoom call today to discuss his status, the team’s situation and more as they head into the bubble in a couple of days.

Here’s some of the key moments from this interview…

1.

Meyers Leonard talks about his current role with the Miami Heat and the impact he thinks he makes. Also mentioning he didn’t have a consistent role in Portland but does here. He says, “I don’t care about stats. All I care about is wins.” This has shown to be true since the Heat went 34-15 when Meyers was starting this season. It also caused the Heat to be in a bit of a slump down the stretch of the season. So getting him back on the floor should get the Heat back to their early season form.

2. 

One of the most important parts of this Miami Heat team is a healthy Meyers Leonard. Which is why it was great to hear Meyers say everything healed correctly. One of the only positives of the hiatus for the Miami Heat, if there was one, was getting Meyers Leonard back to 100%. So hearing him say he feels good with less than a month away from the season returning is big for this Miami Heat team.
3. 

It’s always great to hear Heat players embracing the Miami Heat culture. Meyers definitely thinks it’s a plus saying, “Heat culture is very real.” He also goes on to saying that everyone knows their role on this team, which definitely fits this format. Having a certain type of structure in the bubble should definitely benefit the Heat.
4. 

Meyers talks about the depth of the rotation after Miami acquired Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala. Meyers has yet to play a game with them since he has been out with injury since the trade was made. He says he will have to earn his spot again once the season resumes in Orlando. This won’t be a problem for Meyers since his strengths of on court vocal abilities and leadership will be much needed in a playoff setting.

5.

Meyers Leonard says, “When you win, you get paid and you get to stick around.” The word that best  describes this quote is earning, which is something he brings up a couple of times throughout the interview. He then ends the interview saying, “I like it here,” which should make all Heat fans happy since this is the last year of his deal. And hopefully re-signs so he can help lead Miami to the playoffs for many years to come.

Forgotten Heat in Miami: Wayne Simien

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3…Jason Terry sprints up the court…2, the three-pointer goes up!…1, off the rim! Wade grabs the rebound!  Throws the ball up in the air!  The Miami Heat win, 95-92, in Dallas to crown themselves as NBA champions for the first time in franchise history! And there he was, Wayne Simien, the rookie sprinting towards the joyous scrum of hugs and elation in a tan suit to celebrate with Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton, the same superstars he idolized and watched on TV barely a year earlier.

To check out the first chapter of the “Forgotten Heat” saga, click here.

This was supposed to be just the beginning for Simien. A high school and college All-American, he has the distinction of being one of the only two players drafted by the Heat out of the University of Kansas.

You thought the other one was Mario Chalmers, didn’t you? Well, you would be wrong. Chalmers was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and then traded to the Heat back in 2008. The other one was Darnell Jackson with the 52nd pick in 2007.

Anyway, I digress. Simien arrived in Miami as a highly touted college player that had played in two consecutive Final Fours as a freshman and sophomore before being named an All-American as a junior and senior. He was touched by life’s magic wand, or so he thought.

Nobody could have imagined that the power forward with the potential to be the next Tim Duncan would become a draft bust and exchange the glory and fortune of the NBA for a church and the humble life of a pastor. This is the story of Wayne Simien, one of the “Forgotten Heat.”

JAYHAWK IN FLIGHT

Simien grew up 20 minutes away from Allen Fieldhouse in Leavenworth, Kansas, so he obviously always dreamed of playing for Oklahoma. Just kidding, he accrued every possible honor winning a state championship as a junior and being named a McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. He also pursued his other competitive passion and won fishing tournaments with his dad, Wayne Sr., as a kid.

However, he was pretty underrated nationally despite of that. Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry were the belles of the ball and ESPN.com had him in 67th place back then in the Class of 2001 rankings. Not that it mattered much anyway…it was love at first sight and Kansas Jayhawks head coach Roy Williams wanted him on his roster as much as Simien wanted to make his childhood dream come true.

The 6’9’’, 255-pound forward joined a roster that had future NBA players such as Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden. In fact, Roy Williams’ intention was for Simien to be Gooden’s successor as the next big threat in the paint for his team.

