Go to the movies – I hear Interstellar is good (although maybe a little heavy) but I recommend the animated fun of Big Hero 6. Maybe catch up on some reading or, better yet, wrap up (pun fully intended) your holiday shopping a little early. Just do anything.
But don’t watch Miami’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies if you’re expecting a Heat victory.
Let’s start with the obvious; Miami (9-10) is struggling with every facet of the game. Their offensive numbers have dropped, ranking 23rd overall in points per game (at just 95.5) but, surprisingly, still in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (at 46.4 percent). That would indicate the team is still well-coached and aren’t prone to mistakes but simply don’t take a lot of shots. They rank dead last in the NBA at just 73.4 field-goal attempts per game. Ergo, if you don’t shoot much you can’t miss a lot, either.
Defensively…where do you begin? They can be exploited in the middle by big men that create mismatches, which in turn leads to double-teams that result in wide-open perimeter shots, late close-outs or terrible/nonexistent rotations. None of this is good, by the way.
To their credit, the team is very self-aware of their limitations. That’s to be expected, given the franchise’s culture, commitment to defense and the incredibly intelligent leadership (from Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade).But it’s not enough and if anything one gets the feeling that the team is resigned to lose, as they did on Friday when they played the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a game of two disparate halves played by two very different teams. With just three minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Miami was practically tied.
Then they collapsed completely and let the Bucks blow them out by 24 points.
Which brings us to tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies (15-4) and the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of trying to pull out a victory. The game is at Memphis, where the Griz have only lost once (a 6-point loss to the Spurs on December 5). Memphis has lost two games in a row after winning 15 of their first 17 games – they’ll likely be extra motivated to get things back on track. Their offense is much better than it has been in year’s past (averaging 100.2 PPG, middle of the pack in the NBA), led by Marc Gasol (at 19.8 PPG), Mike Conley (16.6 PPG, 6.5 APG) and Zach Randolph (15.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG).
Their defense, of course, is still Memphis’ bread-and-butter, holding teams to just 93.8 PPG and 43.6 percent shooting. Tony Allen is their best perimeter defender, shutting down wing players with his manic intensity. But it’s a team-wide philosophy and this group, largely the same over the last few seasons, has been together long enough to know how to work as a cohesive unit.
Unlike Miami, a team that has been riddled with injuries and, at best, trying to integrate new players into a rotation that is ever-changing. Luol Deng (bruised hand) and Norris Cole (illness) sat out the Bucks game but did practice on Saturday; there’s been no official word regarding their status for tonight’s game. If they don’t start, look for Danny Granger (or possibly James Ennis) and Mario Chalmers to get the nod. Udonis Haslem will get some minutes to help keep Gasol and Randolph off the glass and Justin Hamilton seems likely to see action as well.
There’s no need to panic, as I’m sure some fans surely are. This team can still be very good and you can’t overstate how much being in the Eastern Conference can help a team rise through the standings. But if they’re looking to build and correct bad habits, doing it against one of the best teams in the NBA is as tough a challenge as you can expect.
Have fun at the movies, everybody. Good luck finding parking at the mall.
Tonight’s game tips off at 6 p.m. from the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Check back with All U Can Heat for a game recap, grades, analysis and more.