Tag Archive for: Tyler Herro

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Hawks

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The Miami Heat lost to the Atlanta Hawks this time around, in an absolute nightmare of a game. Erik Spoelstra has discussed playing games in the mud this season, but they played this game in something much worse than mud. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s offense no where to be found early.

Well, there’s not much to dive into when discussing the Miami Heat’s offense in the first half, other than shots just not falling. Good looks were being generated throughout beyond the arc, but somehow Miami ended up with 37 points in the first half. The biggest reason for Miami’s offensive struggles was the lack of a guy who can consistently get downhill. Jimmy Butler is usually that guy, but in a game where he was watching from the sideline, that issue became more apparent. This type of offensive play early says a lot about Butler as a player, but it also says a lot about this team. It’s clear they rely on Butler a bit too much at times, since it’s a lot of standing around until he generates offense. Goran Dragic helps that a bit, which was the only type of flow that they had, when he was attacking and kicking.

#2: Bam Adebayo needs to step up amid big time struggles.

When something is going wrong for a team, it’s natural to look toward the best player and leader for that particular night. It was obvious Bam Adebayo wasn’t having his best game in the first half, but 2 shot attempts through 16 minutes of bad basketball should never be the case. As I mentioned previously, dribble penetration and rim pressure was a big issue tonight, which is why setting screens for more pull-up jumpers should be altered a bit. The Clint Capela match-up favors Adebayo from an offensive perspective due to quickness, but that advantage was never really looked to. Butler definitely makes Adebayo’s job a lot easier in most of Miami’s sets, but when Adebayo has to carry a lineup come playoff time when Butler takes a breather, there must be a high amount of trust.

#3: Andre Iguodala may be the only reason things stayed close.

Andre Iguodala is the only guy on the current roster who can replicate some of the things Butler does, mostly from a facilitating perspective. Even though he was directing traffic, shots still weren’t falling, but his continued activity on both ends sparked them in some spurts. That Iguodala-Gabe Vincent tandem continues to impress many on the defensive end, due to both of their extremely aggressive mindsets to get on the ground for loose balls, pick up full-court, and more. A couple stops began to get Miami into transition offense, which seemed to be the only efficient offense early. There’s an immense amount of confidence when Iguodala is running the break, due to his high IQ play-making abilities, which was the only reason Miami trailed by 7 at the half, after a horrific performance early on.

#4: Duncan Robinson sparks third quarter run.

Duncan Robinson found a good time to get free on the perimeter for some three point makes, since it was the spark Miami was waiting for. But it wasn’t just Robinson finding space out of nowhere, he actually generated it himself. He put the ball on the floor a little more to begin the third quarter than he usually would, which was necessary in a game where shots weren’t dropping. Although he wasn’t scoring off the dribble, it gave the defense something to think about, and surprisingly they were thinking about it. Those triples weren’t the traditional dribble hand-off either, since he even utilized some pick and roll sets in which he’d pull up off the dribble. Seeing Robinson have the ability to score in a variety of ways when not being absolutely swarmed, is a healthy reminder after the recent defenses he’s faced.

#5: Tyler Herro finally flips a switch late in the third, but it wasn’t enough.

Tyler Herro stepping up late in the third quarter, after Robinson played a big part early, was all Miami needed to find any type of offense. As I discussed after last game, Herro has an ability to flip an individual switch, leading to increased confidence and more aggression. On a night that he struggled, one shot going in the basket is all it took for him to get back to himself, which led to him straying away from his passive ways early. Those passing abilities made an appearance in the fourth quarter once again after he had a quick scoring run, but that’s when play-making is most effective for him. Herro is not a natural play-maker, he’s a natural scorer. But he can be a trusted facilitator once defenses begin to target his scoring time and time again. Even when he attacked, though, play-making can’t be harped on when the players around him were struggling with uncontested jumpers.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Hawks

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The Miami Heat expand their win streak to six after a win against the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, which meant a close game down the stretch was going to be a bit different. But Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo all hit needed shots to spark a 10-0 run late in the game. Here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Gabe Vincent becomes an unexpected spark, occurring on a surprising side of the ball.

