Okay but is it too early to panic, or are you already worried from what you’ve seen so far?
Tachauer: In my opinion, it’s way too early. Does that mean I don’t have specific concerns? Of course not. I am a little troubled by how much Tyler Johnson has struggled. And some of Spoelstra’s lineup choices, especially in crunch time, make me nervous (even with the understanding that he’s dealing with a handful of injuries). But I don’t feel comfortable passing full judgement, seven games into an 82-game season. Besides, there have been plenty of positives to come out of 2018-19 play so far. Josh Richardson is absolutely thriving. Rodney McGruder has been incredible. Whiteside is obviously making a comeback. Even Dwyane Wade is doing more than I could have hoped for. So for now, I’m going to keep preaching that patience is a virtue, and see what happens.
Ebrahim: I would have to say there’s a little bit of both. Yes, Johnson, Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, and Ellington have been out for most, if not all, of the regular season so far… But the team hasn’t shown any considerable improvement from where it was a year ago, or even two years ago. It’s definitely great to see the strides that Richardson and McGruder have made, plus Whiteside looks to be engaged for the most part, especially on the rebounding end. But why hasn’t Adebayo played more? Why has Tyler Johnson fell off the map? It’s almost exhausting to see this team play and realize it’s the same story again this year: wildly inconsistent. Every win comes with a loss. Beating Portland was great, but yes, I would start worrying about this team. It feels like they are getting closer and closer to the lottery, as opposed to solidifying themselves as the fifth or sixth seed.