That desire would come true. Simien finished his college career 12th   in all-time scoring (currently 16th) surpassing Gooden’s 1,526 points with his own 1,593.

Everything seemed to be golden in his charmed life. But then storm clouds appeared in his horizon for the first time.

DRAFT SLIDE

Back in 2003, Kansas lost in the national championship game against Carmelo Anthony’s Syracuse squad. Maybe they would have won if Simien hadn’t been ruled out for the season after re-injuring his right shoulder during the regular season.

He had already had surgery on it in high school, then injured it multiple times in college jamming it on the rim, making contact with opposing players…it was a mess, so surgery was required once again. Simien would go on to average 19 points and 33 minutes the following two years at Kansas. But his injury history spooked teams picking in the lottery during the 2006 NBA Draft.

Then again, maybe that wasn´t all that made them hesitate. Simien had a bit of Carmelo Anthony-itis in him as well.

‘If the team lost and I played well, I would feel good about it. But if the team won and I played bad, I would be in a bad mood,” Simien told the Christian Broadcasting Network back in 2014. That was when a campus pastor approached him at Kansas and motivated him to dive deeper into religious study, changing his mindset forever. He joined a church group and made religion his guiding light.

TRYING TO AVOID SIN IN SOUTH BEACH

So imagine you live your whole life in humble Kansas. You devote yourself to religion. All of a sudden you’re thrust into the party capital of the world as a 22-year-old with revelers such as Shaquille O´Neal, Jason Williams and Antoine Walker as teammates.

Good. Luck.

“I remember walking in,” Simien told The Wichita Eagle in 2010. “They were like ‘This dude’s a Christian. Give him two weeks until he’s on South Beach in a strip club with me, give him such and such amount of time until he meets Suzie in LA. and does yada yada yada.’ They were taking bets on me, basically, cash-money bets right in front of me as far as how long it would take for me to have a hiccup or whatever.”

To Simien´s credit, the siren call of groupies and the NBA lifestyle didn´t deter him.

Pat Riley had drafted Simien with the 29th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. To be fair to Riley, Simien seemed like a steal. He could be groomed as a big man under the tutelage of Shaq and Udonis Haslem. Most importantly, he was another big body at Riley´s disposal to fend off the big, bad Detroit Pistons. More specifically Rasheed and Ben Wallace.

The rookie moved to Miami with his girlfriend, Katie, who he’d begun dating six months earlier on New Year´s Eve. He asked her to marry him just two months later.

On November 2, 2005, Wayne Simien played the last 1:37 minutes of a 97-78 blowout win over the Grizzlies in Memphis. He had made his dream come true making his professional debut. The Heat were 1-0 to start their championship pursuit, and Simien was officially part of “15 Strong.”

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11) stretches to rebound a loose ball as Miami Heat’s Wayne Simien tries to gain control of the ball in the second half of the Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005, game in Miami. The Heat won, 88-84. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

Simien would see action in 43 regular season games, starting two of them. He averaging 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per contest. His postseason action consisted of three minutes against the Chicago Bulls in Game 3 of the first round. He played five minutes against the New Jersey Nets in the 111-89 blowout victory during Game 2 of that Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.

Simien went 0-for-3 from the field and didn’t score any points in either game, but he did grab a rebound against the Nets.

He didn’t play at all in the East Finals against the Pistons or NBA Finals vs. the Mavericks, but it didn’t matter. He was an NBA champion and would go on to marry Katie two weeks later on July 8, 2006.

Simien had never even kissed Katie for seven months before his wedding day “as a way to honor her”. They would go on to have five kids.

The 2006-07 season saw him be relegated after he missed the entire Summer League having contracted salmonella. Riley clearly didn’t trust him, and the “Disease of More” corrupted the team. Simien would barely score a total of 23 points in eight games. He didn’t play at all in the playoffs as the Heat got unceremoniously swept by the Bulls in the first round.

Simien would be a part of the Antoine Walker and Michael Doleac trade to Minnesota for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount prior to the 2007-08 season. The Timberwolves waived him shortly thereafter.

A NEW CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE

Simien would never play another minute in the NBA. He went on to join Spanish team Cáceres in 2008 after another American player had been kicked off the team for an incident with the police. Katie used to live in Spain, so they moved there with their by then two children.

