So much was made last season about how Miami somehow ended up having a top 10 defense despite starting only two “plus defenders” for most of the season. It felt like an uphill battle throughout the year despite the defense being considered “solid.” The uphill climb was felt more internally throughout each game by Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Both guys would need to cover for many of their teammates who were either weak or downright bad defenders.

You could feel how much energy they were exerting trying to keep certain lineups afloat. Not to mention what they also had to do on offense. These factors are why the midseason addition of Trevor Ariza felt like such a significant boost to the team. It was one more defender Spoelstra could put out there with their stars without having to worry. And this was a slightly over-the-hill Ariza we’re talking about — imagine if you added even better defenders multiplied by 2. That’s what the Miami Heat have done this offseason.

The additions of PJ Tucker and Kyle Lowry will allow Miami to become the best defensive versions of themselves. I believe that performance will be good enough to be no lower than a top 4 defense this season. I feel like it’s gone under the radar just how great and downright menacing the Heat’s defense will be. They managed to forage a top 10 defense last year with way less ammunition than the current roster. Imagine the possibilities now that the weakest defender on the starting lineup will be Duncan Robinson, whose defense isn’t that bad now!

With the new acquisitions, some losses may have been difficult but necessary for this season’s team to be its best. No longer will Kendrick Nunn or Goran Dragic have to defend the point of attack for the team. That also means that Jimmy Butler won’t have to defend the opposition’s primary ball-handler for the nights they’re desperate. This trickle-down effect will also be significant for saving Jimmy’s legs late in the season and into the playoffs. Jimmy will be able to play that terrifying free safety role he was so good in last season. Miami’s defense will see drastic improvements when Butler can roam more and disrupt the opposition’s sets.

For Bam Adebayo, it’ll mean more time in the paint and less time cleaning up after his guards’ mistakes on the perimeter. Not to say that Bam can’t handle his own beyond the arc, but it’ll boost the team’s ability to deter teams from getting to the rim even more. Adebayo will be utilized more as a rim deterrent and terrifying help defender that can switch as the shot clock winds down. With Lowry at the helm of the point of attack, they’ll be even more versatile in the ways they’ll deploy Bam.

You’ll see plenty of different coverages mixed throughout the year. They might have Adebayo not stuck outright switching but more coming to the level of the screen. Lowry is so good at navigating, and fighting over screens that will create a terrorizing pick-and-roll defense with Bam — alongside Jimmy Butler on the wings waiting to pounce. Bam was already in the Defensive Player of the Year discussion, but Lowry will show off another terrifying side of Adebayo. It’ll be a breath of fresh air to not have Bam cover for the entire roster at times.

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Teams will try hunting Duncan Robinson as their last resort, forced to become an isolation team. Miami will gladly take that; they’ll have more than enough bodies to cover up for him. And good luck getting those Miami players to give in to that switch that easily. They will make you earn that switch and force the shot clock down to its last second. And, as I said earlier, Robinson has made great strides in his defense that won’t make that the worst outcome.

Miami doesn’t have to wait for their defender to arrive for the Power Forward position midway into the season. This time they went out and grabbed PJ Tucker to keep that spot in check. All the things Ariza helped give you last season, Tucker will do that while being able to guard up. Not to forget how much Tucker and Lowry will improve the rebounding numbers from last season. PJ was a maniac on the boards during the playoffs for the Bucks. Teams would try hiding their weakest defensive player on him, and he’d punish teams by crashing the glass and getting extra possessions for Milwaukee.

Lowry himself has been an excellent rebounder for a point guard averaging five boards over the past six seasons. He uses his base better than any other point guard and boxes guys out to the half-court line. Miami had tons of problems finishing off possessions last year as they constantly got outshot throughout the season. It will help drastically to have these two on the floor to clean up the glass. Not to mention an entire season of Dewayne Dedmon and his insane OREB% to help out.

Add to this the possibility of having Victor Oladipo ready by December, and it’ll raise the defensive powers to insane levels. Gabe Vincent will do an admirable job in his absence from the bench, but Victor will be on another level. Good luck trying to score on a Lowry-Oladipo-Butler-Tucker-Adebayo closing lineup.

