Breaking Down How Miami Heat Can Correct Defensive Struggles

If you just looked at their record or point differential, both of which are among the five best in the league through eleven games, it would appear that the Miami Heat are right where they want to be. However, their defensive efficiency ranks in the middle of the pack, and they've shown some troubling flaws in both their effort and execution at that end of the floor.

Zach Lowe wrote a little about their problems for Grantland last week, pointing out that they've been struggling almost everywhere. While solid defensive performances against the Bucks, Bobcats and Hawks have improved their numbers slightly since Lowe's article, many of the same issues have continued to rear their head, especially in their 110-104 win over the Mavericks.

As Lowe pointed out, one of the most surprising pieces of the Heat's defensive struggles has been their horrific transition defense. Through ten games, they rank second-to-last in defending transition possessions, according to mySynergySports (subscription required), giving up 1.29 points per possession. These transition struggles can be attributed to a combination of lack of effort and a surplus of confusion, which I suppose is a good thing since it means they can be fixed rather simply.

In this first clip, two Heat defenders chase DeJuan Blair as he retrieves the loose ball. No one bothers to pick up Dirk Nowitzki until it's too late. 

Here, you'll notice LeBron James jogging up court behind the play. He just comes into the frame as Jose Calderon knocks down the wide-open three-pointer.

Again, these are the sorts of things that can be fixed with a re-dedication to communication and full effort. You can somewhat forgive the Heat for saving energy in preparation for the long slog to the NBA Finals they're planning, but there is the danger of energy conservation becoming systemic bad habits. Even if they are choosing to hold back a little early in the season, ranking near the bottom of the league in transition defense is inexcusable. 

The Heat's defensive struggles have not been limited to transition. The nature of their defense, a focus on quickness and flexibility, as opposed to traditional distributions of size and strength, makes them vulnerable on the offensive glass, and this season has been no exception. But the real problem is that teams have been able to pull their rotations apart, either breaking the defense at the point of the attack or catching the Heat over-extended at the end of a possession.

Here, the Mavericks are running a side pick-and-roll with Jose Calderon and DeJuan Blair. At first glance, the spacing looks strange, as they're running the pick-and-roll right into an extra defender because Shawn Marion is spaced in the strong side corner. But this is by design.

As Calderon comes off the screen, he passes the ball into the corner. This pulls Bosh an extra step towards the corner to guard against a dribble drive. Mario Chalmers stays with Calderon, which means that Shane Battier, playing at the top of the key, has to drop down to cover Blair's roll to the basket. 

All that leaves Dirk Nowitzki alone at the three-point line, and it takes nothing more than a skip pass from Marion to complete the sequence. Here's the play in real time:

This breakdown happens mostly because Bosh is playing so aggressively. LeBron is close enough that Bosh could have given Calderon more space to come off the screen and still stick with Blair. There's also no reason for him to move towards the corner to help LeBron with Marion. But the Mavericks are counting on the Heat's aggressive trapping style, and that's what makes the play work.

That wasn't the only time they exploited the Heat. In this next video, Vince Carter gets a pair of corner three-pointers in both cases because the Mavericks' spacing and ball movement was set up to take advantage of the Heat's initial aggressiveness on the pick-and-roll.

Even the Charlotte Bobcats were able to create a few of these opportunities against the Heat. Here, the high pick-and-roll with Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller pulls in an extra wing defender because Chris Andersen is out of position after trying to set up a trap for Walker on the sideline.

Even in the midst of their struggles to score last night, the Hawks were able to create some quality perimeter looks. Here, after a great deal of maneuvering, a side pick-and-roll sucks in an over-aggressive James Jones, leaving Kyle Korver wide open behind the three-point line. 

The Heat's defensive scheme has been out there long enough that teams now understand how to attack it. Spacing the floor with shooters and setting up creative ways to exploit the initial traps on the pick-and-roll can open up all sorts of options at the end of the cascade of rotations.

However, the Heat are usually fast enough and communicate well enough that they can swallow up most of those opportunities with athleticism and anticipation alone. But doing that requires a premium of effort and the refinement of repetition. At this point in the season, where execution hasn't yet been refined and saving energy is a conscious choice, their defensive scheme can be pulled apart. But as the season progresses and the stakes rise, I wouldn't expect to see the Heat defense looking quite so vulnerable.

Statistical support for this story from NBA.com/Stats