The Miami Heat didn’t seem ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1. The defense gave up too many open jumpers, the offense struggled to generate efficient looks, and Miami’s stars were outplayed down the stretch by Cleveland’s reserves.
That the Heat are down 1-0 to the Cavaliers isn’t surprising – they are the No. 1 seed, after all. But after a two-day break, they have an opportunity to bounce back and avoid a 2-0 hole that might be insurmountable considering the competition.
We’ve covered the adjustments in separate pieces, but sometimes the biggest and best adjustment is to just play better. These three Heat players need to step up in Game 2.
1. Tyler Herro
Herro is going to get targeted on defense. That’s just going to happen. The Heat can do a better job of helping him out and avoid leaving him stranded on a defensive island. But I want to focus on the other end. He needs to be better on offense, too.
There were too many times when Herro got a mismatch but couldn’t do anything with it. He shouldn’t be getting stood up by Sam Merrill.
Herro’s usual float game wasn’t as fruitful. He went 3 for 8 on floaters. Cleveland’s length definitely bothered him.
The Cavs worked to make things difficult for Herro, and it also affected his playmaking. Two assists to three turnovers isn’t going to cut it.
2. Andrew Wiggins
The Heat don’t have many advantages over the Cavaliers, but the small forward position could be a favorable matchup. They need more from Wiggins, who finished Game 1 with 14 points on 5 of 11 shooting.
Erik Spoelstra has pointed out how Miami’s offense opens up when Wiggins is getting downhill, and he could do a better job of putting the ball in Wiggins’ hands more. Wiggins used just 19.8% of Miami’s offensive possessions in Game 1. That’s less than Duncan Robinson. Wiggins needs to be a central part of Miami’s attack strategy.
Having Wiggins handle the ball in the pick-and-roll with a guard setting a screen could get Wiggins on a smaller Cavs defender. The Heat could attack the likes of Darius Garland, Max Strus, Ty Jerome and Merrill this way and provide a runway for Wiggins to get into the paint and draw fouls.
One other point: I’d like to see Wiggins more engaged as an offensive rebounder. When he’s aggressive on the offensive glass, he has the ability to find extra points.
3. Duncan Robinson
Only the Boston Celtics made more 3s this season than the Cavaliers. Cleveland went 18 for 43 from beyond the arc in Game 1. The Heat, meanwhile, went 13 for 31. If the Heat are going to keep up with the Cavs from deep, they’ll need more from Robinson.
Robinson took just three 3-point attempts in 15 minutes in Game 1. He made two of them and had success shooting off his usual dribble-handoffs and screens. Robinson is so difficult to defend in these actions, and the Heat need to lean all the way in.
If Spoelstra finally decides to bench Alec Burks in favor of starting Davion Mitchell, that could create more minutes for Robinson. More minutes, more shots, more 3s.