Postgame grades: Miami Heat dispel Orlando Magic in complete team win
The Miami Heat started their season off on the right foot, handily defeating the Orlando Magic.
96. 38. 108. 110. Final
The Miami Heat got a complete team win, assisting on 27 of the team’s 47 field goals, to open the 2016-17 NBA season. It could be a sign of things to come.
Although they got off to a slightly slow start, losing the first quarter 27-23, and being behind 53-50 at the half. Coming out of the break however, the Heat outscored the Magic 30-16 in the third quarter to take the lead and never relinquish it.
The Heat dominated the Magic in the paint, scoring 74 points near the rim despite making just four of their 16 three-pointers.
Here is a look at how the Heat players graded out:
GORAN DRAGIC. B+. The numbers don’t look bad but Dragic had a pretty uneven game. Hounded at times by Elfrid Payton, there was some tough looks for him and some turnovers as well. He wasn’t as aggressive as I thought he would be until the fourth quarter but he did just enough to help the Heat get the job done. He finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists.. PG. Miami Heat
A-. Waiters is as Waiters was. Dion has always been a gifted scorer and he provided a nice offensive spark in his first game as a member of the Heat. Waiters showed some of the playmaking potential he displayed in Oklahoma City last season and even impressed on the defensive end. Hopefully that’s a trend that continues upward. The only thing that keeps this game from being an A+ was the shooting percentage(31%). He contributed nine points, six rebounds, and four assists.. SG. Miami Heat. DION WAITERS
SF. Miami Heat. JUSTISE WINSLOW. A. Winslow still looks to be having trouble shooting the long ball but other than that, he played lights out and had a strong case as the best player on the floor. Winslow made a nice impact on the boards and even showed some of his floor game by racking up a nice number of assists. This is a nice start to what’s going to be an important season for Winslow. He added 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
PF. Miami Heat. LUKE BABBITT. C+. I understand the fit for Babbitt from an offensive standpoint as a floor-spacer, but he’s a negative on defense due to being vastly undersized. He didn’t shoot the ball very well and barely grabbed one rebound, but with the way the rest of the team played, it didn’t matter much. He added eight points, two assists, and one rebound in 18 minutes.
HASSAN WHITESIDE. A+. Newly minted as “The Man”, Whiteside looked like the same dominant force he was before his playoff run was cut short by injury. Owning the paint and owning the paint is his thing and he handled business. He finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, in addition to four blocks.. C. Miami Heat
A-. Tyler played extremely well off the bench, playing the role of scorer very well. He also flashed a bit of ability when it came to creating off the dribble. He scored 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.. G. Miami Heat. TYLER JOHNSON
B+. Reed is filling into a very important position as the backup to Whiteside, and he more than held his own. Not getting into foul trouble allowed him to maximize his minutes and he finished with 10 points and six rebounds.. C. Miami Heat. WILLIE REED
Locked On Heat: Heat vs Magic Postgame Show
The Heat’s next game is Friday night, as they host the Charlotte Hornets in the first home game of the year. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 PM.