Well, Gabe Vincent fell onto this takeaway piece in an interesting way, since it usually means he had a great scoring night. His impact was actually felt on the defensive end, which seems to be the reason for his jump in minutes. Coach Spo trusts the 2-3 zone and full court press when Vincent and Andre Iguodala are at the top of it, which is an interesting duo. The clear point was to disrupt Trae Young on constant blitzes early, then team trapping in the sets that I just discussed. Vincent is a physical defender, which means fouls obviously come along with that, but the spark he brought for Miami in that first half was the reason the lead was as big as it was.

#2: Precious Achiuwa showing why he deserves consistent minutes.

Precious Achiuwa didn’t hear his name called on Friday night against the Utah Jazz, which was a bit of a surprise, even though Coach Spo made it clear he just wanted an extra perimeter defender on the floor. And well, Achiuwa had his name called tonight against the Hawks, and proved why he deserves minutes. You can question Achiuwa’s weak ball-handling skills at this stage, or his below average passing ability, but the one thing that can’t be questioned is his heart and constant battle on both ends of the floor. He was huge on the boards throughout the game, against a very active rebounder in Clint Capela. He’s always been an offensive threat on the roll above the rim, but he showed other abilities in his offensive game. He has a great feel for a defense, which means he can readjust a lob pass, take that one dribble, and go back up for a dunk. And that is not something a lot of young bigs have in their arsenal.

#3: Kendrick Nunn, the consistent piece once again.

Some people may be getting sick of hearing Kendrick Nunn’s name in every one of these takeaway pieces, but he absolutely deserves it and must be noted. He’s becoming the one consistent piece on the team for their offense, meaning the team knows what he will give them every single night. The intriguing part of his offensive game that I’ve noted a lot in the past, is his catch and shoot improvements. That may have something to do with an increased confidence that has been instilled in him, but wide open kick-outs to K-Nunn should worry a defense as much as anybody on the Heat. It’s been discussed that a huge reason for Nunn’s success over this stretch is Jimmy Butler, but tonight proved he’s just in a great rhythm individually. Also, the play-making attribute is beginning to take that big leap. It’s not about the assist numbers as much as it is the comfort level with setting up offense for Miami, and that will keep him on the floor, even if scoring tails off a bit for a stretch.

#4: A John Collins showcase game against Miami.

It seems necessary to stray off from Miami Heat analysis for a moment, to take a look at a guy Miami could be linked to in the near future, John Collins. Some may label this game as a bit of a showcase for Collins, who is a South Florida native, and if that was the case, he took full advantage of it. When evaluating certain power forwards to slot next to Bam Adebayo, Collins seems to fit that description pretty well. He proved that offense can work through him in any spot on the floor, and he’s definitely not just an above the rim threat. He has an ability to take guys off the dribble and get downhill, the mid-range pull-up and turn-arounds were falling, and the three point shot can clearly be utilized. He has some work to do defensively, but that can be tweaked upon arrival. This is the type of game that the organization will remember for some time when they’re looking to make a certain move.

#5: Tyler Herro struggles early in return, but gets into a rhythm in the fourth.

Tyler Herro definitely didn’t have the greatest start to his return, which is normal since it takes some time to get your legs back under you and get into any sort of rhythm. But well, it only took three quarters until he turned that around in the fourth quarter. There’s always a moment with Herro in which he flips a switch to retain offensive confidence, which is when his normal body language returns searching for a bucket. Goran Dragic getting inserted into the starting lineup meant that regular bench unit wasn’t seen once again, but it’ll clearly elevate both of their play by bouncing off one another, with an explosive big man reserve in Achiuwa. Herro may struggle with finding consistent one-on-one separation without an Adebayo screen, but he’s still young and improving in his strongest areas. If he can find a way to get consistent play after the All-Star break, barring no Covid contact tracing or injuries, that growth will be displayed the more he gets into a natural rhythm.

A Breakdown of Tyler Herro’s Performance Against the Kings

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On a night that was full of storylines with the Miami Heat, headlined by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s triple-doubles, it seems necessary to dive into Tyler Herro’s offensive play. Although I’ve dove into his package a few times in the past, it’s clear that it is developing game by game.

So, here’s a look into what stood out from his performance against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night…

– An evolving pick and roll ability

These are the types of things that Herro wasn’t doing last year, and even to begin this season. He’s becoming much more comfortable with the ball in his hands, especially in pick and roll sets, which has something to do with his new role.

