Miami: All the talk of possible deals for the Miami Heat that never materialized before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the team itself still has the answers to an upgrade. This has been true throughout the season, before and after Erik Spoelstra’s most recent lineup changes and rotation overhaul, as well as the trade for Terry Rozier on January 23. The final three are Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, just as they have been since the beginning of the season.
That’s where the majority of the investment has been made; 50% more is needed there. That is about a constant commitment, which is what Butler seems hesitant to give, especially at 34.
Playing as much attack mode on offense as he has played defense from Day One is the key with Adebayo. For Herro, buying into the team is just as important as buying into oneself. And that’s the thing: the solutions exist and are already required, even in the absence of any outside intervention or significant developments in the takeover market. With the Boston Celtics coming to Kaseya Center on Sunday for a nationally broadcast game, that could once more become a stark reality.
The Heat lost badly to the Celtics 143-110 on national television the previous time they came in town. The Celtics are possibly even better now that the trade deadline has passed on Thursday. The point is that, despite the Heat’s road to the NBA Finals last season via the No. 8 position, it is a seed that should be dreaded given the Celtics’ supremacy at No. 1. With Spoelstra in playoff mode, there’s at least a puncher’s chance against any other East club. Thus, with 30 games remaining in the regular season, Butler, Adebayo, and Herro must each provide the other half of the equation for the Heat to win.
It’s always been a delicate dance with Butler, holding back the enthusiasm to better support Jimmy during the playoffs. It’s a tried-and-true Heat road to achievement. And perhaps this season was the ideal time to follow that route. However, the current record of 28–24 calls for more, as even the seventh-place result from the previous season could be challenging to repeat. Butler’s contributions to this club have been demonstrated in the last few games, as evidenced by his season-high six straight games with 20 or more points and his 17-11-11 triple-double against the Spurs on Wednesday night.
With a little more of it, there would be no play-in round chaos and at least a No. 6 seed could still advance. And yes, that implies playing in both games of the forthcoming back-to-back in Milwaukee and Philadelphia on Tuesday and Wednesday (with an eight-day All-Star break in between). It’s all about regaining the pugnacity of Adebayo’s aggressive offensive start to the season, when shots were made closer to or even near the rim and the foul line protected him and his team while the defense had time to adjust.
Adebayo made 10 or more free throws in eight different games earlier in the season, including one where he made 20. There have been seven games with four or fewer, and three with none, during the last eight. The defense is still relentless, and even if it is challenging to play both ends of the field with the same tenacity, more is needed in order to maybe give someone a max extension in the offseason. Regarding Herro, it’s possible that no other Heat player has been asked to bend to the team’s wishes as frequently.
The most recent directive, which was met with some verbal resistance, was to assume a more spot-up shooting role and attack the rim directly or from a distance most of the time, if not exclusively.
Then there was the recent rotational shift, which resulted in Herro’s misgivings being voiced and varied playing times, including long gaps. Spoelstra believes that this is the ideal strategy for the Heat, and Herro should adopt it if only because consistency and solid ground are crucial at this point in the 30-game season. At the trade deadline, the Heat did not make a splash, in contrast to the Knicks, 76ers, and other East playoff competitors. That was not necessary. The questions at hand have been displayed in the first 52 games. Inside are the answers.
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