The Miami Heat haven’t been the most impenetrable team this season when it comes to the paint and especially opposing bigs. It’s something to monitor on Tuesday.
The Miami Heat play their third and final scrimmage game on Tuesday afternoon. Suiting up to face the Memphis Grizzlies, it was thought to be the first time that the Miami Heat would get a chance to see Justise Winslow on the court as an adversary. That won’t happen though, as Winslow is set to miss the remainder of the year with a hip issue.
Either way though, there is still a game to be played. After taking care of the Kings in their first scrimmage and dropping a close one to the Utah Jazz, albeit without their two biggest guns in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, they will see if they can take the Memphis Grizzlies down in what you would assume is their dressed rehearsal for the real thing, which opens up on Thursday.
Although the Miami Heat don’t take the court for their first real action until 1 PM on Saturday, this is there last real chance to simulate an actual game before they start to count again and you better believe they will take advantage of it. There is this piece of news though, a bit that is sure to excite.
Bam will play tomorrow but not regular minutes
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 27, 2020
No matter how long it may be for, it’s welcomed news. It also may help with the one thing that we really should keep an eye on Tuesday though.
The Miami Heat face the Grizzlies in their final restart scrimmage contest on Tuesday. This is a great chance to see if they can limit the opposing team’s paint production.
The Miami Heat were obliterated in the middle by Rudy Gobert in their last scrimmage contest. He forced Meyers Leonard into early foul trouble with three of them as soon as the starting tip was made, it seems.
You also take into account that Jonas Valančiūnas, the big the Miami Heat have to deal with on Tuesday, had a field day of his own in the paint during the last Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies contest. He put up 21 points, 10 boards, an assist, and two blocks in just 24 minutes back on December 16.
He only likely didn’t do so in the first game of the year between the two clubs, the very first game of the year in general for both clubs, because he played less than 17 minutes. I want to say that he was also on an injury restriction to start the year, which likely limited him but you imagine he would have also gone nuts then as well if all things were equal.
That’s just it though. With the playoffs meaning a condensing of the court and being about who can find buckets the easiest, the Miami Heat need to make sure that the front of the hoop and the paint aren’t just beacons for the opposing team and their bigs.
In order to make a run of any sort, they are going to have to find a way to keep opposing teams out of the paint and away from the front of the rim, while also hunkering down to keep opposing bigs from exploding on the defense and thus, the boxscore. That is why seeing if they can limit Jonas Valančiūnas on Tuesday is something to watch for in the Heat’s final restart scrimmage against the Grizzlies.