Miami Heat Woes: 5 Concerns the New Orleans Hornets Exposed in Their Victory
On Friday night, the Miami Heat flew into New Orleans with the idea of getting their fifth win of the season against an undefeated club. What they left with was a loss and further plodding and poking by their detractors and haters.
The Miami Heat currently stand at 4-2 this season with its newly formed All-Star trio. Last year, they were 5-1 through six games and arguably a more difficult schedule.
At this point in the season last year, the Heat had faced three playoff teams (Denver, Chicago and Phoenix), going 2-1. It would’ve been a 3-0 record had the Heat not relinquished a 15-point third-quarter lead vs the Suns. This season they have only faced two teams that made the playoffs last season and are 1-1.
Being that it’s early in the season, their record isn’t much of a concern as it is ground for folks to further criticize them for their offseason signings. So one shouldn’t be surprised by all the idiotic and premature blogs, as well as articles sprouting up after a loss to a very good and undefeated New Orleans club.
This is something the Miami Heat team and fanbase will have to endure for the rest of the season and arguably the rest of their career. Anytime they lose, it will be major headway because idiots are being allowed to present false truths.
What amazes me is that people fail to realize that last night the Heat faced a very talented team. One that is just three years removed from a 56-win season. Heck, they won 49 games just two seasons ago with Tyson Chandler only playing 45 games and Peja Stojakovic 61.
Too often we as fans look at a team's final record and not give much thought to how they got there.
The Hornets employ basically the same system that led to their 56 wins three years ago; only this year's club is being fueled by a hungrier, more seasoned Chris Paul and a more balanced supporting cast that wants to keep him as their leader in New Orleans.
But most importantly, folks forget that the NBA isn’t about how much talent you can acquire as a whole. It’s about how many matchup advantages a team can take advantage of. And that is why the Hornets defeated the Heat last night more than anything.
It wasn’t because they were a better club or played harder or smarter than Miami. They won because they exploited their advantages more so than the Heat did theirs. It’s the same reason the Celtics beat Miami and why Miami beat the Orlando Magic.
The Hornets exposed several key holes in what Miami has and doesn’t have to combat the other 29 teams in the NBA. And if Miami has any hopes of becoming the best team in the league they will need to have guys become something they are not or get guys who can do what needs to be done.
5. Lack of an Enforcer???
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One of the most ignored aspects of the NBA game is the influence of an enforcer or intimidator. The so-called experts and analyst have neglected the importance of that.
Teams don’t win titles in this league because they employ the most talent or skill. They win because they out-tough and inflict fear in their opponents.
It’s why Garnett and Kobe Bryant employ the dirty tactics that they do. They as champions understand that it’s hard for a player to execute at his full abilities if his head isn’t focused completely on the task at hand. And you better believe they have passed this lesson down to their teammates.
Paul Pierce wasn’t this tough before Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins definitely didn’t talk or frown as much. Pau Gasol was never this cocky and brash in Memphis, and Odom was cotton soft until he came into the Heat organization and got coached up by Riley and Stan Van Gundy.
Think of how the Detroit Pistons led by Chauncey Billups or the New Jersey Net teams led by Jason Kidd. Those clubs weren’t the most skilled or talented teams, but they sure as hell had an enforcer or two to bust somebody in the chops.
The Miami Heat is a first-class organization that is being controlled by a guy who places class over anything else. Unlike in New York, where his clubs were as nasty as they come, Riley has done everything within his power to make sure that the Heat organization wasn’t portrayed in the same light.
The Heat has always had a reputation for being tough and hard-nosed. However, they have never been thought of as a team you had to fear or worry about anything other than playing basketball.
The last two tough guys the Heat had were Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton. Pathetic, one would think, especially being that they are nearly three plus years removed from the team.
The 2010-2011 Heat team has one player willing to be that kind of guy. His name is Jamaal Magloire, and he’s currently buried on the bench, even though he’s a better player than the Heat’s current starter. Other than that, the rest of them play friendly and pretty much stay within the confines of fair play.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are arguably the top two players in the league and tough within their own right. Neither one of them is going to back down if challenged to a fight with anyone.
But they also aren’t the kind of guys that are going to take a cheap shot at a guy to send a message that could affect the rest of the game.
They also aren’t going to elbow, grab and hold a player like Kobe Bryant does. They aren’t going to shove and throw cheap elbows like Kevin Garnett does. And because they don’t, neither will their supporting cast.
So that leaves them stuck relying solely on talent, where as the Lakers and Celtics can rely on talent and intimidation.
