Miami Heat’s mid-season transformation by the numbers
By Simon Smith
The Miami Heat have now registered 10 consecutive wins following a tumultuous first half of the season. Their level of play during this recent stretch has been of the highest quality.
Pulling off a 10 game winning streak at any point of the season is an impressive feat. It’s even more impressive when just two weeks earlier, the team in question possessed the third worst record in the NBA at 11-30.
There were injuries, trade rumours, spotty individual form and a real uncertain outlook beyond the current season.
Therefore the resilience the Miami Heat have shown over the past two weeks has been nothing short of first class. To completely resuscitate their season in such a small space of time speaks volumes about the players, coaching staff and organisation alike.
The historical significance of this run cannot be downplayed:
The staple diet for the Heat has always been their defence. In the first 41 games, the Heat were allowing 102.8 points per game (PPG). Over the past 10 games, this number has dropped to 98.1 PPG, ranking them third in the league during this period.
Furthermore, their defensive rating climbed up the rankings, from 12th in the league at 105.0 per game to first in the league, allowing just 98.6 points per 100 possessions.
As impressive as these numbers are, it’s been on the offensive end where the Heat have put the league on notice.