However, that overseas adventure didn’t fulfill him. He officially retired as a basketball player in his prime as a 26-year-old in 2009. Simien went back home to Kansas. He spent the next decade being the campus pastor and helping youth sports though his “Called to Greatness” initiative.

His number 23 was retired at Kansas in January 2011. It’s up in the rafters next to Kirk Hinrich’s number 10 and legendary announcer’s Max Fankelstein’s number 60. Everything had come full circle. He was at peace when he spoke to a sold-out crowd at Allen Field House during his jersey retirement ceremony.

“I really hope that my legacy will be more than just about a guy who scored a bunch of points and grabbed a bunch of rebounds, but rather about someone whose life was miraculously transformed by Jesus Christ during my time here (in Kansas).”

He found a purpose beyond basketball, and with that he found true happiness.

Oh, by the way, not a single Heat player ever collected a dollar from the Simien bets.

 

 

 

 

 

Miami Heat

Miami Heat cierra su predio por otro test positivo de COVID-19

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Hace apenas dos días, el entrenador del Miami Heat Erik Spoelstra hablaba con la prensa sobre el entusiasmo que generaba el poder volver a entrenar con un plantel casi entero antes de que el Heat tenga que reportarse a Orlando de cara al reinicio de la temporada el 9 de Julio.

Ahora las prácticas deberán esperar hasta que el equipo pueda ingresar a la burbuja protectora…y hasta que el equipo se disponga a su auto-cuarentena.

El Heat ya de por sí estaba sin Derrick Jones Jr. debido a un test positivo de COVID-19, y este jueves saltó otro jugador con resultado positivo. La primicia fue reportada por Five Reasons Sports Network esta tarde.

Se cree que el jugador estuvo junto a un asociado que a su vez también dio positivo, y dicho jugador ahora está en cuarentena. El Miami Heat cerró sus instalaciones de entrenamiento después de que un segundo jugador dio positivo por coronavirus.

Sin embargo, es la política de Five Reasons el no develar la identidad de nadie que de positivo.

El equipo planea reportarse a Orlando puntualmente. Se espera que Jones pueda participar de la preparación en Orlando, y (todavía) no hay razón alguna para creer que el otro jugador no podrá emularlo. La escolta de Heat, Derrick Jones Jr. dio positivo por coronavirus la semana pasada y ha estado trabajando a través de los protocolos de la NBA en un plan de regreso al juego.

El Miami Heat debuta el 1 de Agosto contra los Denver Nuggets.

El Heat ya sabe lo que es lidiar con situaciones delicadas de salud. Dos de los jugadores más importantes de su historia — Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh — vieron a sus carreras desviadas, o en el caso de Bpsh terminadas, por enfermedades tan serias como inesperadas.

Para más información, visite este sitio web y síganos en Twitter por  @5ReasonsSports (en inglés) o @CincoRazonesNet (español).

Miami Heat

Miami Heat close facility due to another positive Covid-19 test

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Just two days ago, coach Erik Spoelstra spoke to the media about the excitement of practicing resuming with a nearly full roster prior to the Miami Heat reporting to Orlando for the season re-start on July 9th.

Now the practices will wait until they get to the protective bubble…and once the team self-quarantines.

Already without Derrick Jones Jr. due to a positive Covid-19 test, the Heat learned Thursday that another player had tested positive. That was first reported by Five Reasons Sports Network this afternoon.

It is believed that the player was exposed to an associate who has also tested positive, and is now in quarantine.

But it is 5RSN policy not to reveal the identity of anyone who tests positive.

The team is planning to report to Orlando as scheduled. Jones is expected to participate in Orlando, and there is no reason to believe (yet) that this other player will not.

The Heat open play again on August 1st against the Denver Nuggets.

The Heat are familiar with delicate health situations. Two of the most prominent players in Heat history — Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh — had their careers derailed, and in Bosh’s case, finished, by serious and unexpected ailments.

For more information, check this site or @5ReasonsSports on Twitter.

