5 Surprising Statistics That Are Defining the Miami Heat's Season
The Miami Heat have been an enormous disappointment to start the 2014-15 NBA season.
Thought to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference heading into the year, Miami is just 12-15 through 27 games.
That record is even more concerning when considering the Heat opened the season with five wins in seven games. The Heat are struggling badly right now and looking worse every game.
We're going to examine how the Heat got to this point by taking a look at the five statistics that most represent their season.
No. 26: Defensive Rating Rank
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Simply put, the Heat have been a disaster on defense this season.
Miami ranks just 26th in defensive rating, allowing a whopping 109.8 points per 100 possessions this season, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
The Heat don't appear to have the size to protect the rim nor the athletes to successfully employ the aggressive, trapping defensive style they want to run. Perhaps as a result of all the roster turnover this past offseason, the Heat players don't look comfortable playing defense with one another, which has made matters worse.
Opponents are picking the Heat's defense apart; they have shot 51.9 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc against Miami this season.
The Heat have one of the worst defenses in the league, and that's the biggest reason why they have such a mediocre record right now.
4-9: Home Record
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AmericanAirlines Arena hasn't been kind to the Heat this season.
Miami has won just four games in 13 tries at 601 Biscayne Blvd.—a 30.7 winning percentage.
To put that in perspective, just six teams have a worse winning percentage at home than the Heat: the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. That's not exactly the type of company the Heat want to be in.
Miami's struggles at home have only gotten worse as the season has progressed. The Heat have not won at home since Nov. 23, and their five-game losing streak at home includes a 105-87 drubbing at the hands of the lowly Utah Jazz.
This level of play at home simply won't cut it.
34: Projected Starting Lineup's Minutes Together
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The Heat have been banged up all season, and there's no better proof of that than their projected starting lineup having played just 34 minutes together this season.
That's right. Norris Cole, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts and Chris Bosh have played together for just 34 minutes. And, with McRoberts out for the season, that number is going to stay at 34 minutes for the rest of the year.
Even before McRoberts' season-ending knee injury, he dealt with numerous ailments that caused him to miss time. But it's not just McRoberts who has been injured. Dwyane Wade missed seven games with a hamstring injury, and Chris Bosh is out indefinitely with a calf injury right now.
Luol Deng, Norris Cole, Chris Andersen and Danny Granger are among the other Heat players who have missed time due to injury this season.
All of these injury problems have proven to be especially problematic during a transition year after the departure of LeBron James and other key players.
No. 27: Bench Efficiency Rank
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What made the Big Three Heat special during its four-year run was not just that they had superstars, but they also had fantastic depth.
Well, this new Miami squad doesn't appear to have much depth at all, and that's been a critical issue for the team.
According to HoopsStats.com, the Heat have had the 27th-most efficient bench in the league. Also, unfortunately for Miami, the team's depth has only shrunken after the recent injuries to Bosh and McRoberts.
Right now, players such as Udonis Haslem, Justin Hamilton and Hassan Whiteside are seeing major minutes. That's not exactly a murderers' row of bench players.
Cole has newly moved to the bench, with Mario Chalmers returning as the team's starting point guard. While that move will surely give the Heat a more formidable starting lineup, it also makes a struggling bench unit even less talented.
As for the Heat's other reserve players, Shabazz Napier and James Ennis have shown flashes at times but are still rookies, and Granger's been in and out of the lineup this season and hasn't looked great when in it.
Miami must get more from its bench.
22.5/5.3/3.7: Dwyane Wade's Stat Line
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While much of this season has been disappointing for the Heat, that doesn't take away from what Wade has been able to do.
Wade has played outstanding, as he's averaged 22.5 points on 52.2 percent shooting from the floor and 41.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc, with 5.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.
He's looked nothing like the guy who struggled mightily in the 2014 NBA Finals, and the Heat have to be thrilled by that.
Unfortunately for Wade, poor bench play, his hamstring injury and the injuries of others have prevented Miami from winning big despite his great play.
The Heat are in a bad spot right now, but Wade is proving that he is still one of the best players in the league. Perhaps if the rest of the team's players find their form, Wade can lead the Heat's turnaround.
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