On this play, he utilizes a snake dribble against the screener to find open space in the mid-range for an easy jumper. His mid-range game is probably his biggest strength at the moment, which he can seize when facing the coverages that he has been lately as the sixth man.

The PnR connection with Precious Achiuwa has something to do with it as well, since his burst of energy on the roll every possession makes a defense uncomfortable. And the sets with these two will only increase due to the fact that they enter together most of the time in the first quarter.

– Tight coverage is light coverage for Herro

There isn’t much to breakdown on this specific play, but this shot must be noted. The degree of difficulty to shoot over the top of someone with essentially zero room to work is the type of progression that is occurring right in front of our eyes.

As mentioned previously, he’s beginning to thrive in the mid-range area, but it’s more about him finding his sweet spots. He puts his back to Kyle Guy to fake a backspin slightly, then gets to his favorite spot on the floor.

And once again, that’s a shot that many players his size aren’t capable of making, but also a shot that not many players his size would attempt.

– Slight hesitation to an uncontested layup

This was probably Herro’s most impressive play of the night, when evaluating all of the elements.

He gives a slight hesitation while driving baseline, and while many may point to the space he gets with the guy on his hip, it pauses defenders on the backside as well. Hassan Whiteside froze when Herro gave that fake, leading to a reverse layup with ease.

Once again, these are the minor areas that are improving night by night, but due to the focus being in other areas lately, it hasn’t been discussed.

– Natural offensive feel

Now, this isn’t much of an improvement for Herro, since he’s been doing this since his rookie season. But, it’s still something that points to his natural offensive feel and IQ.

Cutting off the ball was a theme for all of the players on Miami last night, since they were overplaying the three point line leading to easy layups. On this play, though, this wasn’t a set play, it was just natural instinct. Herro notices De’Aaron Fox falling asleep, so he cuts immediately to the basket, and of course Butler finds him.

Adjusting on the fly is something Herro really improved in the bubble when he began to receive more attention, and it’s taking off once again.

– Great touch at the rim using the backboard

Herro’s ability to utilize the glass when attacking the basket with immaculate touch has been a real surprise in his growth. As I’ve mentioned quite a lot, that’s not something young players typically do, especially in today’s NBA. It could have something to do with his unique offensive game, or possibly something he picked up from veteran teammate, Goran Dragic.

On this play, he has a one-on-one opportunity with a big, Marvin Bagley, and takes it right up on him with his off-hand. Shooting across his body, tossing it underhand, using the left. It’s all on display on this possession.

And surprisingly, using the glass nowadays is actually tougher to defend, since most players are so use to all-net floaters when guarding a player off the dribble. It’s another element to diversify his offensive package, as discussed previously.

– Explosiveness off the dribble

When Herro was drafted by the Heat, I don’t think many people expected him to have the amount of explosion that he has at this point in his career. Now, this isn’t to highlight a great play, since it’s clear the Kings defensive weaknesses is the biggest takeaway from this play, but it furthers improvements we’ve seen from Herro.

For one, instead of utilizing a Butler screen, he notices that the paint is wide open with Whiteside playing high on Adebayo. He immediately gives a great cross-over, exploding right past his defender, while beating Whiteside to the rim.

As the hesitation move was highlighted earlier, these moves that we’re seeing off the dribble are allowing him to thrive as a scorer at the rim. And once defenses begin to plan for that come playoff time, he will have added opportunities beyond the arc once again.

– Pull-up triples beginning to fall once again

The reason for Herro’s three point shooting being down to begin the season didn’t have anything to do with catch and shoot attempts. It was actually the pull-up triples that were down from his rookie season.

And although that’s been his biggest weakness lately, it can also be his biggest strength once perfected. Pull-up threes are linked to one word and one word only: confidence. And that’s a word that has been linked to him since he entered the league. When he’s in a natural scoring flow, he has more bounce on those attempts, while off nights lead to those shots being a bit flat footed.

On this play, they switch on the screen while Herro has more than enough room to pull, and he does just that. And as I just described, take a look at the amount of bounce he has on this very shot. It’s all about confidence.

Once again, Herro utilizes the pull-up, which is even more useful when a defense is playing this deep of a drop coverage.

