After going up 2-0, the Miami Heat currently find themselves tied in their second-round playoff series, 2-2. Needless to say, now it’s a series.
When this thing started, it was looking like a decently clear path for Miami to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now though, it isn’t.
We thought Joel Embiid was going to be out for the rest of the playoffs, he isn’t. Even if Embiid came back, we thought Philly looked to be in such free fall that some of us listed them as the desired Round 2 matchup in our site roundtable (ahem).
Now it’s a best of three with the home-court advantage going to Miami. The Heat have shown a little stagnation and the 76ers have shown up to play.
Jimmy Butler had a historic performance reminiscent of Bubble Jimmy, but the Heat couldn’t pull out the win. Even worse, the role players for Philly, at least at home, are proving to be reliable.
Danny Green shot 3/4 from three in Game 4, while Georges Niang gave quality minutes off the bench, and a dormant James Harden finally woke up. None of that is what you want to hear as a supporter of the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat Key to Games 5 and 6 – Bam Adebayo Needs To Have Himself A Game
As much as I want to break down game theory and that advanced numbers that absolutely matter, don’t get me wrong, what this all comes down to, first and foremost, is talent.
That’s talent from the players and the coaches. Let’s look at three of those entities, specifically, that will be key in the rest of this series.
Bam Adebayo
The Miami Heat have the talent, now it needs to all come together. Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs can be some of the best moments of a career and this team needs to show out or they’ll be going home soon.
First of all, the team needs more from Bam Adebayo. No excuses, offensively and defensively, he has tough assignments and this series needs to be his national coming-out party.
The Hoops Nerds (myself included) know him well and have turned him into a household name amongst our friends and family, but he needs to be the superstar going toe to toe with Embiid if they want to win this series. He’s one of the best defensive bigs in the league and has the offensive talent to match.
He just needs to put it all together in his fifth year consistently to have a game, along the way, that grabs national headlines.
Miami Heat Key to Games 5 and 6 – Coach Spo Needs To Rework His Chess Board
Coach Spo has had a rough time. It’s not that he’s been outcoached per se, but he needs to move his chess pieces back around.
Erik Spoelstra
Spo ran what was basically a seven-man rotation in Game 4 and that’s pretty normal for a playoff team. Sometimes (a lot of the time), the playoffs are about having the guys you trust out there.
The thing is—you thought Coach trusted more guys.
Now, I’m not saying Dewayne Dedmon should be closing games, but we’ve seen Spoesltra run with more guys before to find some success.
I know it’s been difficult with Lowry showing clear signs of injury but this team has gotten quality play from a variety of guys all season. We could easily see one or two more guys get consideration in Game 5 at home, especially when the shots are just aren’t falling.
That takes us to the final piece of this puzzle though.
Miami Heat Key to Games 5 and 6 – Duncan Robinson Need Be Ready For Whatever
As the Miami Heat struggled from three in Game 4, the question on a lot of people’s minds was this one. “Where is Duncan Robinson?”
Duncan Robinson
This is a tough one and it obviously goes with what’s been talked about before, pertaining to Spo, perhaps, playing more guys. It’s been pretty clear that the concern is his defense.
Philly has talented wings and Coach doesn’t want Robinson to get exploited by Philly’s more dynamic wing players, especially if other players on the floor aren’t defending up to snuff either. And while Duncan has had a spotty season, it might be beneficial for him to find a Steve Kerr type of role.
That would be something similar to his playing days with Chicago and San Antonio. The idea is that he can come in totally cold, make a few big shots, and then quickly leave.
It’s not an easy thing to do, by any means, but it’s an idea. Most things, at this point, should be on the table.
This is a gritty NBA Playoffs, all around, and the Heat need to prove why they were the number one seed. Philly is tough but now that the series is going back home to Miami, everyone needs to calm down and get their things together.
That all starts with these three guys and though one of them (Duncan) has to wait for another of them (Spo) to call his number, he better stay ready too.