“Here Goes Nothing” #4
“Here goes nothing” #4, the Miami Heat. I specialize in football and tend to write about primarily the NFL but i’ve decided to branch out and write about the NBA a little bit. I’ve had people message me and tell me that I need to watch the Heat play, my friends at school who watch professional basketball have told me that I should watch some Heat highlights, and I was seeing them on Sportscenter and other networks on TV and the internet. So I went onto YouTube and searched up some highlights and as soon as I watched them beat the Hawks in a shootout, I knew I’d end up here writing this article. The articles about NFL teams that I’ve written had an order of coaching, offense, and then defense, but the NBA articles are going to be different. This is because the offense and defense interchanges. Everyone plays offense, and everyone plays defense.
The current head coach of the Miami Heat is Erik Spoelstra. Over the past few years, he has quietly built a team that was made to be strong for a very long time. They weren’t being talked about much at all the past few years and all of a sudden they’ve jumped out of nowhere and become a dominant force in the Eastern Conference and have entered the conversation about the Finals this year. I don’t blame people for these ideas, I don’t. The Heat have been playing incredibly and have dominated in games that they play their best, and even when they have an off-day, they still tend to find themselves in shootouts and close games, and they tend to win these games that go down to the end of the fourth or go into overtime. On offense, Spoelstra has his Heat running a pick and roll style offense. It’s not set in stone and they are able to just move freely and play a motion, but the plays I see the most from them are designed around the pick. They set screens so that players can have the ability to drive or get open for three, and if they can’t get open because someone played help D and picked them up, then they find the open man and he hits a shot. I have no complaints for their offense. If I were to coach a basketball team, which I hope to do one day, this is the offense I would run. Defense is where it gets interesting though. On paper, they run a basic 2-3 zone defense. The players up top on the elbows pick up the ball and take care of the point/top of the key. The players on the blocks pop out to play defense in the corners when they need to and watch the passes around the three point line so they can move as necessary. They are also responsible for helping when the players at the top get beat. The man in the middle is the most important in my opinion. He’s the center and he’s responsible for getting all the rebounds, he’s the last help that the team has on defense if everyone else gets beat, he’s probably the tallest and biggest, so he can block and take care of layups and play strong paint defense. But because basketball isn’t a super set in stone sport, they can’t always set up their 2-3, so they have their transition defense. When they have a numbers advantage in transition, one guy picks up the ball and the rest go to their spots in the zone. If they have a numbers disadvantage in transition, they set up in whatever zone they need to in order to try and hold off the offense until their team gets down the court. They shoot well from the line, and they get there a lot because they aren’t afraid to go up strong and draw the foul. They are a very young team, which makes them a threat for not only this year, but for many years to come as their players continue to develop and get even better, giving them some of the most potential of all the teams in the league. They shoot better than a lot of the teams I see. They make boatloads of threes, which not only allows them to build leads, but allows them to get back into games that they are trailing in. They have great ball movement and seem to always be able to find the open man. They have great off ball movement so they are able to get open and get good shot opportunities that lead to points. However, the biggest factor in their success is their depth. And with that, I’ll move onto the roster.