Right as Herro took his first dribble, you can tell he knew that he was shooting it, and as Kyle Guy went under the screen, he shot it up with as much bounce as the last possession. Once these shots begin to fall at a good percentage, his numbers will increase even more.

 

– The next step in his game

As I just dove into the mechanical things in Herro’s game, there’s one element that must come next: Getting to the free throw line. With the amount of times he’s driving to the basket in the second unit, the free throw attempts should improve.

When he usually drives to the basket, he avoids contact, which leads to his constant circus shot attempts at the rim that usually find a way of dropping in. On this play, he goes right at the chest of his defender to draw contact, getting the foul call and the basket.

Once he begins to do this consistently, that rounds out his scoring abilities completely. This doesn’t mean that he has to be a Butler-level contact finder, since there’s nobody in the NBA who can do it to that extent. But periodically, taking it up strong at the rim instead of attempting an up-and-under, may be beneficial in the long run.

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Kings

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The Miami Heat got a much needed win on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings. Although many players stood out for Miami throughout, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo both getting a triple-double was the biggest storyline of the night. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: A Kelly Olynyk first quarter scoring display.

When the Miami Heat hit the 20 point mark in the first quarter, Kelly Olynyk had exactly half of those points, scoring them in a variety of ways. Every few games, as I’ve mentioned in the past, Olynyk ends up on one of these takeaway pieces since he explodes from a recent slump. On night’s that he shines, his three point shooting is usually the reason, but his ability to find mismatches proved to be useful tonight. He has an ability to cut off the ball when a favorable match-up presents itself, allowing him to receive the ball in great position for a layup. The only issue is that those things aren’t utilized on a night to night basis, but when they are like tonight, things click for the team as a whole.

#2: Tyler Herro’s continued unique touch around the rim.

I’ve discussed Tyler Herro in different ways lately due to his evolving play, but his finishing at the rim needs to be mentioned yet again. He had 14 first half points, due to his ability to utilize the backboard on the move, which is not an attribute that is normal for young players. Goran Dragic definitely played a role in that development, since that’s a veteran move that Dragic utilizes when attacking off pick and rolls. His package is still growing as well, especially with minor moves leading to added opportunities when driving. A very impressive first half slight hesitation when driving baseline, led to a nice reverse layup at the rim, and those are types of plays that continue to stand out when evaluating the upside of his offensive game.

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#3: Erik Spoelstra figuring out lineups for Andre Iguodala to thrive.

One of the things I mentioned a few weeks ago involving lineups with Andre Iguodala was that it doesn’t seem like a viable option to play him with Butler and Adebayo. It just limits offensive effectiveness due to spacing, which led to Miami’s new rotation. Part of this has something to do with Dragic being out, since Coach Spo is staggering Butler and Adebayo’s minutes, but the Iguodala elements comes into play as well. Most of his minutes lately have come with one of Butler, Adebayo, or Precious Achiuwa, since having three players who can’t stretch the floor as a perimeter threat makes lineups ineffective. If they’re figuring out ways to run these with Dragic out, it’s clear this will continue whenever he returns which will maximize the play of Iguodala moving forward with the bench unit.

#4: Kendrick Nunn finding scoring consistency, while his passing continues to make strides.

Kendrick Nunn has found himself on these takeaway pieces almost every night as of late, and rightfully so due to his consistent offensive play. The only thing that speaks to is that he is overcoming the inconsistent measures that once got labeled to him, but he seems to be very effective throughout the entire game since his insertion into the starting point guard position. But instead of discussing his scoring, or his defensive off-ball presence that I mentioned last night against Stephen Curry, his improving play-making abilities must be touched upon. It is not an overstatement when I say that Nunn’s entire game thrives from confidence, since when shots are dropping, he has much more confidence to throw difficult passes instinctively. Other than a few skip pass mistakes he makes here or there, he can read a half-court offense pretty well, which was displayed tonight once again.

#5: Adebayo and Butler filling stat-sheet with all-around impact, while setting up teammates as scorers.

