The Miami Heat didn't begin their five-game road trip on the right foot. Losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 138-117, this is not exactly how you want to begin what was supposed to be a "get right" trip for the Heat.
From the opening tip, this game had disaster written all over it. Nevertheless, it was, at the very least, a good measuring-stick game after the Heat had built some momentum with their play in the last two games.
The result wasn't great, though. If it wasn't clear before, it was after the game. The Heat still have a lot to work through, with no real easy answers. Before looking ahead to the LA Clippers, a good opportunity to earn back some respect, let's explore the good, bad, and ugly from their disappointing showing against the Lakers.
The good: Klay Thompson
If there was any glimmer of hope for the Heat in their loss to the Lakers, it was the fact that Klay Thompson seemingly picked up where he left off after his breakout performance against the LA Clippers.
Klay was one of the few bright spots for the Heat against the Lakers, and he finished with 19 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the 3-point range. The Heat didn't have much to take away from this game that they could build off of, but Klay did have a good night for Miami.
Considering how he started off the season, it's great to see him stack back-to-back strong performances.
The bad: Andrew Wiggins
Just when it felt as if Andrew Wiggins was starting to turn things around after his early-season struggles, he had a pretty rough night against the Lakers. He was practically invisible on the offensive end of the floor, finishing with just seven points on 2-for-7 shooting, but he was even worse defensively.
He didn't record a rebound or steal, and struggled mightily as he was asked to guard Luka Doncic. Part of that isn't his problem, especially considering that no one has been able to guard Luka this season, but it's not great when you're asked to be the team's best perimeter defender and you get torched on the perimeter.
Overall, though, this was a pretty stark step back from Wiggins' performances from the past three days. It's certainly disappointing.
The ugly: The Heat's defense
There's no question that the ugliest part of the Heat's blowout loss to the Lakers was their defense. It wasn't just the fact that Luka went for 42 points; it was their overall effort and team disposition. The Lakers shot 57 percent from the field overall and 44 percent from the 3-point line.
The Heat didn't pressure Los Angeles at all and gave up so many open shots. They also allowed 138 points. Even after the game, this was the talk in the Heat locker room.
Erik Spoelstra took the blame for the Heat's lackluster defense, which has been a trend so far this season, but even Giannis Antetokounmpo mentioned how the Heat just aren't putting in enough effort (speaking about their defensive struggles).
The Heat entered this game with a bottom-third defense in nearly every metric, and they certainly lived up to it in this game.
Add us as a preferred source on Google