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MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 116-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons:
– This wasn’t about getting beaten by a banked-in 3-pointer.
– It wasn’t about balls bouncing the wrong way.
– And as much as the points in the paint hurt, and as much as the defense could have done more . . .
– This was about again being unable to run offense when needed most.
– This time 20 points in the fourth quarter.
– Sound familiar?
– Is there a point guard in the house?
– As we seemingly have asked over and over and over.
– It wasn’t until Bam Adebayo found Kel’el Ware with an alley-oop feed early in the third period that the Heat had a player with more than two assists.
– It is hard to run an offense with no one to run an offense.
– The Heat seemingly have decided Davion Mitchell no longer is that player. He no longer starts.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. has struggled with turnovers, including three in Wednesday night’s first half.
– Terry Rozier again is out of the mix.
– And Tyler Herro’s scoring is too valuable not to have his eyes on the rim.
– When considering the Heat’s shooting struggles, consider also what is not happening for the Heat’s shooters.
– Getting the ball on time, on target.
– Where have you gone Kyle Lowry?
– With Andrew Wiggins missing a second consecutive game with a leg contusion, the Heat rolled out their 22nd lineup of the season.
– This time Erik Spoelstra went with Ware, Adebayo, Jaquez, Duncan Robinson and Herro.
– Prior to Wednesday night, the group had not played together this season.
– It was the ninth game Wiggins has missed since joining the Heat from the Golden State Warriors in the Feb. 6 trade for Jimmy Butler.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he remains confident of a meaningful Wiggins contribution.
– “I mean, he’s had some really good moments already,” he said. “You can see the firepower he begins and the versatility that he brings to us defensively.”
– He added, “We definitely could use him.”
– Mitchell was first off the Heat bench.
– Haywood Highsmith followed.
– Alec Burks, back from his back strain, then was third off the bench, playing ahead of Rozier.
– Later, Pelle Larsson entered in the second period, also ahead of Rozier.
– Robinson’s second basket moved him past Mario Chalmers for 18th place on the Heat all-time list.
– Herro’s sixth free-throw attempt was the 1,000th of his career.
– Spoelstra was asked pregame if he had tried to shake things up during his team’s losing streak.
– “I would say we’ve probably tried virtually everything at this point — within our personality — for sure,” he said. “We’ve shown the right kind of perseverance.”
– He added, “I always say that a team, you have a feeling when you’re worthy to win. And I would say 10 days ago really felt like we were worthy to win. Now, the last three out of four, we have not had that feeling. And I think that’s human nature, where all of this can kind of weigh on you. And that’s the mental discipline. It doesn’t have to weigh on you.”
– He continued. “We’ve built up enough kind of habits, enough kind of resilience to win one game. And that’s what we have to focus on and just quiet all the other noise.”
– The Pistons went in having outscored their opponents in the paint in their previous 25 games.
– Make it 26 in a row.
– “It’s a mindset thing. It’s a willingness and want to play a brand of gritty, nasty, physically tough basketball. And that’s who we are,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said pregame.
– Of Bickerstaff, Spoelstra said pregame. “I think he’s done a really good job, just like he did in Cleveland. He knows how to build culture. He knows how to build a team that’s going to compete hard and be about the right things.”
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– This wasn’t about getting beaten by a banked-in 3-pointer.
– It wasn’t about balls bouncing the wrong way.
– And as much as the points in the paint hurt, and as much as the defense could have done more . . .
– This was about again being unable to run offense when needed most.
– This time 20 points in the fourth quarter.
– Sound familiar?
– Is there a point guard in the house?
– As we seemingly have asked over and over and over.
– It wasn’t until Bam Adebayo found Kel’el Ware with an alley-oop feed early in the third period that the Heat had a player with more than two assists.
– It is hard to run an offense with no one to run an offense.
– The Heat seemingly have decided Davion Mitchell no longer is that player. He no longer starts.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. has struggled with turnovers, including three in Wednesday night’s first half.
– Terry Rozier again is out of the mix.
– And Tyler Herro’s scoring is too valuable not to have his eyes on the rim.
– When considering the Heat’s shooting struggles, consider also what is not happening for the Heat’s shooters.
– Getting the ball on time, on target.
– Where have you gone Kyle Lowry?
– With Andrew Wiggins missing a second consecutive game with a leg contusion, the Heat rolled out their 22nd lineup of the season.
– This time Erik Spoelstra went with Ware, Adebayo, Jaquez, Duncan Robinson and Herro.
– Prior to Wednesday night, the group had not played together this season.
– It was the ninth game Wiggins has missed since joining the Heat from the Golden State Warriors in the Feb. 6 trade for Jimmy Butler.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he remains confident of a meaningful Wiggins contribution.
– “I mean, he’s had some really good moments already,” he said. “You can see the firepower he begins and the versatility that he brings to us defensively.”
– He added, “We definitely could use him.”
– Mitchell was first off the Heat bench.
– Haywood Highsmith followed.
– Alec Burks, back from his back strain, then was third off the bench, playing ahead of Rozier.
– Later, Pelle Larsson entered in the second period, also ahead of Rozier.
– Robinson’s second basket moved him past Mario Chalmers for 18th place on the Heat all-time list.
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– Herro’s sixth free-throw attempt was the 1,000th of his career.
– Spoelstra was asked pregame if he had tried to shake things up during his team’s losing streak.
– “I would say we’ve probably tried virtually everything at this point — within our personality — for sure,” he said. “We’ve shown the right kind of perseverance.”
– He added, “I always say that a team, you have a feeling when you’re worthy to win. And I would say 10 days ago really felt like we were worthy to win. Now, the last three out of four, we have not had that feeling. And I think that’s human nature, where all of this can kind of weigh on you. And that’s the mental discipline. It doesn’t have to weigh on you.”
– He continued. “We’ve built up enough kind of habits, enough kind of resilience to win one game. And that’s what we have to focus on and just quiet all the other noise.”
– The Pistons went in having outscored their opponents in the paint in their previous 25 games.
– Make it 26 in a row.
– “It’s a mindset thing. It’s a willingness and want to play a brand of gritty, nasty, physically tough basketball. And that’s who we are,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said pregame.
– Of Bickerstaff, Spoelstra said pregame. “I think he’s done a really good job, just like he did in Cleveland. He knows how to build culture. He knows how to build a team that’s going to compete hard and be about the right things.”
Continue reading...