At times, it’s widely known that Butler and Adebayo could be a bit too passive when their natural scoring talents should be utilized. But when facing a poor defensive team as they did tonight, it’s necessary to attack from all angles. As Luke Walton said before the game, the plan was to stop Butler at all costs from getting to the rim and free throw line by throwing a bunch of bodies at him. And with switching defenders throughout, it led to guys like Kelly Olynyk having easy opportunities match-up wise as described earlier. The point is that these are the games that Miami’s two stars can afford to be unselfish, while filling up the stat-sheet all around tonight led to both Butler and Adebayo getting triple-doubles on the same night.

A Tyler Herro Leap Incoming, While Others Staying Stagnant

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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 Heat’s Win Over Knicks

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The Miami Heat faced off against the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon, and came away with a win after a late Tyler Herro three to ice it. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Kendrick Nunn hops into starting lineup, and continues to thrive.

Kendrick Nunn jumped into the starting point guard position with Goran Dragic out, while Tyler Herro can continue his bench dominance. It’s clear that Nunn gives Miami the exact type of offensive play that they were missing in the starting lineup, since he’s a guy that can just get a bucket. He was basically the guy who kept Miami afloat in many of the early stretches with that lineup, especially since his catch and shoot abilities out on the perimeter were working. That’s the one part of his game that comes with some question marks any given night, since his ability to get to the basket has been pretty consistent as of late. He has proved himself in every opportunity he has been given this season to this point, and it seems that now he is here to stay.

#2: The new Tyler Herro role is what Miami has been missing.

There are a couple of elements to this new Tyler Herro role making sense for him as a player. For one, it allows him to play with a bit of freedom with the second unit, especially in the non-Jimmy Butler minutes. He is given the necessary spacing, along with a rolling big in Bam Adebayo or Precious Achiuwa. Erik Spoelstra has talked about “simplifying” the game for Achiuwa as much as possible, but why not do the same for Herro? He’s had a lot on his plate lately in the starting position, mostly since his biggest strength is playing with a scoring mentality. And well, that’s exactly what has been seen the past two games, while sprinkling in some lob and skip passes when attacking the basket. This role makes sense for both Herro and this Heat team, which will make even more sense when Goran Dragic returns.

#3: Defending the three continues to be an issue.

Now to some of the issues with this Heat team at the moment, Miami’s perimeter defense on three point shots continues to be problematic. Instead of getting into the exact specifics for these issues that I’ve discussed over and over, it seems necessary to discuss how can they overcome it with the current personnel. One way is by transitioning to a complete offensive team, since most of their one-way players are offensively sound, but that just does not seem like a viable option at this point. Not only would a Miami Heat team not do that, but their offense has been choppy in spurts this season as well. Also, a very known thing is that when shots are falling on offense, the defense begins to elevate slowly. So if Miami can just figure out that side of the ball consistently, there will be gradual improvement as long as the current team can stay healthy.

#4: The Andre Iguodala effect.

Andre Iguodala stood out in today’s game in a way that he usually does, not by tremendous stats, but through all-around impact. In a game where Miami’s defense was the biggest weakness, he fills a lot of those holes as soon as he enters. Obviously his defensive abilities and movement contributes to the team feeling much more comfortable, but his leadership and vocal abilities on that end seem to do the job as well. There seemed to be some clarity about specific lineups to utilize Iguodala, since the lineups with him, Butler, and Adebayo limit offensive spacing. But when he shares the floor with one of Butler or Adebayo, everything comes together slowly on that end. He wrecks havoc out on the perimeter on a regular basis, but also showed his ability to control the interior against bigger opponents, which is important for Miami to realize moving forward.

#5: Bam Adebayo making end of shot-clock jumpers with pure confidence.

Bam Adebayo had a few moments in today’s game where he got into the shooting motion in the mid-range area after noticing a low shot-clock. The reason this is important is because there’s a common theme with those exact jumpers. The ones he shoots without hesitation, lead to a much improved shooter. It seems as if this has been said for quite some time now, but he has that ability in his offensive package already. It just comes down to him finding the right times to utilize it, possibly with a full shot-clock. I’ve mentioned the importance of attacking the basket to draw fouls, as seen on Friday night, but as we continue to see him expanding his range, the timing of his attempts seem more essential than the efficiency.

A Breakdown of Tyler Herro’s Offensive Package in New Role

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The Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards on Friday night, but the main discussion following the game was about the changing role that could occur moving forward. Goran Dragic started in front of Tyler Herro for the night, while Herro looked very comfortable in that bench role.

