Factor no. 3: Someone needs to tell the Heat that the ball goes in the hoop
To summarize the 3 blazing hot factors going into this Heat vs. Nuggets game, I give you our last one, which is essentially someone reminding Miami how to put the basketball in the hoop.
Over the past 3 games, the Miami Heat are bottom ten in a few categories around the league: Field goal percentage, three point percentage, and free throw percentage.
This isn’t just because of a singular player, or even a few players, but it’s the entire team.
Outside of Richardson and Winslow, the Heat haven’t had any consistent scorer as of late (even those two have been bad). And with Spoelstra being criticized for not playing sharp shooter Wayne Ellington enough, or even the newly suited up Dion Waiters, maybe it’s time that coach Spo played the two offensive showboats. Both of whom, are known for being wake up calls for Miami’s offense in the past, especially Ellington last season, as well as Waiters a few years back (think that winning shot against Golden State).
It may be true that Ellington doesn’t have a viable spot in this rotation anymore and that the Heat are just keeping him healthy to trade him elsewhere, but you have to at least think about changing up the lineups if Miami starts slow in the first quarter (don’t wait until half time).
It will be up to Miami’s offense to get this game going so they can rely on their top-ten defense in the 4th quarter, rather than rely on that defense the entire game against a slow-paced, methodical Denver Nuggets team.
Tune in tonight at American Airlines Arena at 7:30 PM Eastern, to see the no. 1 seeded Nuggets take on a Heat team looking for a spark.