The Miami Heat needed a win in the worst way after falling a game back below .500 with two consecutive home defeats. And to make matters worse, they would have to try and get it done Monday night without their top two guys playing for them.
Missing Bam Adebayo with a non-COVID illness and Jimmy Butler with an injury sustained in their loss to Indiana, the Miami Heat would need all other hands on deck Monday. And they got them too.
From the top of the roster to the bottom of the roster, every guy that stepped on the floor for the Miami Heat had a solid impact. Among the best of them though was a resurgent Max Strus, struggling to shoot the ball over the last month or so, he had a pretty good night on Monday with a team-high 19 points to go along with three boards.
But, it wasn’t just about him finding his outside shot, it’s how he found it. Getting off to a shaky start from the outside, Strus would continue to try and get himself going there by finding other ways to see shots go down.
The Miami Heat didn’t have a pretty one on Monday night. But they were able to go get a win with their grit, effort, and selflessness without their top two guys.
Seeing him get into the middle areas and subsequently, to the cup, is how you would like to see him play more often. Not only would that help account for actual team production in those times when he isn’t feeling it with the outside shot, but that could actually help encourage his outside shot by finding his rhythm with easier looks.
It totally works hand in hand. And that’s not all that was working that way for the Miami Heat on Monday.
Without their best two players and with all the other trends that usually point to a Miami Heat defeat going against them, they were able to prevail. That’s because all of the guys worked hand in hand, for one another, and their play on both sides also matched it.
The Miami Heat didn’t have a great offensive game from a literal shooting perspective but they made up for it with hard work and effort on defense, along with ball and man movement on offense.
This is the way the Miami Heat have always gone about winning, no matter the talent they rostered or the shots they could make. And as they continue to try and get back to where they need to be, from a standings and health perspective, this is the approach to keep in mind.