Miami Heat: It has to be ‘either/or’ with the Brooklyn Nets defensively

The Miami Heat had a tough fought matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, even though it didn’t look that way for much of the contest. It wound up coming down to the final moments, where the Miami Heat couldn’t sync up enough winning plays to get the job done.

In any situation, they have the chance to do it all over again on Monday, but they must approach this one a bit differently. They can’t go into it with the same mentality, approach, or simply, effort, that they went into the first game.

This speaks towards their defensive approach mostly. When it comes to potentially winning this game and especially if they are still shorthanded, then it must be an “either/or” approach not a “both.

Let us explain.

The Miami Heat need to take an “either/or” approach when it comes to defending the Brooklyn Nets.

The Miami Heat began Saturday night’s game by allowing Joe Harris to heat up to a rhythm that he wouldn’t cool down from. Jeff Green was also in a minor rhythm throughout the game as well.

DeAndre Jordan finished with eight points and eight rebounds as well. Green and Jordan’s production was enough, but the Miami Heat especially can’t let Harris go nuclear, relatively, as he did on Saturday.

Now, if they are going to allow the role guys to get off, then they can’t allow the Big 3 of the Nets to do work. If Harris, Green, and Jordan are going to put up those numbers on you, then Kyrie can’t go 28, six boards, and seven dimes.

Irving can’ do that, while Kevin Durant goes 31 points, four rebounds, and four assists and although James Harden wasn’t especially explosive scoring, he was only three rebounds shy of a 12 points, seven rebounds, 11 dimes triple double.

You have to pick your poison if you are going to have a chance. You would rather stop two of the three if you could, if you are going to allow the role players to get off on you.

If you are going to allow two of the three and surely all three of them to get off on you as they did on Saturday, then you cannot allow the role players to remotely be as productive as they were. It’s really that simple.

It has to be “either/or” if you’re the Miami Heat. Allowing the role guys and the three main guys to get their stuff off will get you beat 75 percent of the time against anyone and always against this iteration of Brooklyn.

Hopefully, they switch up their approach on Monday.