The Miami Heat had a game to play at 7:30 pm on Wednesday evening. The only thing about it is that they didn’t show up until about 45 minutes later.
Well, perhaps that’s a bit harsh, but it felt that way because the shots just wouldn’t fall. They opened the game 0/13 before finally seeing their first three ball go down, courtesy of Kendrick Nunn.
The Miami Heat weren’t able to make shots on Wednesday. That’s pretty much the story of the game.
They did make a run to close the third period, pulling within nine after being down high double-digits for most of the game. That was short lived though, as the Nuggets would eventually pull away.
No Miami Heat player could get anything going on Wednesday.
We have been dealing with the absence of Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro for a few games now and we know what that means. On Wednesday though, the Miami Heat would also be without Goran Dragic.
Not only is Goran a playmaker and a tough shot maker of the highest variety, but he is also a guy capable of handling the pressure of big time or crunch moments and situations. His presence also allows others guys to get going.
Heck, any of the three guys that we were missing on Wednesday in particular, in Dragic, Butler, or Herro, would have been a welcomed addition. Miami Heat color analyst, John Crotty, made an interesting point and hit it right on the head.
Duncan Robinson was even very poor shooting the ball on Wednesday night because they stuck to him like flypaper. There was no one there to attack the paint consistently, create open looks, or simply, make them have to give him some space.
Look, the Miami Heat need their guys back. It’s more complex than just having someone to make the shots though.
Having the guys back that they are missing and Dragic included as this game is likely different if he, alone, plays, will not only give them that literal boost in offensive firepower but it passively makes everyone else better.
Players play better with higher levels of talent around them. We just need to get our “highest leveled” talent back on the floor.
Luckily for Miami, they get to forget about this game immediately. They face the Clippers on Thursday night, perhaps without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as they sat out in LA’s last game for health and safety protocols.
We shall see. Either way though, the Miami Heat need to come out with better shooting than they did on Wednesday to give themselves a chance.