NBA defense power rankings: Are the Miami Heat still elite?

Rebounding

Regarding defensive rebounds, Miami's underlying statistics in this area of the court also do not paint a promising picture.

The Heat currently rank 24th in the league in overall defensive rebounding and 17th in defensive rebounding rate (a measure of how many available defensive rebounds a team secures).

Bam Adebayo remains Miami's best rebounder. The 26-year-old is continually dominating the glass on both ends of the court in his best start to an NBA season to date.

Second-chance points were a pain area for the Heat last season, but this season they rank among the median average. Currently, they are giving up 13.6 points from second-chance points in a concerted effort to win the possession battle.

As part of that, forcing opposition turnovers is non-negotiable. The Heat, as it stands, are forcing the fourth-highest amount of turnovers per game this season with an impressive 15.7, only behind the Magic, Clippers and Grizzlies. Therefore, opponents are posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.65 assists for every turnover -- a low mark that bodes well for Miami.

Still in the paint, the Heat were regularly out-produced in the paint last season. This season, the Heat have strengthened that area and giving up just 46.6 points in the paint per game, good for the eighth-best defensive mark in the NBA.