Why Miami Heat Defense Will Doom Them in the Playoffs

Times have been tough for the Miami Heat.

Every NBA team goes through tough times. The Chicago Bulls have been dealing with it all season with Derrick Rose. Even though they've been winning games, you don't think that organization is a little wary that their MVP can't seem to stay on the court for too long without complaining about soreness in his back?

The Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and every other team in this league deals with problems. You just hear more about the Heat's problems because they're the Heat. They're expected to win every game, so we must examine, poke and prod at every possible reason as to why they lose a game in March.

These past two games in particular are being brought into questioning. An ugly loss to the Western Conference's top team in the Oklahoma City Thunder was bad enough, but an even worse loss to an Indiana Pacers team that the Heat had already beaten three times this season? Even I have to admit that was strange.

The offense was horrendous in both outings as the Heat continued an unheard of stretch of six consecutive games without scoring 100 points. It was also the third consecutive game of the team scoring 90 points or less. The Heat are 1-2 in the past three games and 4-2 in these past six games of offensive inconsistency.

We don't need to worry about the Heat's offense. It's obvious to see that the team isn't running at the pace that they were accustomed to at the beginning of the season. They're a team that wins games by running and tiring out the opponent. If they're not running and forcing every possession to be won in the half-court, their giving their opponent the opportunity to win.

Instead of focusing on the offense, maybe there should be a larger focus on the ineptitude of the Heat's defense. Widely looked at as arguably the NBA's best defense last year, the team's vaunted defense has taken a considerable step back and is yielding 94 points per game, good enough for ninth in the league. Ninth doesn't seem like a step back, but it is when you were consistently ranked first or second last year.

The sped up offense has certainly played a role. Faster play means more possessions for both sides. Up until the All-Star break, the Heat did nothing but run when the ball was in their hands. Whether on fast breaks or in a half-court setting, every player on the Heat was attempting to get to the rim as quick as possible. When the team is running and the shooters are making their shots, the Heat easily become the best team in the league.

Now the Heat aren't running, which has led to a considerable dropoff on offense. That wouldn't mean much if the defense made up for the lack of offense, but it isn't as the Heat are still giving up a lot of easy scores to teams that are dangerous when given open looks and establishing a rhythm. They've been doing this all year and it's just now starting to get noticed because the team is losing.

The Heat's defense doesn't seem as rampant and aggressive as last year's. There's too large a focus on packing the paint in order to limit drives, but there's not enough of a focus being put on defending the perimeter, where the Heat are getting consistently beat each and every night. Giving up eight three-point makes per, the Heat are giving up the second most three-point makes in the league.

This is a bit of a concern. It wouldn't mean much if the Heat's defense would constantly get defensive rebounds as a result of packing the paint, but they're not and they're getting beat up inside and out. The Heat are putting three or four players to guard the middle. Three or four guys who are milling about either waiting for a defensive rebound or to converge on a driver or post player.

We know what they're attempting to do. It's similar to Pat Riley's "no layup rule" when he was a coach for the New York Knicks where the defense does all in its power to make you beat them from outside of the paint. Unfortunately, there's no Charles Oakley or Anthony Mason to send a message, so opponents will continue to pack the paint or dish out to an open shooter on the perimeter.

The Heat are allowing their opponents to shoot 37 percent from deep, fourth worst in the league only behind Denver, the Los Angeles Clippers and New Jersey. The Heat are supposed to be boasting one of the NBA's top defenses, yet they're arguably the worst defense in the league when it comes to defending the perimeter.

Understood that you want teams to beat you with your shooting, but some NBA players are good enough to not miss as much as the Heat shooters. I'd prefer not to allow the Orlando Magic's plethora of shooters or the Chicago Bulls' Kyle Korver or the Boston Celtics' Ray Allen to get as many open looks as they get. That's a dangerous game and they will make you pay for it if you continue to disrespect them by not defending them.

Not only do they pack the paint, but they construct these strange rotation's that involve chasing the ball rather than sticking on their initial assignment. They're attempting to force turnovers when they put some pressure and apply a double team. It's a great way to play defense, but not every single possession.

If you're double teaming, you're leaving somebody open and that somebody is usually waiting to receive the ball in order to make a wide open three-pointer.

Why continue to play this game when you have a number of the league's top individual defenders? Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Shane Battier have built career's on their outstanding individual defense and they're not being utilized correctly if they're constantly double teaming.

