In Monday’s 105-94 loss at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Miami Heat were overmatched in their second meeting against the Cleveland Cavaliers. All while shorthanded, the Heat allowed an overabundance of outside looks, compounded with them being physically worn down on the interior — as they were outrebounded, 21-13, in the second half.
To expand further, the Heat’s lack of interior prowess has taken a noticeable effect after their franchise centerpiece, Bam Adebayo, would be sidelined with a right thumb injury. Although multiple players have prospered on certain occasions, it’s forced head coach Erik Spoelstra to test the deepest of options in his rotation.
That includes his first-year center, Omer Yurtseven.
Yurtseven recorded eight points and seven rebounds in just under 20 minutes against the Cavaliers, which was just the fourth game of the season where he logged double-digit minutes. He would be the first big man substitution for Dewayne Dedmon, as Miami faces a tall task that resides in compensating for Adebayo, an all-world athlete and quite arguably, the most versatile defender at his position.
In Miami’s last outing versus Cleveland earlier this month, Yurtseven didn’t see the floor until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. He would only play in the final four minutes of a 111-85 Cavaliers blowout, as Miami threw in the towel with four minutes remaining.
The revolving door has since opened for the 23-year-old prospect, as Yurtseven is beginning to see his NBA career unfold right before all of our very eyes, including his own.
Miami Heat: Omer Yurtseven Trying To Stabilize Along The Learning Curve
The challenge was well presented for Yurtseven on Monday and as we begin to dive into the following scenarios, there were flaws in his game that couldn’t have appeared more evident. However, you expect that with a young guy against one of the league’s prominent front-court rotations.
YURTSEVEN MUST FIND PROPER DEFENSIVE POSITIONING WHEN MOVING LATERALLY
The Heat opened this matchup with their usual 2-3 zone defense, a similar scheme that puzzled Milwaukee and Chicago in each of their previous two games. As the Cavaliers had begun to counter in the second quarter, Miami would implement a man-to-man style later in the night.
Similar to their loss on December 1st, the Heat once again had their hands full against a lengthy Cavaliers frontline that has features Jarrett Allen, an emerging All-Star candidate and a player who has ascended the ladder of elite NBA centers.
In this possession, Allen is being tightly guarded by Yursteven, who attempts to deny an entry pass from Darius Garland. Allen receives the pass in the high post, then quickly yields left to glide past Yurtseven for the and one finish.
Neither Kyle Lowry or P.J. Tucker are able to rotate in time as help defenders, allowing the Cavaliers to extend their lead by 14 with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth.
Jarrett might’ve been guilty of too many steps here, but this was a seemingly effortless drive for a player who has converted on 11-18 field goals (61 percent) on such opportunities this year.
Regardless, Yurtseven didn’t expect Allen to drive, for which he has to discipline himself and expect when the offensive player could start their dribble.
Miami Heat: Being A Stronger Rebounder Should Be Priority For The Young Big
The ability for most centers to defend outside of the paint can take a taxing amount of energy, but Yurtseven being able to defend laterally while properly maintaining footwork becomes essential in this era of basketball. He must refrain from overcommitting as a one-on-one defender, which will pay dividends going forward.
THE REBOUNDING FACTOR HAS TO BE TAKEN UP A NOTCH FOR YURTSEVEN
The next area of concern actually comes in a more unusual pattern for Yurtseven — which pertains to rebounding the basketball.
At seven feet and 275 pounds, he came down from an average of 13.4 total rebounds per game with the Oklahoma City Blue last spring to 9.4 rebounds in three outings during the Heat’s Summer League run.
It’s clear that Omer is a live body and is active enough to contribute towards his team’s rebounding leverage.
Of course, the level of competition has grown for Yurtseven in the last several months, but his overall ability to actually secure rebounds is not always the most consistent.
He often mistimes his jump before the ball rolls off the rim, which gives his opponents a chance of either tapping it to themselves or leaving Omer bobbling for control. For this possession though, it was more of both.
Granted, the Miami Heat couldn’t haul in the defensive board with four white jerseys around the basket, but a right corner miss from Isaac Okoro (strong closeout from Lowry) would just phase right through the hands of Yurtseven. This was all before Allen would vacuum his fourth offensive rebound of the evening.
As Cleveland retains possession, the Heat cannot recover. Allen kicks out to Rubio, who then finds Kevin Love in the left corner, with the 13 year veteran currently shooting over 40 percent from three for just the third time in 13 seasons.
Oddly enough though, Love is also having his worst season of shooting corner threes (31 percent) since 2012. Nonetheless, one wide-open look is all it takes for a conversion, as this was a turning point in the quarter where Miami had tied the game at 64 earlier.
Furthermore, give anyone but him a good look. Love has mauled the Heat in both showings this year.
Miami Heat: They Need Yurt’s Production, So He Must Play With Confidence
Per 100 Possesions, Yurtseven ranks third on Miami’s roster in Rebounds Per Game (14.4) behind both Adebayo and Dedmon. There’s plenty of room for Yurtseven to become stronger, as he continues to adjust to the greater physical aptitude of the NBA but it’s critical that he holds his own on the backboard if he wants an extended basketball career, in general.
YURTSEVEN MUST LOCK IN EARLY AND WITH CONFIDENCE ON OFFENSE
Shifting to the offensive side of Yurtseven’s play, this final tidbit is more of an adjustment, rather than a weakness. It’s about him settling into his offense, but also having the right plays run.
Through a small showing of games, Omer has started out moments with a sense of hesitation and nervousness, perhaps. This has led to rushing inside shots and mishandling passes.
Even in a standard half-court setting, he tends to have an improper placement as a screener and often cuts at an undesired angle to receive the pass. Much of this is fundamental, but it can be improved by getting consistent run at game speed.
To Yurtseven’s credit, he does eventually appear to settle down and acclimate himself into the flow of the game, which adds to his confidence in utilizing different ways to score — such as this left-handed jump hook over Allen.
It was truly optimized in the Heat’s December 3rd outing versus Indiana, where Yurtseven recorded a career-high 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting despite having a slow start. He began to demonstrate great timing as a screen-and-roll finisher, even finding a few easy putbacks against a formidable Pacers frontcourt.
As the offensive qualities are more of his strong suit, Yurtseven can find ways to score. It just has to be by design, as Miami should continue exploring it.
The ceiling for him as a backup center is conceivable with the Heat committing a long-term investment to Adebayo, but it remains to be seen if coach Spoelstra will experiment with Adebayo and Yurtseven on the floor together.
Indeed, it is within the realm of possibility given Yurtseven’s ability to space the floor. Altogether, there’s much to clean up on both ends before that happens regularly though and it begins with Omer being able to impose his will on the interior.
The Miami Heat are going to need more from him in Adebayo’s absence and common to most first-year players, Omer should continue to find comfort with extended minutes. The question hangs in the balance of time and situation, but expect to see a continued audition for a very promising young talent.