Miami Heat: 5 Things They Did Wrong on Opening Night and How They Can Fix It
The Miami Heat lost the opening game of the NBA season against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, and plenty of things went wrong.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were not enough to defeat the defending Eastern Conference champions.
It was clear that the Boston Celtics looked like a better "team" against the Miami Heat. Well that is certainly understandable as he Celtics have experience playing with each other.
There is no reason to declare that the Miami Heat are overrated. However, last night's game showed some of the weaknesses that the team has.
It is safe to say that Miami played a pretty bad game against a great team, and they still were within three points with just over one minute to play.
Here are five things that the Miami Heat did wrong, and how they can fix them.
5. Chris Bosh Was Awful
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Chris Bosh was absolutely awful in Tuesday night's game against the Boston Celtics.
If a casual fan was watching the game, he would probably spend the entire night trying to find the third member of the "Big Three" because Bosh simply did not show up.
Bosh shot 3-for-11 for eight points and started the game 1-for-8. He only managed to have eight rebounds, while both the Celics' Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett had more.
Bosh's performance last night was simply not acceptable. Miami Heat ownership and fans should not be pleased with his contribution, as it clearly is not deserving of the large contract he received in the offseason.
5. Solution To Bosh's Struggles
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In order for the Miami Heat to be a great team, Chris Bosh should have a double-double almost every night.
Especially on a team that lacks size, Bosh must contribute at least 10 rebounds. Udonis Haslem had 11 rebounds off the bench last night, but it is important for Bosh to consistently be a presence on the boards.
Obviously Bosh must shoot better. In order to do so, the power forward needs to be more of a presence in the paint.
The most concerning aspect of his performance may be that he only took two free-throw attempts the entire game. As the Heat's big man, he needs to get to the line more and force the opponent's front court into foul trouble.
Bosh should rebound, both literally and figuratively, against a smaller Philadelphia 76ers team.
4. Better Team Play
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Rajon Rondo has more assists than the entire Miami Heat team. Rondo had 17 of Boston's 25 assists, while the Heat only had 15 assists in the season opener.
The problem may be what some Heat fans were scared of. Too much one-on-one play will hurt Miami throughout the season as it is not an efficient way to play basketball.
During the Heat's comeback in the fourth quarter, a lot of their points came when either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade scored on one-on-one situations.
Another problem is that there may not be a true point guard on the team. When Carlos Arroyo was in the game, the Celtics decided to leave him wide open and make sure he took shots.
That may be the reason why the "starting" point guard only played 12 minutes.
4. Solution to The Lack Of Assists
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LeBron James has to try and become the facilitator of the Miami Heat. It is a role that he claimed he would embrace before the season started.
James only had three assists, which is awful in comparison to his eight turnovers.
Throughout the game, LeBron would pick up his dribble and be trapped above the three-point line. He would then proceed to attempt an ill-advised pass.
One other solution is simply time. The Miami Heat will only become a better team as the season goes on.
There is no such thing as developing true chemistry during practice. A basketball team learns how to successfully play together after more than 30 or 40 games.
Also, Dwyane Wade was absent from most of the preseason, so it is understandable that Miami did not look that smooth.
Expect this aspect of the Heat's play to slowly improve throughout the season.
3. Too Many Turnovers
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The Miami Heat actually had less turnovers than the Boston Celtics in last night's game. Miami had 17 while Boston had 18.
The problem is that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 14 of the 17 team's turnovers.
The high amount of turnovers from the two best players on the team is not acceptable.
In a road game in Boston, the turnovers clearly hurt the Heat as it prevented the team from gaining any momentum and pumped up the opposing crowd.
3. Solution to Turnovers
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Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were playing against arguably the best defense in the NBA, but combining for 14 turnovers should still not happen.
It seemed at times as if the Heat were frustrated by the Boston crowd. The fact is that the Miami Heat better get used to playing with a target on them.
Currently, they are the enemy of every NBA city. In order to silent those crowds, the Heat cannot play sloppy basketball.
Once again, the amount of turnovers should decline as the team gets used to playing with each other. The role players need to do a better job of getting open and not stand around when James or Wade are getting double-teamed.
2. Dwyane Wade Looked Rusty
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Dwyane Wade missed most of the preseason, and it showed in the season opener against the Boston Celtics.
Wade shot a miserable 4-for-16 for only 13 points. He also committed six turnovers, canceling out his six assists.
Wade looked tired at times and rusty until the very end of the game. The problem may be that he is not used to playing with James and Bosh, but it also may be that he is still hurt.
If it was not the season opener against the Boston Celtics on national television, it would have been interesting to see if Wade would have played.
2. Solution to Wade's Struggles
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Dwyane Wade may have rushed back to the basketball floor, but now it may be too late to sit out a few games.
It is important for the "Big Three" to gain some chemistry playing with each other. However, if Wade is still suffering from an injury, he should play a different role.
If it is one of those nights when Wade is clearly off, it would be smart for him to play point guard and become a facilitator. Therefore he should contribute more than six assists.
In order for Wade to score more points, similarly to Bosh, he must get to the free-throw line more often.
Wade only took six free-throw attempts in Tuesday night's game. It will be important for him to drive more often in order to draw contact or open up the paint for Bosh.
1. More Offense From The Right Places
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The Miami Heat should score more than 80 points every game of the season. They were playing against maybe the best defense in the NBA, but with that amount of talent of the team, 80 points is simply not enough.
LeBron James scored 31 points and was the only player to score more than 20. Dwyane Wade scored 13 points, only the second Miami player to score in the double-digits.
In comparison to the Boston Celtics, four players scored in the double-digits for the defending Eastern Conference Champions.
The entire team managed to shoot an awful 36.5 percent from the field.
1. Solution to Offensive Struggles
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The Miami Heat's offensive struggles are due to a combination of things, including the previously mentioned low number of assists, in addition to the performance of Wade and Bosh.
The "Big Three" did not take too many shots against the Boston Celtics. In fact, they may not have been aggressive enough.
James Jones went 2-for-7 from the field. All of his shots came beyond the three-point line. Eddie House shot 3-for-8, while Udonis Haslem shot 3-7.
The supporting cast, mostly Jones and House, had poor shot selection throughout the game. If they are going to take that many shots, they must start converting on their opportunities.
If not, it may be important for each member of the "Big Three" to take 15 or more shots.