5 Takeaways from Herro and Olynyk Interviews

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Since the NBA is set to return later this month, players are getting more and more anxious to get back on the court. Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk spoke with some media today about their preparation for the postseason. The Herro and Olynyk interviews happened via Zoom.

Here’s five things discussed to make you feel better about the Miami Heat’s chances.

Herro and Olynyk Interviews Takeaway 1:

Tyler Herro touched on the fact that this locker room is much more than a work place, it’s an enjoyable environment. He says how excited he is to get back on the court and compete again heading into the postseason. Tyler also speaks about his growth in knowledge of the game, which seems to be a trend with a bunch of Heat guys over this hiatus. Which proves how ready this team is for this format.

Takeaway 2:

Kelly Olynyk says he knows how great he was playing prior to the season being suspended. He also notes that this was because he wasn’t fully recovered at the beginning of the season, but slowly worked his way back into his full self. This is something to note since he could be a valuable piece in a playoff series. This team probably has more depth than anyone entering the bubble. Like Coach Eric Spoelstra said, “We can go 3 deep at every position” which shows he’s going to use every bench piece possible if need be including Kelly Olynyk.

Takeaway 3:

Kelly speaks upon wanting to get back to human interaction, just like everyone else does. Except he has been in a bubble pretty much himself over the last 3 months since his family lives in Canada. This is a good sign for having another guy on the Heat’s roster to keep everyone focused and in line during the social distancing. And like mentioned before, could be a huge factor for this team on and off the court.

Takeaway 4: 

Tyler Herro says he’s looking forward to getting back on the court again finally. He also states he doesn’t know what to expect or what the format will look like but either way they will look to adapt and “win a lot of games.” Tyler is a player that seems to have a lot of confidence in himself as a player already, but his confidence in this Heat team should have all Heat fans ready for Miami to make some noise in the postseason.

Takeaway 5:

Tyler Herro says though the injury forced him to miss 15 games, it helped him dissect the game more. Not only did he watch the way his teammates performed, but says watched all different players around the league. He also states he will do whatever Coach Spoelstra wants him to do once he gets down there. And as discussed many time, will be a key player for this team off of the bench, since young legs may be essential in this format.

 

5 Takeaways from the Duncan Robinson Interview About the Miami Heat

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After the breakout season of Duncan Robinson this year, he looks forward to taking the next step in his game which is playoff experience. He discussed some things about his game and the state of the team with some local media today.

Here are five things discussed to take note of…

1. 

As talked about over and over, the Heat seem to have the most players that fit this no fans format. Between overseas, g-league, summer league, and small college play, they should be ready. And though Duncan Robinson says he played in games with around 300 people, it was no cakewalk. Duncan has repeatedly said that was some of the most competitive basketball he’s ever played. And as Duncan said himself, he’s equipped for this, which means he’s taking accountability to perform at a high level when or if the season returns.

2.

Duncan seems to have the utmost confidence in this Heat team in a playoff setting with the words, “that bodes well for us.” He talks about the type of games that are played in a playoff series according to people he’s talked to. Duncan says it come down to execution, which is something he has seemed to do pretty well all season.  He also talk about the game slowing down, which may lead to him getting even more touches on the offensive side of the ball with a slowed down setting.

3.

Duncan Robinson discusses the different players he has been watching film on lately including Ray Allen and Klay Thompson. He’s not watching the shooting part of it, he’s watching the ways they get open off of the ball. He uses the word creative, which he also used earlier in the interview discussing teams trying to eliminate him offensively. Duncan says teams started doing this as the season progressed and he expects it to continue in the playoffs. This could be a huge plus to Duncan’s game if he gets “creative” against savvy defensive match-ups.

4. 

Duncan seems to hear the talk about Miami’s road troubles, but he says the team wants to embrace it. This Heat team thrives on doubt which is usually what people do to them. The reason being that most of these guys have been doubted their whole lives. A bunch of these guys didn’t make it to the league the natural way. So as they continue to receive this doubt, they have the mentality and hunger to prove them all wrong.

5. 

There has been some questioning about the lack of defense in some of the Heat’s young players. Duncan addressed this saying that the only way they can make a deep playoff run is if they improve. He says this is something that will be their main focus on a nightly basis in both the playoffs and eight regular season games.