Winning has concealed some flaws for the Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have been winning, and that covers a multitude of ills. However, some cracks are being exposed in the sturdy facade.

To paraphrase an old saying, winning covers a multitude of sins. The Miami Heat have been doing just that, winning more than their fair share of games with a surprising 24-9 record.

They’ve had an offense which has helped push things along, in spite of Jimmy Butler‘s shooting woes. On the season, the Heat have the eighth-best offensive rating at 110.8, even though Butler is shooting just 43 percent from the floor and 27.6 percent from 3-point range.

Of course, he’s also having a historic free throw rate season, getting to the line with a free throw rate of almost 70 percent. That helps, but against elite defenses he will struggle to get to the line and his shot will eventually need to start falling.

Butler’s offensive impact has been a mixed bag, but he’s done absolutely everything else right. Whether it be facilitating, defense, leadership, various intangibles, Jimmy Butler has been an overwhelming positive.

That said, there have been some problems percolating beneath the surface for this Miami Heat team. For starters, the defense has fallen off in a big way.

Once ranked in the top 10 in defensive ratings, the Heat have withered to 12th with a 106.8 defensive rating. Over the past 14 games, they have the ninth-worst defensive rating at 111.4.

In a virtual miracle, the Heat are 10-4 over this span in spite of their porous defense. This is largely thanks to their effective offense, seventh-best in the league with an offensive rating of 112.3.

It seems as though the second half in particular is a consistent peril for them. Over the past 14 games, they have the NBA’s second-worst net rating at -7.7 in second halves, better than only the Detroit Pistons.

They do keep winning, and that’s a blessing. They’ve played a tough schedule over this stretch, with wins over the Philadelphia 76ers (two of them!), Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers, but there are cracks and they are growing.

The roster is worn thin with injuries and suspensions. Perhaps the best wing defender on the team, Justise Winslow, has missed most of the season with a back injury, and his absence is surely a big part of this defensive meltdown.

It’s good that the Miami Heat have continued to win, but as the season wears on and they face more elite opposition, they’ll be exposed if they don’t get their major contributors (like Winslow) back on the floor. Of course, making a trade to stock up on talent or depth is a possibility, but that comes with serious complications as well.

The Heat may be one of the top three teams in the East, but they’re running on borrowed time until they can get themselves back in one piece.