Erik Spoelstra has done more with lesser rosters, and now he’s been given his best defensive starting lineup since the Big 3. The man wrung out a top 10 defense from a starting lineup that included Carlos Arroyo, Michael Beasley, and whatever remained of Jermaine O’Neal. Spoelstra has coached a top 10 defense for all but 5 of his tenure in Miami. And 3 of those seasons, his teams finished just outside at 11th, two of which made the Finals. He’ll get the most out of this new potent lineup, to say the least.

Everything we saw that was so hard for Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler last season will become much more manageable. The weight put on their backs will be lighter and make for a really fun defense to watch. This team will annoy the living hell out of teams like a child who refuses to stop kicking your seat on a plane. They’ll make you feel them and have you working overtime for your money like a terrible boss. Miami went all-in on defense this offseason, and everyone should be glad they did. This team might rival the 2013 defense in how much fun they’ll be to watch on that end. Who said defense couldn’t be fun?

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A look at what the signing of Kyle Lowry means for the Heat and how it shows they’ve learned from past mistakes.

Ladies and gentlemen, they got him. After what seemed like a year of wondering when, not if Kyle Lowry would join the Heat, it’s become official. The most wanted point guard on the Free Agent market will be making his way to South Florida straight from Tampa. The Miami front office’s pressure to make a move after such an unfulfilled season can be slightly lifted now that they’ve got their man. We can all look back at the Trade Deadline, wondering what might have been in the playoffs. We can daydream about how far they could have gone in the playoffs with all that happened to break. But the brain trust of the Heat isn’t looking to daydream anymore — they’re ready for a reality check.

Every front office has to go through rough spots here and there, but for Pat Riley, one misstep is too much. Last offseason was one giant hiccup that Riley will not get over. The moves made in the previous year were with the idea of a future acquisition that may be coming to fruition. Now everyone has learned that holding on for a dream without a clear indication from the opposing party is a futile gesture.

The Heat went after a player in front of them, who gave signs that he would be all aboard the Heat train. Kyle Lowry giving such a straight answer is precisely what the front office wants this year. No more beating around the bush and looking at pipedreams through tinted windows.

The Miami Heat were in between a youth movement and a bundle of old vets prying for a final run last year, not knowing which direction to go. Heat fans hope that this is a sign they know what direction to take. That direction feels led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo; no one else matters. It’s time to stop waiting on the younger guys to be more than what they are. It’s time to surround Jimmy and Bam with solid to great basketball players. There won’t be any more waiting for the perfect fit or trying to inch your way to the ideal roster. Fit can be a part of the algorithm — it just can’t be the entire equation.

The remaining part of the equation still has time after the Lowry signing. This move is only the beginning of what should be a significant facelift for the team. This change hasn’t come without its price, as the Heat had to say goodbye to a beloved Slovenian Dragon. While everyone assumed Miami would operate as an over-the-cap team if it picked up Goran Dragic’s option, it was still possible that he would return. But it looks like the Heat had to change course due to circumstances. There are tons of obstacles but there are none. These are the kind of cutthroat moves that need to happen to maximize the window Miami has in front of them.

We all saw how too much emotional attachment did to them last year — they’re not going down that road. It’s not to say that the FO shouldn’t treat the players like emotionless robots. There always needs to be a human element at the core of everything. Look at how much the friendship between Lowry and Butler has played into this entire situation. But you have to reach a certain point where you need to put emotions aside and do what’s best for your top players and franchise as a whole.

While it may sting in the present, it’ll all be better in the long run. And that’s what the team has come to understand after last year. Everything is different this summer, and it might be difficult to swallow at times — but it’s needed.

The frustration of a lost season after a Finals appearance has run through everyone’s veins. The fans should feel confident that everyone is on the same wavelength now. And even though it may not have been for a whale, a giant marlin is sometimes enough of a catch. I don’t expect the Heat to be done nor satisfied with the Lowry move as their marquee maneuver. There seems to be an indication to make more moves in the future. What those moves are, I have no idea. What I do know is that the team is ready to go all-in on Bam and Jimmy. Everyone else is expendable. It’s time.

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882