Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has to establish his offense in Game 2.
The plight of a Miami Heat third quarter struck again.
A 15-0 run after halftime buried the Heat, sealing a 27-point loss and giving the Philadelphia 76ers leverage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Still, the loss was a benefit in disguise for Miami. Rather than a close game that ended in chance, the blowout will provide Miami plenty of film to dissect, before they resume play in Game 2.
Stopping Ben Simmons and Philadelphia’s array of sharpshooters is a primary objective. The Sixers shot 64.3 percent from deep, in large part to contributions from J.J. Redick and Marco Belinelli.
But most important for Miami is how to best activate starting point guard Goran Dragic.
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Dragic’s Game 1 box score is slightly misleading. His 15 points, five rebounds and four assists are comparable to his season averages and his 31 minutes played was his usual course.
However, shooting 4-for-14 from the floor and just 1-for-7 in the paint highlighted Dragic’s troubles. Dragic makes his living by attacking the basket. Among Heat players this season, 57 percent of his points came inside the arc according to NBA.com, a mark higher than every Heat guard except Dwyane Wade.
His drive heavy game is even more apparent in comparison to the rest of the league. Dragic averaged 14.6 drives per game this season, the seventh-most among all players with at least 30 games played.
Matching up against Philadelphia put Dragic’s tendencies on trial. As far as NBA lineups go, the Sixers utilize a towering rotation. With 6-foot-10 Simmons running the point and Amir Johnson, Robert Covington and Dario Saric standing 6-foot-9 or taller, Dragic’s lane happy game is fodder for the Sixer’s collective wingspan.
By no means should Dragic stop driving.
He is one of two Heat players to get to the line at least three times a game (Hassan Whiteside is the other), and his knack for drawing fouls gives Miami a great pace breaker during offensive droughts.
But when the Sixers hand off interior coverage of Dragic to any of their over-sized gatekeepers, his job becomes immensely more difficult.
Dragic’s crafty dribbles to penetrate the lane were generally effective, points withholding. His choppy, stop-and-go movement keeps defenses honest, until he bails them out with a forced layup over a larger defender.
Normally, this is a non-issue. But Philadelphia’s help defense reigns supreme over Dragic’s ability to muscle his way through contact and past smaller guards.
Both times that Saric helps, he is acutely aware of Dragic’s habit to drive. Sagging off the pick and roll covered one of Miami’s strongest options and left their starting guard in a funk all night.
To answer Philadelphia’s defensive rotations, Dragic doesn’t need to stop driving. Instead Miami has to maintain offensive options after his attack. Midway through the second quarter, Miami ran a typical screen for Dragic.
First, Josh Richardson faked a screen, and slipped out to the right wing. Olynyk followed with a screen of his own, which gave Dragic the runway to make a play. Met with a tandem of Simmons and Saric at the rim, neither the open Justise Winslow or James Johnson got a look, leaving Philadelphia a chance for another defensive rebound.
Luckily for Miami, Dragic is more than capable of passing out of pick-and-roll situations. Two of his four assists came from drawing the defense at the free throw line, and shoveling the ball ahead to Olynyk or Bam Adebayo.
Though Miami has plenty of hurdles to surmount in Game 2, finding the best way to utilize Dragic is key to their success. Evident in 2016, Dragic knows how to step up in the post-season. Any first round nerves should have been swallowed up by the blowout loss.
Specifically, finding cutters or kickout options for Dragic, should keep Miami in rhythm and allow him to maintain his familiar play style.
Next: Miami Heat Roundtable: And just like that, 2017-18 comes to an end
Miami already has proved they can take games off of Philadelphia this season. Translating that success into the playoffs is their next assignment.