Anyway, here’s a look into his offensive performance last night…

–  Herro reading a defense, exposing drop coverage

Herro has discussed in the past his comfort level when playing against a drop coverage, without going into details for obvious reasons. His unique pull-up mid-range game allows him to thrive off pick and rolls at an efficient rate.

On this play, Jimmy Butler slips off of an off-ball screen, leading to Rui Hachimura switching onto Herro. He then gets the ball on the wing as Bam Adebayo steps up to set the screen. Herro then finds himself socially distanced from the dropping Alex Len and the trailing Hachimura, leading to a bucket on his favorite part of the floor.

– Confident jumpers mean efficient jumpers

This part of Herro’s game is obvious, since confidence is what makes his entire offensive game flow. After seeing the shot attempt a few nights ago, where he took a few dribbles before shooting a wide open corner three, made it seem his shooting confidence was not as high as it once was.

As seen here, this is his most fluid way to shoot a three. Catch and shoot while running full speed up the floor. The reason for that exactly probably has more to do with mechanics than mentality, since he uses his legs much more on those types of shots.

Playing as a reserve allows even more opportunities for shots like this, since he’s without the pressure of being the primary distributor.

– Herro-Achiuwa PnR equals many options

Taking a dive into the Herro and Precious Achiuwa pick and roll is something I did fairly recently, but it still seems necessary to point out the many options with this exact set.

Achiuwa has one offensive role that he plays perfectly, which simply means set the screen, roll to the basket, and be ready for the lob pass or clean up on a shot attempt.

Herro takes a contested jumper on the baseline, while two Washington players go for the box out on the energized Achiuwa. He could tell the shot was short as soon as it left his hands, which led to the offensive rebound. But the way he put the ball right back up with zero hesitation stands out even more.

Some players I’ve discussed don’t look at the rim enough, which is why those guys need to watch that part of Herro’s game a bit more.

– Fast paced offense leads to all eyes on Herro

As Herro leads the charge with this specific unit, the defense is aware that he’s the go to scorer, especially when playing with a lead in a fast paced offense.

As describe previously, his pull-up threes are some of his favorite, which is the main reason for this type of play favoring him. The reason this play stood out, though, is because of the way defenders react to him. As he brings the ball up the floor here, all five defenders are totally focused on him, which ultimately led to a corner three for Kelly Olynyk.

– The Butler-Herro connection is clear off drive and kicks

Butler-Herro drive and kicks has been something they have been pretty great with since last year’s regular season. When Butler is aggressive, defenses begin to collapse and shooters find themselves open.

On this play, Herro’s ability to read Butler is very impressive. As Herro acts like he’s clearing out to the top of the key, he immediately reacts to get in front of the pass for Butler to hit him in an open area. These small things won’t look so small when it’s utilized in a tight game, where they catch the defense off-guard.

– The bench role means offensive freedom

One of the biggest changes for Herro going from starter to reserve last night, is the level of freedom he can play with in the offense. No Butler on the floor, no Adebayo on the floor, and no Dragic on the floor means Herro has a fully controlled offense.

As seen by his loose cross-overs, he began playing with a different type of freedom, since the starting role seems to make him tense at times with the many things on his plate.

He also notices that since he’s the go to guy on the floor, he needs to do go to guy things, which means attacking the basket to draw fouls. If he can get to the free throw line a bit more due to offensive aggression, that may be the part of his scoring package that can absolutely elevate him.

– More drop coverage exposure

It feels necessary to show another moment from the game with Herro exposing drop coverage, except this time the defender goes under the screen.

Once he notices the defender going under, he stops at the exact spot on the floor that was needed, leading to yet another basket. Going back to my point about him shooting triples while running full speed, this falls under that category as well, since he shoots so well when stopping on a dime.

– The Herro lob pass much different than other Heat guards

To look at Herro’s passing for a moment, it’s been obvious that his lob passes have been much better this season. Dragic has been throwing them much more, as well as some others, but there’s one major difference between them and Herro.

He passes them in a very loose way, which means it’s hard for a defender to tell if it’s a shot attempt or a pass attempt. He throws a lot of them underhand, as seen on this play, which may seem easier to defend, but it’s harder to predict. These types of attributes showcase his overall talent to be more unique than some may realize.

