The Miami Heat have cooled off from their hot streak and are now 11-9 on the season. The good news is they have played the most away games in the NBA but the bad ad news is that they've been riddled with injuries, killing their momentum early on this season. There is still plenty of time to get back on track, so let’s get into my takeaways.
1. The Largest Problem the Heat Currently Have is Their Inconsistency on Defense
This pains me to write as the Heat are built on the defensive end and out working their opponents. Since Bam Adebayo has gone down, the Heat’s defense has gone down as well. Losing Adebayo obviously has a massive impact on the defensive end and some slippage is expected, but this defense has been abysmal.
One glaring issue is that the scheme is based on switching, but without Adebayo, this does not work well. Typically, when the opponent's offense looks for a switch with the “big”, Adebayo is able to defend the guard just as well, if not better than the guards on Miami. With Adebayo out, Thomas Bryant and or Orlando Robinson are relied on and no disrespect to them but that is not something either are of them good at.
Another issue with Miami’s defense without Adebayo is there isn’t nearly as much paint resistance. Adebayo is an amazing help defender and covers the entire floor. Next time he plays, only watch him on the defensive end. You will begin to notice that Adebayo not only defends his match up but also every player on the floor. There is not another player in the NBA that is capable of doing what Adebayo does on the defensive end. I think I have stressed the importance of Bam Adebayo enough for the Heat’s defense and I wish his injury was the only problem for the Heat on defense. Unfortunately, it is not. There has been inconsistent effort in many games recently. For example, in a game against the Indiana Pacers, without Tyrese Haliburton, the Heat let up 146 points in a game that did not go to OT. Yes, the Pacers shot exceptionally well, but the Heat didn’t do themselves any favors with their defense. The rotations were late and lazy, there was no personal conviction to have defensive pride.
The Heat can always control their effort and it should be something that they hold their head on. They have too many good defenders on their team for this to happen. The Heat are at their best when the game is a dog fight, and everything is fought for. Simply put, the Heat have to fix their defense if they want to get back on track.
2. The Heat are an Elite Three-point Shooting Team Once Again
It’s official, last season was an anomaly. It seems as if WE GOT SHOOTERS. The Heat are third in the NBA in three-point percentage at 39%. They are also not being carried by just one player. The Heat have five players shooting above 39% (minimum 40 3pt attempts). This team is full of quality shooters. Three-point shooting is important for Miami because they need it to open up space for them to operate in the paint.
When teams are not hitting shots, the defense does not have to respect them, and their job becomes much easier. The one issue is they are 17th in three-point attempts. I would love for the Heat to get into the top ten of 3-point attempts to further put strain on the defense. When Tyler Herro returns to the lineup the offense will change some and could allow for more attempts. Herro himself attempts nearly eight three-point attempts per game.
Think back to last season, what was the biggest difference in the regular season and the playoffs? There were two things, Jimmy Butler being the best player in the world and the resurgence of the teams three-point shooting. These go hand in hand, remember how I said more space to operate and put more strain on the defense? The defense being spread out and forced to respect shooters gives Butler, and Bam Adebayo, the ability to operate in the midrange/paint without fear of being swarmed. It becomes a “pick your poison” type deal. Would the defense rather let Butler go 1-on-1 or give Duncan Robinson an open three? The answer is neither. The defense is put in an impossible situation in this example, but this example has been played out countless times this season. I’m interested to see if this level of shooting continues, and I see no reason why it wouldn’t.
3. Individual Highlight for Josh Richardson
Now I want to highlight an individual that has been given way too much criticism to start the year. I feel he deserves the praise, due to how loud the disrespect was. Josh Richardson has found his form and has been a key contributor for the team. Richardson has scored in double digits for seven straight games and is averaging 15 points on 52% from the field. He’s averaging 3 rebounds and 3.7 assists to 1.6 turnovers a game. He has been reliable in almost every aspect of the game. Richardson has taken over the backup point guard spot and is earning more and more of Spoelstra's trust. I expect we continue to see this level of play from Richardson because of the way he has done it.
Early in the year, I felt like Richardson was settling for threes and long jumpers too much. In defense of Richardson, he was dealing with a foot injury and that was probably a big reason for him settling. As he has begun to trust his body again, he has started attacking the basket more and getting to his spots. He excels around the elbow and around the rim. When he is at his best, he begins at these spots then branches out to other areas of the court. He lets himself get comfortable and lets that comfort level open up opportunities to do other things. Comfort is an important thing for basketball players. If one is comfortable and feels like they are in control it not only makes them more confident, but also there is not as much thinking and more natural flow. Richardson has been playing in natural flow and trusting his game. This has produced great results and will continue to.
Thank you for the JRich praise 😂