4. Poor Defense Against Defending Point Guard Penetration???
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Like the Los Angeles Lakers and unlike the Boston Celtics, the Heat struggle with keeping penetrating point guards out of the lane. This has created breakdowns in what is otherwise the most disruptive defense in the NBA.
The problem lies with the inadequacies of the teams incumbent point guard: Carlos Arroyo. Arroyo provides nice size at his position being that he’s 6’2" and about 210 pounds. But that size is negated by him being athletically challenged. He’s easily the least athletic and arguably slowest starter at his position in all the NBA.
Arroyo wouldn’t start for any other team in the NBA if he was a part of them. Why the Heat continue to start him remains a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
Last season’s opening day starter, Mario Chalmers, led a lesser Heat club to a 5-1 record to begin the season. The All-Star point guards he was tasked with defending were Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups and Gilbert Arenas. The Heat went 3-1 against them.
In Chalmers' 23 starts last season, 14 were against teams that had players with the distinction of being an NBA All-Star. The Heat would win seven of those games. Keep in mind that last years club did not feature two-time MVP LeBron James and five-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh.
Add to that, Chalmers was the starter on a Heat team that won 43 games when he was a rookie in 2008-2009.
His athletic ability and ability to make plays on the defensive end of the floor greatly exceed those of Arroyo. Yet still Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra continues to play the lesser player.
If a change isn’t made, the Heat better pray come playoff time that a team with a great penetrator at the point position isn’t in their way.
3. Lack Of Offensive Talent???
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Once you get past the All-Star trio of Miami, there is a huge drop off in creativity and offensive prowess. To be honest, they are arguably the least talented group of scorers in all the NBA.
Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Bosh can create for themselves or others. However, the rest of the team is piss-poor at doing so. Outside of Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Jerry Stackhouse, no one on the Heat strikes fear in defenders and even the three of them are a stretch at being scoring threats.
On nights that two of the Heat trio struggle to be efficient, they will struggle as a whole. This is an issue that can be addressed by inserting a more versatile offense that better suits the talents of the players. That’s the only way I see it being addressed.
I doubt that anyone in the league is going to assist them through a trade, and Riley isn’t going to cut anyone to sign a potential option like Rashad McCants.
2. James and Bosh Struggle To Be Efficient in the Shadow of Wade???
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When the All-Star trio decided to join tandem, it was already perceived that they would have growing pains. The biggest fraction was to come at the offensive end and how the trio would mesh.
What was perceived as a given was that Bosh and Wade would have to adjust their games to fit the style of James, the two-time NBA MVP. I think I was the only one in my circle of life that suggested that Wade was the planet in which James and Bosh would have to orbit.
Well currently, Wade is leading the Heat in PER (player efficiency rating). He’s also leading the trio in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, steals, blocks and free throws.
As a matter of speaking, Wade has maintained basically the same usage percentage. It was 34.9 last season, and it’s 34.4 as of last night's game.
James and Bosh have had moments of looking very at ease in a Heat uniform; too bad the vast majority has come with Wade on the bench. Wade on the other hand has seamlessly made the transition of playing with the James and Bosh look easier than chewing gum.
There are no guarantees in life, so it can’t just be presumed that the three players will figure it out. This will be a job that needs to be tackled from a organization standpoint.
As of the moment, Wade is the Heat's best player. The question remains if James and Bosh can handle that.
1. Inept Head Coaching???
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Erik Spoelstra is the man in charge of leading this team to a title. Regardless of what fans think, this isn’t James', Wade's or even Bosh’s team. They belong to Spoelstra, and he must put them in the best position to be successful.
Currently he isn’t doing that. He’s instead relying on the overall abilities of the big three and banking on that being enough.
He folds during adverse times and has never shown the ability to get his team to raise the level of their ability when things aren’t going their way. Had Wade not been on this team the past two seasons, Spoelstra would not have a job.
The biggest knock on Spoelstra is his inability to be flexible with his players. He has this unrealistic perception of players being perfect, and when they aren’t what he perceives, they get to sit beside him.
This wouldn’t be that big a deal if the rule applied to every player, but apparently it only holds true in regards to young, developing players.
In his book, veterans can make mistakes, but younger players have to be held accountable for a lack of experience. This kind of behavior can cause a team to lose a player.
Being that the Heat aren’t the most talented team once you get past the three stars, they are in no position for that to happen.
It’s too late to address the situation now, but Pat Riley missed a golden opportunity to sign Byron Scott this offseason. It’s a decision that may cause the Heat to miss out on winning multiple championships.