A Breakdown of the Miami Heat’s Late-Game Offense

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The Miami Heat dropped yet another game on Wednesday night, this time to the Washington Wizards. One of the biggest issues that stood out was late-game offense, since spacing, sets, or even lineups looked to be problematic.

Take a look at this deep dive into the Miami Heat’s late fourth quarter issues from Wednesday night…

– Crunch time bucket leads to disappearing ball movement

As seen here, the game is tied with just under 3 minutes to play. This is usually the time where Miami’s offense begins to shift a bit for no apparent reason, although it shifted earlier than usual against the Wizards yesterday. There are a couple things to takeaway from this possession. For one, Goran Dragic dribbling around down the stretch is not what Miami wants to take place, but it seemed as if it was necessary. While Miami’s off ball movement became stagnant late in the game, Goran took it upon himself, per usual, to try and make a play to bail Miami out. And although he finds a way to do it a lot of the time, it didn’t occur last night. Identity is something that should continue to be discussed, since offense changing late in games means the offense does not have a clear identity.

– Sloppy possession down the stretch against the league’s worst defense

To be completely honest, this might be the worst offensive possession I’ve ever seen. For starters, Tyler Herro taking the three to begin the possession is a classic Tyler Herro shot, but highly unnecessary. He’s being guarded by a very poor defender in Davis Bertans, and had the opportunity to attack the basket 2 on 1 with a rolling Bam Adebayo. Then Tyler gets the ball in the corner to drive baseline, and makes the right read to find the open Goran Dragic, but passes it over his head. This leads to more chaos, since Kelly Olynyk holds on to the ball while shifting his feet a bit. Although you don’t want Kelly putting the ball on the deck, he acted as if he was trapped when he could have kept the dribble alive to get a man open. Somehow this possession ended up in a foul call, which was ruled not in the shooting motion, granting Miami another chance at a score, which is shown next.

– No offense generated leads to unnecessary shot attempts late in shot clock

The following possession with a short shot clock, Miami had another chance to tie this game up. Jimmy attacks the basket on the crowded side of the floor, and forces a pass to a back-peddling Kelly Olynyk who fumbles it a bit. He makes the pass back out to the perimeter, and the possession ends up with a Jimmy Butler three at the end of the shot clock. It doesn’t matter what team you’re playing in this league, you just don’t win games when the offensive execution in a tight game looks like this. Also, take a look at the beginning of this play. Not only does Jimmy Butler not look at the basket and stare at Kelly Olynyk the entire time. But more importantly, he had a rolling Bam on the open side of the floor, who could have thrown it down if Jimmy threw the lob pass. As mentioned previously, the team’s best players need to be the best players down the stretch, and Miami leaning on other guys instead ultimately hurt them once again.

– Need a bucket should mean need Jimmy Butler

To continue my previous statement, a team’s best player must be the guy closing out a game for you, especially when his name is Jimmy Butler. But as seen here, Miami is down one with 20 seconds remaining, and Jimmy Butler does not even touch the ball. This doesn’t mean that others are taking shots that they shouldn’t be taking. It actually means that Jimmy needs to be the voice that he always is to say “give me the ball.” On this play, he watched the possession play out without even calling for the ball, and as I just said, that’s an issue. This big time possession began with a Bam Adebayo dribble hand-off to Kelly Olynyk. And if you take a closer look, the interior is wide open to begin the play. Bam had a clear opportunity to take Alex Len one-on-one to the basket, which he has shown to be one of his biggest strengths. But ultimately, that didn’t occur and it ended in yet another empty possession.

– Final shot of regulation showcases a few issues

Now, there are a couple elements to this final possession of regulation. For starters, not only is the best shooter on the team not on the floor, but one of the best shooters in the league. Even if there is a higher comfort level to run this exact offensive set to Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson must be on the floor. Kelly Olynyk standing in the corner on this possession just showcases my point even more. For one, having the option to pass it in to Duncan Robinson for a turnaround catch and shoot three is always great to have. But more importantly, his gravity is something that is constantly discussed, and it could have created increased opportunities for others with the defense watching Duncan closely. Either way, the entire Washington defense knew what was coming when Tyler Herro was the in-bounder, leading to a tough shot and a tough loss.