3 Observations from the Heat's win vs the Hornets, including Butler's touches

Three observations from the Miami Heat's 114-106 win against the Charlotte Hornets...

Jimmy Butler played like a star

After the Miami Heat’s season-opening loss to the Orlando Magic, I pointed out that Butler couldn’t be seventh on the team in total touches. He was a passenger in that game, finishing with just three points and mostly watching the offense happen without him.

Butler was the driver in Saturday’s win. Arguably more important than his 26 points, eight assists and eight rebounds were his team-leading 75 touches. He was on the ball twice as much as he was in the opener, and Miami’s offense was better because of it.

Butler is Miami’s only true advantage creator. When he drives, the defense has to react, opening opportunities for his teammates. 

This is how the Heat need Butler to play on an every-game basis. 

Exploring new options at center

With Kevin Love out for personal reasons and Kel’el Ware sidelined with an illness, the Heat were down to just Thomas Bryant as Bam Adebayo’s backup. Bryant may have played his best floor game in a Heat uniform. His final state one won’t impress (six points, one rebound, one block), but he was an active defender and made himself available as a finisher. 

In the second half, coach Erik Spoelstra used Nikola Jovic at center to space the floor around Butler. It worked. The Heat promptly went on a 9-0 run to open a 92-78 lead.

Surrounded by shooting, Butler had the entire paint to work with during this run. The Heat smartly had Duncan Robinson set screens for Butler to get him going downhill. Charlotte was forced to foul and sent Butler to the line for four free throws during the run.

Tyler Herro is passing up the shots he needs to take

Herro was very good in this one, finishing with 22 points on 7 of 15 shooting and made arguably the most important shot of the game when he pulled up for a 3 with 75 seconds left to extend the Heat’s lead to six after Charlotte’s comeback. 

But there are still times when he hesitates to take the shots the Heat need from him. Herro is adjusting to being more of a catch-and-shoot guy. That means he needs to be quick to take these:

With Bridges closing out, the right basketball play is to make the pass to Butler. But personnel matters. The close-out was late enough that Herro could have taken the shot if he had been quick with the release. Herro taking even a contested 3-pointer here is a better shot than Butler taking an open one. (And Butler didn’t take it. He passed up the wide-open 3 and got called for a charge). 

There have been several examples of this in the preseason and two regular-season games. I’m hoping Heat coaches are showing Herro the film and telling him to let it fly.