- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 414,211
- Reaction score
- 43
Q: Ira, Chicago is now the biggest game of the season for the Heat. Beat the Bulls and the Heat might not have to leave Florida for the play-in. – Franklin.
A: To explain to those not as familiar with the play-in system, it is looking more and more as if the Heat will play the Bulls in the Nos. 9-10 play-in game, with the winner of that game advancing to the playoffs if they then beat the loser of the Nos. 7-8 play-in opener. If the Heat finish No. 9, that likely would mean hosting the Bulls in the Nos. 9-10 game, with a chance then of the short trip to Orlando for a chance at the playoffs. However, and this is a big however, if the Bulls win Tuesday in Cleveland, then for the Heat to vault the Bulls, they not only would have to win Wednesday night in Chicago, but also have to have Chicago lose one of their final two games. Those final two Bulls games are against Washington and Philadelphia. That is why the biggest game left this season for the Heat actually might be the Bulls’ Tuesday night game in Cleveland, which would at least open the door to make Wednesday’s Heat-Bulls a legitimate showdown for No. 9.
Q: Play-in, play-in. Ira, if you are talking play-in for a third year in a row it’s an indication you should have blown this up. – Morgan.
A: Typically, I would agree. But this has been anything but a typical season, with Jimmy Butler taking a lack of professionalism to a degree that I doubt anyone could have anticipated (even knowing plenty about his past elsewhere). So I would basically give the Heat a mulligan this season. What you need to instead do is consider if Butler either was traded before the season or didn’t sabotage the locker room whether this team could have competed with the likes of Indiana or Detroit for direct playoff entry. The sense here is that it could have.
Q: Every year Erik Spoelstra plays numerous undrafted players from Sioux Falls. This year with all the turmoil and roster fluctuations still no minutes for Josh Christopher, Keshad Johnson or Isaiah Stevens. How do you know what you have in them if even in a losing season they can’t sniff the court? – Robert, Orlando.
A: You don’t (at least on an NBA level). But you also don’t allow development to get in the way of a playoff/play-in race. And it’s not as if the Heat haven’t been featuring youth, considering the minutes of Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson and, before his injury, Nikola Jovic. Heck, even Jaime Jaquez Jr. got early minutes Monday night. As it is, the Heat have seen plenty of Keshad, Josh and Isaiah this season in the G League, which has provided ample development for prospects over the years.
Continue reading...
A: To explain to those not as familiar with the play-in system, it is looking more and more as if the Heat will play the Bulls in the Nos. 9-10 play-in game, with the winner of that game advancing to the playoffs if they then beat the loser of the Nos. 7-8 play-in opener. If the Heat finish No. 9, that likely would mean hosting the Bulls in the Nos. 9-10 game, with a chance then of the short trip to Orlando for a chance at the playoffs. However, and this is a big however, if the Bulls win Tuesday in Cleveland, then for the Heat to vault the Bulls, they not only would have to win Wednesday night in Chicago, but also have to have Chicago lose one of their final two games. Those final two Bulls games are against Washington and Philadelphia. That is why the biggest game left this season for the Heat actually might be the Bulls’ Tuesday night game in Cleveland, which would at least open the door to make Wednesday’s Heat-Bulls a legitimate showdown for No. 9.
Related Articles
Q: Play-in, play-in. Ira, if you are talking play-in for a third year in a row it’s an indication you should have blown this up. – Morgan.
A: Typically, I would agree. But this has been anything but a typical season, with Jimmy Butler taking a lack of professionalism to a degree that I doubt anyone could have anticipated (even knowing plenty about his past elsewhere). So I would basically give the Heat a mulligan this season. What you need to instead do is consider if Butler either was traded before the season or didn’t sabotage the locker room whether this team could have competed with the likes of Indiana or Detroit for direct playoff entry. The sense here is that it could have.
Q: Every year Erik Spoelstra plays numerous undrafted players from Sioux Falls. This year with all the turmoil and roster fluctuations still no minutes for Josh Christopher, Keshad Johnson or Isaiah Stevens. How do you know what you have in them if even in a losing season they can’t sniff the court? – Robert, Orlando.
A: You don’t (at least on an NBA level). But you also don’t allow development to get in the way of a playoff/play-in race. And it’s not as if the Heat haven’t been featuring youth, considering the minutes of Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson and, before his injury, Nikola Jovic. Heck, even Jaime Jaquez Jr. got early minutes Monday night. As it is, the Heat have seen plenty of Keshad, Josh and Isaiah this season in the G League, which has provided ample development for prospects over the years.
Continue reading...
