Miami Heat: Even Coach Spoelstra is guilty of ‘Heating’ at times too

The Miami Heat almost did it again. Guilty of what can only be referred to as “Heating”, the Miami Heat almost closed a game by playing down to their competition.

Though every team endures this phenomenon at some point or another, this particular iteration of the Miami Heat have experienced that like no other. If you need immediate examples, look no further than a defeat to the Trae Young and Clint Capela-less Atlanta Hawks.

If that isn’t enough for you, take the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on last Friday as evidence. For some strange reason, this Miami Heat team has done it all season long.

Then there was Saturday night. Although it didn’t look like it for much of the game, it eventually happened there too.

The game, of course, was Saturday night’s against the Chicago Bulls. The Miami Heat dominated for much of the game and that is no stretch, they flat-out dominated.

Being up 20 for a lot of the contest, they allowed the Bulls to pull close in the final moments by getting bombarded in the fourth quarter. The Bulls made something like over 80 percent of their attempts in that period and went for six triples in the fourth quarter alone.

Yea. That will get you beat.

The Miami Heat infamously play down to competition, but is Coach Spoelstra, a bit, guilty there too?

While the Miami Heat players, their ability to score, and their ability to stop Chicago from scoring had a ton to to do with it, it may be something else there as well. In these games, all too often, Spo tends to let up off the gas.

Whether it’s from a tactical or situational standpoint, you can see it. What’s this mean?

Here’s what it means. In example, why does he often wait during negative runs for Miami to call a timeout?

You can approach it that way sometimes, hoping your team, that you trust so much, will figure it out. However, sometimes you have to stop the bleeding before the wound gets too big and he waits a bit long a lot.

Also, take for example if the Miami Heat’s offense has been stagnant for a few series or any period of time. He continues to let them figure it out there too much on their own as well.

Not that he could do a ton more to change it, but it would seem as though he could actually call something… anything besides the Bam Adebayo to Duncan Robinson dribble-handoff action that they run, innately, anyway and that we all know is coming. It’s a lot more complex than one thing, however, all of it matters.

The players are on the court, have to actually execute whatever the calls are, and have a much bigger part in it when these things happen. But, it sure seems as if there are times where Coach Spo could help them more.

Listen, Coach Spo is the guy, as long as he wants to be. So, this isn’t that.

This is an observation about how even, one of the greats, can always stand to improve or get better. Still and with that, the Heat will be fine.

If they can avoid the play-in game, which wouldn’t be the worst because they play better with their backs against the wall (although uncomfortable for fans), things will be that much better. However, with Jimmy Butler on your team, you don’t mind them having to do the work.