The Miami Heat Tip Off, Week Three: Only three games away

The third edition of the Miami Heat Tip-Off, a weekly AllUCanHeat column, is here.

The Miami Heat went 2-1 last week, so it wasn’t necessarily a bad turnout. In fact, even with that loss, they are miraculously just three and a half games behind the Eastern Conference third seed Cleveland Cavaliers.

The issue with these last few games however was their defense and well, the lack of interior post.

When you have a game that’s completely dominated by a 5-foot-9 backup point guard, you have a drastic problem defensively. In loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night, Isaiah Thomas dominated pretty much the whole floor, with 29 points off the bench, including six treys for the night.

Granted, the Lakers are finally turning things around and are currently riding an impressive and surprising five-game winning streak. But that still raises the main question as to where Miami’s defense has disappeared. They displayed a great turnaround Saturday versus the Detroit Pistons, without Bam Adebayo, with Hassan Whiteside controlling the paint defensively with 11 rebounds, 19 overall for the night. Miami really desperately needs this Whiteside for the remainder of the season, if they want to make a run for a higher seed.

Upcoming Games

Monday, March 5 versus the Phoenix Suns (Home)
Tuesday, March 6 versus the Washington Wizards (Away)
Thursday, March 8 versus the Philadelphia 76ers (Home)
Saturday, March 10 versus the Washington Wizards (Home)

It will be the final matchup between Miami and these three teams. Once again, a very favorable week, with three of those four games played at home, the only away game this week being tomorrow’s duel against the Wizards.

This Week’s Preview

Miami is 1-0 against the Phoenix Suns and besides breakout star and current 3-point All-Star champion, Devin Booker, there isn’t much the Suns can offer in terms of offensive productivity. Their new addition in Elfrid Payton does offer more assistance, but honestly, this team hasn’t found their balance and are slipping towards being a high lottery pick team.

Not to completely predict a win though as Miami always manages to lose to sub. 500 teams. But the Heat should squeeze out the victory comfortably, especially if everyone is healthy.

More from All U Can Heat

The Wizards, however, present a different and more difficult challenge. They have been without John Wall since January 25. However, without Wall, they have won 10 games, including some notable wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cavaliers. Talk about an overall balanced offense.

Since then, they have lost three straight, heading into tomorrow’s matchup. Miami is tied 1-1 against the Wizards with their last game victorious. Washington is ranked fifth in the East and have a three-game lead over Miami. These two games can make the difference in the standings when it’s all said and done. We can see a significant switch if Miami can secure these wins and play their cards to their advantage.

The last game against Philly was an intense, screaming in front of the TV, kind of game. The outcome was thankfully victorious however, with Wade’s heroics late in the game. They are still leading two games to one, but the Heat have the final advantage, considering it’s a home game. Playoff implication might be huge if it comes down to similar records, so a win this week would go a long way come April.

This Week’s Challenges

Can Whiteside continue being effective defensively?

Is Luke Babbitt worth more minutes, considering Miami being thin behind the arc?

Can the Heat finally be healthy in these last remaining games?

Next: The Miami Heat must set the tempo tonight against the Phoenix Suns

Cheers to a great week ahead of us, with playoff seeding on the line.

Home/Heat News