The Miami Heat took an L last night in their 2017-18 season opener against the Orlando Magic, and the All U Can Heat staff are here to talk about it.
Hassan Whiteside made a three tonight. Discuss.
Allana Tachauer (@AllanaTachauer): Let’s just say that I’ve never loved Whiteside more, than in that moment. It was the most casual 3-point attempt I’ve ever seen, and the fact that it actually went in, made it so much better. I’m sure the majority of Heat Nation would disagree with me here, but I’d be fine with the big man trying to add 3-point shooting to his arsenal. I mean, this entire team is comprised of guys who don’t fit any one mold. So why not?
Ivan Mora (@moraivan): I was shocked and amused. I know it won’t ever become a part of his arsenal, but to see a Whiteside 3 sporadically, is something I can always get on board with.
Chase Eyrich (@Ceyrich): This is something we saw him working on in the summer so I’m not that surprised that we saw it in the first game. Do I think it’s something that we will see every game? Probably not. A goal of Whiteside’s this offseason was to make himself more versatile. Adding a 3-point shot to his game would do just that. It wouldn’t be ridiculous to think that there’s some pressure on Whiteside as well. We all know president Pat Riley does not settle. He expects more out of his players every year. With the NBA moving to a small-ball/combo-guard league, Whiteside has to figure out how he fits into that.
Rob Slater (@RobSlater10): If Whiteside is going to keep shooting 3’s, I’ll be forced to take Joel Embiid’s side in their Twitter beef. I’ve thought about just why Whiteside would choose to add this to his game and I still can’t come up with a concrete answer. There is merit to adding a Tim Duncan-like 15-foot jumper to keep defenders honest and make them guard out on the perimeter, but as for a 3-point shot, I just don’t see the need for it. The feeling is that defenders will bait him into the wide-open 3 and he won’t be able to resist.
How do you feel about Kelly Olynyk getting the start over James Johnson?
Tachauer: I’m all for it. Not even because of anything having to do with Olynyk, but because James Johnson needs to stick with his other half, Tyler Johnson. And had he been put into the starting five, The Brothers Johnson would have been no more. Some people seemed to think not starting James Johnson was a punishment of sorts, or that it speaks to Olynyk being a better player, but that’s not it at all. James Johnson is just obviously more comfortable off the bench.
Mora: I loved it. I love having The Brothers Johnson together. I don’t think it’s smart to split them up. Obviously, they won’t be in every single lineup together, but they do provide that first spark off the bench. They need to continue to do that when our starters are having an off night. Plus, Olynyk has the skill-set we need to be able to space the floor, to benefit both our guards and Whiteside. He just needs to perfect it.
Eyrich: I’m comfortable with it, for now. I do really like to see Olynyk in with Whiteside, as well as James Johnson in with Tyler Johnson. But, ending the game with Whiteside and James Johnson gives us something to think about. They should use the month of October to figure things out. This is a deep team so working different combos for a while won’t harm the Heat.
Slater: I felt like this was the right move to start the year, particularly with what we saw from both players in the preseason. It was evident that James Johnson was best suited coming off the bench, teaming with Tyler Johnson to anchor one of the strongest second units in the league, and Olynyk actually worked well as a complementary piece to Whiteside. A lot of people may think that Olynyk getting the start is some negative reflection on James Johnson, but head coach Erik Spoelstra has always deferred to what makes that particular player the most comfortable. And for James Johnson, he’s just comfortable (and better) off the bench.
Watching Dion Waiters in this game alone, how confident are you in him, moving forward?
Tachauer: Listen, I love Waiters’ confidence. And I want to see him succeed, above and beyond. But if we’re being totally honest, he makes me nervous sometimes. And I was definitely feeling that watching him against the Orlando Magic. I didn’t realize his ankle was still bothering him either, which only adds to my anxiety. Sometimes I wonder if he wouldn’t have been better off having surgery…
Mora: I’m still confident in him, only if he keeps up that Kobe Bryant mentality. Tonight it backfired on him though. He had a solid game, but it wasn’t enough. He needs to keep up that clutch gene down the stretch. He has the talent to confuse his defenders outside the perimeter as well as when he drives in attacking.
Eyrich: I didn’t see what we wanted out of Waiters, plain and simple. With that being said, he still was able to produce with 15 points. I will never put too much stress on one performance though. It is also possible that his ankle is still giving him fits. Waiters is the most confident player in the NBA and Riley has pushed him to a whole new level in the offseason. I’m confident that Waiters will be able to be the guy, moving forward.
Slater: Waiters was the most disappointing aspect about the preseason and easily the most disappointing part of the season opener. He can say it’s okay, but the ankle doesn’t look right and he doesn’t look like the same player. There was a sequence early on in the Orlando game where he drove on Aaron Gordon and tried to use a spin move to create separation. Waiters was so slow on the spin that Gordon was not phased, and easily blocked his shot. Then, Gordon sprinted down the floor for a dunk while Waiters trotted back. The lift on his jumper and explosion to the rim will only get worse as the season goes on, sadly. If Waiters deals with this all year, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Heat opt to shut him down to have the ankle surgery he probably should’ve had at the end of last season.
