After a blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat responded with three quality wins that saw them get closer to their identity.
What a difference a blowout makes.
After a humiliating 25-point home loss to the Indiana Pacers that left the Miami Heat’s season in doubt with a tough stretch approaching, the team responded with a clean sweep of their games this past week.
First, it was the streak-ender against the Boston Celtics, a nail biter that ended their 16-game winning streak. The Heat then took to the road, with a wire-to-wire win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Followed by a sleepy matinee in Chicago versus the Bulls, that was too close for comfort.
Throughout the week, we finally saw the Heat inch closer to their true identity, a team that tirelessly defends (all three teams held under 100 points), moves the ball and gets up a lot of 3’s. The stagnant offense we spoke about last week only appeared during an abysmal first quarter in Chicago, but was quickly rectified during a season-high 38-point second quarter.
The positives were plentiful for the Heat this week. Goran Dragic earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, averaging nearly 24 points over three games. Wayne Ellington continued his absolutely torrid pace from deep, hitting 13 of his 23 attempts over the course of three games. And we finally got a consistent glimpse of Kelly Olynyk’s full potential in Miami.
It’s a 3-0 week that brings about just one miss this time around, where we’ll get into what is wrong with Josh Richardson’s jumper and how he can better integrate himself into the offense to get his shot going.
Make: The Corner Three
Finally, the Heat got to one of their core offensive principles in an enormous way, allowing their offense to flow through the corner 3-point shot. In Minnesota, the Heat converted on 8 of their 19 attempts, shooting 48 percent, and it was the difference in keeping their offense at a high level.
The corner 3 has always been a hallmark of the head coach Erik Spoelstra offense, and once again the Heat lead the league in attempts from the left and right corners. Hoisting 190 to date, six more than the second place Houston Rockets, they are one of the premiere volume shooting teams in the league.
But more than just the number of attempts, the Heat use the corner 3 to trigger their inside-out game that they’ve spent the majority of the season trying to get to consistently. In Minnesota, it finally worked.
There isn’t a ton of science to getting a clean look from the corner. Wayne Ellington doesn’t move even an inch and the look is created for him.
When the Heat can get in the lane, as Dragic does above, they’re a tough team to deal with offensively. There are a number of possibilities that can occur when you get a good passer into the teeth of the defense. Dragic finds Olynyk, who attracts two defenders and swiftly finds Ellington all alone in the corner for the dagger 3. This is a simple basketball play by any standards, and one the Heat haven’t been making up until this point.
Ellington particularly has served as the catalyst for the Heat’s return to form from 3, especially in the corner. He has a great sense at how much depth to give the passer, like in this instance where he is essentially wide open, but gives James Johnson a few slides to the corner to create a much better target.
This is the move of a career shooter and someone like Ellington pacing the Heat’s 3-point effort has opened up the totality of the offense. The more positive looks they can generate from their go-to zones like the corner, the more successful the offense will be as a whole.
Make: Goran Dragic
It’s not breaking news to anyone that when Dragic is attacking at will, the Heat are capable of beating just about anyone in this league on any given night. Dragic’s best days, whether it be in Phoenix or Miami, have occurred when he has the ball in his hands, pushing the pace of the game and creating for himself and his teammates.
Dragic was efficient in the three wins, scoring 27 on 17 shots against Boston, adding 20 in Minnesota and leading a strong fourth quarter with 24 on 11 shots in Chicago. But more than that, Dragic was aggressive with the ball that allowed his teammates to get good looks.
Mostly, when Dragic gets into the lane he’s able to cause some havoc and kick the ball out to one of the Heat’s many shooters who are now returning to their averages after a slow start. It’s amazing what even a few extra dribbles can do, not just for the Heat’s offense but to further get the defense to react and get off balance.
At one point during this drive, Dragic has four Celtics defenders looking at him with nobody having eyes on the other Heat players coming down the floor. Dion Waiters is able to meet Dragic at the corner and get off a shot before Al Horford can properly contest.
That was off of a fast break and here is Dragic in the half court working with a dribble hand off from Justise Winslow, and turning aggressively and decisively towards the rim. Taj Gibson isn’t ready and help has to come, leaving Waiters in the corner for the three.
The elite point guards in this league all do one thing extremely well—they put immense pressure on the defense with their dribble penetration. Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and the like all set themselves apart with their ability to get in the lane and create for themselves and their team. This version of Dragic we saw over the last three games is the version that belongs in that conversation.
Miss: Josh Richardson’s Offense
It’s a three-game sample that we’re dealing with here, but it’s safe to say that Josh Richardson appears to be broken at the moment. In three games, he was 3-of-19 for just seven points, including two scoreless games against the Celtics and Bulls.
The incredible thing about Richardson’s complete lack of offense is that he was still a +31 in all three games. His defensive numbers continue to be off the charts and he is one of the elite defenders in the entire league, but his offense has gone awry.
Richardson’s issue stems from a lack of confidence shooting the ball, but also in where he’s shooting the ball from.
This is a good read. He finds the soft spot in the defense after Olynyk gives him a screen, but pay attention to how he floats a couple of feet beyond the 3-point line as opposed to spotting up normally. It may seem like a tiny detail, but that extra foot or two makes it an entirely different shot and raises the degree of difficulty.
Richardson too often looks entirely out of rhythm, like the shot he’s taking is the first he’s put up in three days. He needs to get himself into situations where he can shoot instinctually as opposed to a mechanical, stale form where he’s pressing to get one to drop.
This is a much more confident move from Richardson and one that can help ignite the rest of his offensive game. An in-rhythm jumper that was met with a solid contest from Andrew Wiggins, but Richardson hung tough and knocked it down.
Again, a decisive move where he would’ve otherwise tried the 3-point shot, but since that hasn’t been falling, Richardson put the ball on the floor and made his move to the rim. He was tough and decisive and finished strong.
There needs to be more of that, and less floating out to way beyond the 3-point line. Richardson needs to make his move and make it confidently, to get some positivity flowing through his game. If he continues to force shots, the percentages will continue to plummet.
Next: The Miami Heat prepare to see Dwyane Wade in another uniform
Here’s hoping the Heat have another good run.