As their defense crumbles around them, the current road trip that the Miami Heat are in the midst of could be on the verge of a disaster. The Memphis Grizzlies were next to feast, as they took a 103-87 contest Sunday in Memphis, helping bring the Heat’s current losing streak to four games. The losing streak is the first of that length since 2011, and with the way the Heat have been playing, it might not come to an end anytime soon.
With the loss, the Heat fall to 9 and 11 on the season – a fitting number, as it might be time to call for Miami to call for help for their defense.
The Grizzlies had multiple players inflict damage, starting with something called “Jon Leuer” scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench to lead Memphis. Leuer shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 3 from three-point land, as the Heat couldn’t account for him at all. Because how can you not game plan for Jon Leuer? Everyone knows that!
Memphis also got strong contributions from Mike Conley (18 points), Zach Randolph (17 points), and strong wing production from Tony Allen and Courtney Lee, as they combined for 31 points, on 13 for 17 shooting. The Grizzlies are scary good and should definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
Things that pleased me: Dwyane Wade continued his rampage on opposing defenses, as he led all scorers with 25 points (11 for 20 from the field) and chipped in 6 assists. What’s remarkable is that Wade has shot 50% or better from the field in 12 of the 13 games that he’s played in, showing no signs that his recent efficient shooting of the past few seasons was not a byproduct of You Know Who. He’s definitely in a rhythm right now, attacking off the dribble like the Wade of old, while remaining consistent with his jumper.
In his third start of the season, Josh McRoberts had his best game as a member of the Heat, scoring 14 points, on 6 of 8 shooting, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. He hit 2 of his 3 three-point attempts and is spacing the floor quite well. His dual-threat as both a shooter and passer has added a different element on the perimeter, as defenses have to be wary of him.
Things that annoyed me: Marc Gasol has been playing like an MVP in the Grizzlies hot start to the season. However, he only scored 2 points in Sunday’s game.
With that said, the Heat lost by 16 points.
Miami gave up a ridiculous 58.9% shooting, as they’ve given up at least 50% shooting in their last four games. The Heat have just been decimated by teams taking advantage of open opportunities to shoot. Memphis shot 61.5% from three, and got 35 points off the bench. Miami got the lead down to three points early in the fourth quarter, but when their defense can’t string together multiple stops, it can snowball out of control for them. The Grizzlies finished the game on a 21-8 run to put the Heat out of their misery.
Although not annoying, Chris Bosh was limited to 12 points and 2 rebounds. As Wade has taken command of the offense, Bosh was an afterthought. Bosh’s involvement adds a different dimension to the Heat lineup and he needs to be getting as many touches that he can handle. Playing against the combined might of Gasol and Randolph can be daunting, but Bosh needs to be fed on offense.
Things that perplexed me: It might be time to put the Shawne Williams experiment on ice for a little bit. After a hot start to the season, Williams hasn’t been able to keep up the pace in recent games. Williams is averaging 3.8 points in his last five games, on 7 for 22 shooting. His hot start was buoyed by his strong shooting from downtown early on, but has shot 3 for 15 from long range over those last five games. He’s never been known for defense, so his slump isn’t helping his usefulness for the Heat. McRoberts has already usurped the starting power forward spot from him, and one has to wonder if his rotation spot might be in jeopardy if he doesn’t come around.
Scale of 1 to 10, how bad did I want to throw a lamp because of Mario Chalmers?: 2. Chalmers had a solid outing, scoring 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, to help the Heat stay close until early in the fourth quarter. The downside (and when Chalmers is involved, a downside is expected) was that the Heat were a brutal -22 when he was on the court, as Chalmers playing a big role alongside the reserves isn’t a way to help the Heat get on track.
What we’ve learned: First of all, the Grizzlies are really good. They didn’t get anything out of Gasol (although he had 6 rebounds and 7 assists) by way of baskets, but Memphis’ depth really picked up the slack. They had five players in double-figures, and that was without Vince Carter, who couldn’t even crack the rotation.
Second, the Heat still can’t get it together on defense. Miami has given up just a shade under 108 points per game over the last four games. They’ve also been getting eaten alive by quick opposing point guards – which isn’t going to get an easier when they face the three-headed monster of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and Isaiah Thomas from the high octane Suns, when the Heat travel to Phoenix on Tuesday. The Heat need to make a united effort if they want to avoid losing a fifth consecutive game.