Do you think Wayne Ellington will find his stroke ever again?
Tachauer: Totally. I mean, he has to, right? Last season, Ellington also had periods of time where he just couldn’t get into the right groove. But eventually, he got back on track. And The Man With The Golden Arm continued to do what he does best: shoot lights out from downtown. That doesn’t mean that it’ll be any time soon though. So the Heat shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking they can solely rely on the 3-ball. However, there’s no need to get down on Ellington either. If he just keeps doing his thing, his shot will come back.
Mora: With Rodney McGruder out and the bench disappearing behind-the-arc, we will desperately need it. We don’t have another option. So he’ll have to eventually find it. We’ll definitely need to rely on it if we want to compete in the 3-point game.
Eyrich: 1-for-5 shooting on the night just won’t do it for Ellington. We saw this off and on last season and unfortunately that’s the type of shooter Ellington is. He’s valuable in big moments and when he’s hitting, it’s great. But otherwise, that’s just something that the Heat will have to sacrifice when it comes to Ellington.
Slater: I have no doubt Ellington will return to form. He had much longer stretches of poor shooting last year and eventually found it. Ellington was 0-for-4 against Orlando and aside from one heave at the end of the third quarter, the other three attempts were good, open looks that the offense typically produces. That’s an encouraging sign for Ellington. He isn’t forcing up shots to get himself out of a slump, he’s still working through the offensive progressions and taking the open looks. They’ll fall eventually.
Thoughts on the point Justise Winslow movement?
Tachauer: It’s certainly… unorthodox. But what about this Heat team, isn’t? Therefore for now, I say why not give it a try and see what happens? At this point, Winslow doesn’t really have a set role. And it’s still obviously early in the season. So I hope Spoelstra continues to see what happens. Maybe the reason Winslow has been somewhat underwhelming (besides the shoulder injury) is because he wasn’t being utilized correctly. Stranger things have happened.
Mora: I love it. I am probably Winslow’s biggest fan and still back him up because I know he has the talent. You can’t deny it. He just hasn’t been able to maximize it. He always seems lost. With a possible move to the point, it will bring out his other offensive attributes. Anything that can (and will) help Winslow moving forward, I’m all for.
Eyrich: I loved what I saw from Winslow. He’s a player that can move around in the lineup for Miami and he’s due for a big year. It was an efficient game for him against the Magic, nothing too big, nothing too small. He did what Miami needed him too and that’s all we can ask. I would like to see him be more aggressive in the position, but that could take a few games to get in the rhythm of things.
Slater: Winslow only had two assists against Orlando and was a team worst -13, but the Heat simply have to put the ball in his hands and get him directly involved in the pick and roll game. Many want to put Winslow in a box as just a scorer, but he can be an all-around playmaker for the Heat and letting him run point in lineups heavy on shooting is the way to do that. This is a big year for Winslow, and the Heat can do him a huge favor by letting him work in as much offensive space as possible with the ball in his hand.
Overall reaction to the loss?
Tachauer: I really hate facing off against the Magic. First, because we always play down to them and end up losing. And also, because it’s just such a dull matchup. If I wasn’t so excited that Miami Heat Basketball was back, I may have fallen asleep. This should have been an easy win. And at one point, I was sure we were going to close the gap and get that w. But here we are, 0-1. Sigh.
Mora: I was frustrated and disappointed. It’s the first game, so I am not completely bummed out, but just sad because I know we are better than the Magic. Heck, I even think we can be a top four team in the Eastern Conference. It’s just minor and honestly lazy mistakes. We still haven’t figured out that perfect lineup and rotation. But I am not worried yet. We will bounce back.
Eyrich: Obviously it’s disappointing. No need to worry though, it’s a long season ahead. The Heat obviously are still trying to get used to a lineup and that may hurt at times. I don’t think we should have expected anything less. The in-state rivalry always ends up being good games. The defense wasn’t quite where it needed to be and that’s something that will have to change if the Heat are looking for success this year. The biggest takeaway is going to be recognizing the skill-set on this team. Some players couldn’t find their rhythm, some still looked a little rusty. It’s still clear though that even with those issues that we saw last night, Miami still has great talent and that will be a scary sight when they get things going.
Slater: Ultimately, it’s one game and it is hardly time to panic. Remember, the Heat won this very game last year and went on to 11-30. Orlando is a tricky matchup for the Heat in the same vein as Milwaukee, and they took on some energetic, young talent that can be a handful when they’re playing well. Miami’s biggest issue was simply effort. You can work X’s and O’s until you’re blue in the face, but far too many times did the Magic score with Heat defenders trailing the play or with a miscommunication on the frontline. It may sound odd, but the Heat really missed the steady defensive presence of Rodney McGruder, particularly with his activity in the passing lanes. Also, Dragic and Waiters, who combined to go 13-of-36, will be much better. If the Heat get even just a little more out of those two and more consistent defense, they win that game. A Heat team that scores 109 points should not lose the game. This may be the first time in Heat history that the offense started the season ahead of the defense. Thankfully, everything they put on film is fixable and will be better moving forward.
Next: Takeaways from the Miami Heat's loss against the Orlando Magic
And there you have it, folks.