Starting at point guard for the Heat is Kendrick Nunn. He’s 24 years old and is looking like he could be a franchise point guard for Miami. He’s averaging 15 points a game to go with three assists. Adding onto that, he’s incredibly quick, explosive, and athletic, which allows him to get down the court fast on offense and defense, and makes it easier for him to get into the paint when he has the ball and even when he doesn’t have the ball. He’s incredibly smart and he has great court vision, which leads to great passes and beautiful plays even when he’s not the one scoring. His ball handling is also top notch, allowing him to take one on one iso matchups very well. The starting shooting guard for this team is none other than Jimmy Butler, a superstar player who has become the face of the franchise. He has energy like no other on the court, getting his team motivated and get them to keep fighting even when they’re tired or losing. This allows them to comeback when they need to and keep leads when they have them. He has court vision from all of his years in the NBA, (he’s only 30 by the way), which leads to around 7 assists a game on average. His defense is one of the best in the league, as he averages 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block per game, which for a shooting guard, I would say that’s pretty good. He also puts up around 20 points a game, the most on the team. Next, starting at small forward for the Heat is 25 year old Duncan Robinson, who is a lights out shooter. Even when he is smothered and contested to the max, he is able to knock down shots with ease. This consistency is what allows him to be so dominant. He shoots 44% from three and averages 3 three pointers on 7 attempts, I’ll just leave it at that for him. At power forward is Meyers Leonard, a 27 year old 7 footer who has been great for them this year. He is a force inside and is also capable outside, making his very difficult to stop all around. He averages 5 rebounds a game, which allows him to keep the offense moving. Here is one of the biggest stories this year, Bam Adebayo, the starting center for the Heat at 6’9 and 255 pounds. Did I mention he’s 22? He has been unstoppable, and although he is shorter than Meyers Leonard at power forward, he is the center on this team for a reason. He is one of the strongest players I’ve seen play and he is not afraid of contact. He is constantly going up and finishing with enthusiasm, all while being fouled. His stats back up my claims. He is averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal a game. That’s a double double. Everytime he plays. Yeah. On to the bench.
The bench has been a force to be reckoned with this season. As I mentioned, one of the main reasons they’re as good as they are is because their bench is so consistent and is always able to provide the depth needed to keep consistent pressure on their opponents all game. Big names on the bench include 33 year old point guard Goran Dragic, 19 year old shooting guard Tyler Herro, 22 year old small forward Derrick Jones Jr., 23 year old small forward Justise Winslow, and 28 year old center Kelly Olynyk. Now how’s that for youth. These five are all the backups at their positions, but have still have had a profound impact on this teams performance. These guys have been playing so well, I’ll actually go over them all individually. Goran Dragic has been very consistent behind Kendrick Nunn, and is the listed sixth man for the Heat. He’s a veteran who has not regressed as he has aged in my opinion. He’s still strong on both sides of the ball, averaging 16 points, 3 boards, 5 assists, and 1 steal. His three point shooting is also strong, he averages 2 per game and shoots 41 percent from beyond the arc. Tyler Herro is another big story this year, he’s been so clutch, and it seems that he can’t miss a three when his team needs them the most. He is also a strong sixth man type of player, consistently putting up numbers off the bench. He also brings an energy to the floor with him that pumps his team up. He averages 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Yes, he Is a teenager, you’re reading that right. Justise Winslow has been hurt recently but is good when he’s healthy. He is actually coming back soon as he is not listed as day to day on the injury report. He’s a versatile player who puts up strong numbers every time he’s out. He averages 11 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Keep in mind he’s been hurt, so the Heat are only going to get that much better when he’s healthy again. Derrick Jones Jr. is a strong player all around and is a player that any team would like to have on their depth chart. 9 points, a handful of boards, and a little over 1 steal per game. And last but not least, Kelly Olynyk. Behind Bam Adebayo on the depth chart, he is a little overshadowed, but when Bam is getting rest, he is putting up around 8 points and 5 boards. That’s enough to help a team keep a lead or build one.
At the end of the day, they’re second in the Eastern Conference, only behind the Bucks, who are basically a cheat code. I’m looking at you Giannis. But I’m not here to talk about the Bucks, I’ll save that for another day. I believe, barring a tragedy, that they will stay near the top of their conference and the league. What I’m more interested in however is the future of this team. With how young their players are and the culture that Spoelstra has built in Miami, I think they will be a force to be reckoned with for many many years to come and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are the leading dynasty in the league in a few years. Some people are still sleeping on this team, so wake up. Follow me on Instagram at @amateursportsnet if you want consistent updates on the news in the sports world. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go watch the second half of the Heat game that has been happening while I’ve been writing this.
Source For Stats – https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/mia/miami-heat
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