Put some trust in your individual defenders and allow them to stop the man they're guarding. There's no need for a second player to leave their man wide open in order to double team someone that's 30 feet away from the basket. Trust your outstanding perimeter defenders and utilize them in a way that prohibits teams from getting open three-pointers or passing out to open players.

The Heat's defense is aggressive, but opponents that move the ball efficiently can beat them in getting a shot off before a closeout comes. We saw this with the Thunder and Pacers, both who destroyed the Heat from beyond the arc with solid passing and converting on open looks.

Of course, I wouldn't worry too much about the Heat's defensive struggles in the regular season because it's the regular season. Most of the time you can just blame the team giving up a score on laziness by not closing out or not putting in the effort to block a shot. Tough to blame them when they're in a compact season and All-Stars are getting injured left and right.

If there's one cause for concern surrounding this team, it relates to the team's inability to play aggressive when going for rebounds. Not just rebounds in general, actually, but defensive rebounds in particular. The Heat are giving up 12 offensive boards per, 20th in the league, and don't have much of an answer in stopping it.

Simply put, Chris Bosh needs to step his game up. I hate to single players out because this is a team sport, but the rebounding struggles are falling on the shoulders of Bosh because he's not carrying out his responsibility as the team's leading rebounder. He bulked up and spouted off prior to the season about playing center and playing aggressive, so it's only right that he follows through.

Instead of following through, he's averaging less than eight rebounds per and hasn't recorded ten rebounds in a game since February 21st. In the month of March, Bosh is averaging six rebounds per which is far below the threshold that the Heat would like to see him. This team has no center and that means Bosh has to be the one to assert his authority in playing aggressive and going after rebounds.

In the Heat's loss to the Pacers, Bosh recorded two rebounds in 36 minutes. This is a player listed at 6'11" on a team where there's no pure center on the court for an entire game grabbing two rebounds in 36 minutes worth of action. The Pacers are big with guys like Roy Hibbert and David West, but it's absolutely inexcusable that a 6'11" power forward is grabbing two rebounds in that amount of time on the court.

James currently leads the team in rebounding at a little more than eight per. Him, Bosh and Udonis Haslem are the only players on the team grabbing at least seven boards per. The 6'4" shooting guard is the fourth leading rebounder at five per. The team ranks 16th in total rebounds, tenth in defensive rebounds and 28th in offensive rebounds.

Yet there's still no reason to get worked up. The playoffs are a month away and the team is about to enter a daunting March that features two games apiece against the Celtics and Bulls. I know I bring up the Celtics a lot and even though they're not as good as they used to be, there's still plenty of fight and determination left in that club.

All I'm saying is to not get too worried. We know how good the Heat can be when they're up to the part. Don't forget that this is a team we saw lose to the Bulls and Celtics seven times last year, as well as a team that lost five consecutive games to playoff bound teams. There was plenty more reason to worry last year then there is to worry this year. The team is fine. Be thankful that championships aren't handed out at the end of March.

Haven't we gone through this song and dance already?

We did. You remember. It was last year when we thought the Miami Heat were a failed experiment that had no chance of beating out teams like the Chicago Bulls or Boston Celtics in a seven-game series. After all, those teams had chemistry and the Heat were just 15 strangers who happened to be wearing the same uniform and getting paid by the same guy.

We worried about how Dwyane Wade and LeBron James would work together and they averaged 50 points combined. We worried about Chris Bosh adjusting to being a third option and he averaged 18 points per game. We worried that coach Erik Spoelstra wouldn't be cut out to run this type of team and he led them through some of the darkest hours of a player's career.

All we do is worry about this team. I'm sorry to break the bad news, but this team isn't going to win every game. They're going to lose a lot of games. Not as much as the Charlotte Bobcats or Sacramento Kings, but a lot of games because they're human beings with the same feelings and mental states that we all share. They don't want to lose, but it happens because they're not perfect.

Michael Jordan lost a lot. Bill Russell lost a lot. Phil Jackson lost a lot. Every single person that's been associated with sports has had to deal with the prospect and reality of failure. They could be arguably the greatest athlete or coach that the game has ever seen, but just remember that they were once failures.

Failures who couldn't win a championship or work together with teammates. Every player you see immortalized in the Hall of Fame has been deemed a failure at some point in their life. Every player you see getting ready to be drafted by a team willing to sacrifice time, money and patience for will be deemed a failure multiple times.

We are all failures and that is why we succeed.