Miami Heat: They Have Work To Do, But You Expect Them To Conquer Demons
Although shooting just 4-11 from the field, Kyle Lowry is another player who has ramped up his aggressiveness to score since returning from an absence. He showed little hesitation to shoot perimeter jump shots and properly navigated the pick and roll with Bam Adebayo, who had a near-perfect night as he missed just one of his seven shot attempts.
On a few occasions, we’ve seen high scoring nights between Butler, Lowry, and Adebayo when they’re all on the floor together. The bulk of Miami’s early offense will be greatly dependent on them.
It’s simple. The offense will never be about forcing looks for Duncan Robinson or P.J. Tucker, who’ve, indeed, shown an essence to create for themselves or others but will always fall back on the core three aforementioned guys.
Now, you need Duncan hitting shots to provide that spacing, but the Miami Heat’s top three players are where their chances begin and end. With other top powerhouses that will be standing before them, this is just the requirement.
It’s unwise to completely write off the Heat from competing ahead of April though and for as frustrating as they have been recently, a handful of poor regular-season losses doesn’t change that. Rough patches occur throughout the duration of any NBA season and Erik Spoelstra has had to deal with his fairs share of it.
Hear this when it is said. This is one of the least challenging of them all.
He has the talent and personnel to create winning solutions and also understands the obstacles to get back on track.
"“Offensively,” Spoelstra told Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel, “we just have to be better. I’ve got to figure out how I can help and get us in more of a flow, more of a rhythm, play with a little bit more pace to be able to put some more points on the board. This is five out of seven games where we just haven’t scored the way we’re capable of. We will figure that out and get better at that.”"
The Heat will prepare for the final leg of their regular season schedule and it’ll behoove them to build stronger habits. That’s especially against upcoming opponents such as the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and the Toronto Raptors, all of whom they could face at some point in the postseason.
For now, take a brief moment to inhale and exhale, as the Heat’s season and their hopes of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June are still intact. If some team hopes to send home one of the toughest NBA rosters ever constructed in seven games or less, it’ll be an extremely difficult task to perform.
But until then, expect the Miami Heat to continue playing how they would probably prefer to play anyways—with their backs against the wall.