Heat's offense reaches rock bottom in blowout loss at Orlando
![Jan 21, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to pass against Jan 21, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to pass against](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4800,h_2700,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/115/01hmqnvkb6qfcxcr1h16.jpg)
The Miami Heat have struggled on offense for a majority of the season, and Sunday night's 107-85 loss against the Orlando Magic highlighted why the Heat rank bottom 10 in points allowed and offensive rating.
Stat of the night: Heat put up lowest point total of the year at 87
Before Sunday night's outing, the fewest points the Heat scored in a game was 90 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 28. To add context to that game, the Heat were missing Jimmy Butler, and Jamal Cain and Dru Smith played over 20 minutes.
Against Orlando, the only player missing was Jaime Jaquez Jr. The fact that Miami had their worst offensive outing with Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo in the starting lineup is alarming.
Not only did Miami fail to even hit above 90 points, the Heat also turned the ball over 18 times and had five possessions end in shot clock violations.
The shot diet for the Heat was typical, with 37 3-point attempts and a heavy dose of contested jumpers. Miami was unable to establish any presence getting to the basket, and were dominated in the points in the paint battle, with the Magic outscoring the Heat 54-36.
Entering the game, the Magic ranked eighth in points in the paint, compared to the Heat who rank 24th, and Sunday night's matchup showed why there is such a huge discrepancy in paint points.
What we learned: The issues on offense are beyond Kyle Lowry
Since Friday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks, Erik Spoelstra decided to move Kyle Lowry to the bench. It's no secret that Lowry hasn't been playing well, with Lowry even acknowledging that he needs to be better.
"As a professional of course I'm disappointed to have to adjust, but I haven't played well in the last couple weeks and I understand that," Lowry said.
Adapting to his shift out of the starting lineup, Kyle Lowry recognizes the necessity for personal improvement and understands Coach Spoelstra's decision. 🎙 pic.twitter.com/P97X9hX8NV
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 22, 2024
In his last five games, Lowry is averaging 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3.6 assists with no made threes in 18 attempts. It has been a major struggle for Lowry, but all of the struggles offensively do not fall solely on his shoulders.
The Heat have been too reliant on jump shots the entire year, and there are less than a handful of players on the team who can get to the rim on a consistent basis.
Lowry does play into those struggles due to his age and lack of athleticism, but Miami's roster has a lot of players who operate in the mid-range. There is no doubt Lowry deserves criticism, but Spoelstra decided to bench Lowry and, even with that change, the offense is still a mess.
Quote of the night: Spoelstra insists the Heat will push through this slump
After spending most of his time breaking down what went wrong, Spoelstra ended his postgame press conference by letting everyone know that the Heat will collectively find answers to snap their three-game losing streak and establish themselves offensively.
"We're going to rally around each other, get to work, find some solutions, and grind through this," Spoelstra said.
"We're gonna rally around each other, get to work, find some solutions, and grind through this."
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 22, 2024
🎙Coach Spo pic.twitter.com/dmn6E5LWqs
During the losing streak, Miami has averaged 97 points and 15 turnovers per game. Spoelstra has his work cut out for him, and a lineup change has yet to show any positive results.
Whether another lineup change is made or a different approach is taken with their shot selection, Spoelstra and the players are going to have to put together and execute a gameplan that helps the offense look much smoother than it has been. Because if the defense isn't perfect, more anemic performances on offense will lead to more losses down the road.
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