Miami Heat: 15 Matchups That Will Cause Problems for the Heat in the Playoffs
The regular season success wasn't all it was cracked up to be for the Miami Heat, as they will fall well short of the 72-win record and even shorter of the 33-game win streak set 40 years ago.
At 30-13, however, the Miami Heat are in prime position to take one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference as the big three and co. look to take out teams that the Heat struggled against only a few months ago.
Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh still need to work out some aspects of their game, but overall they have all performed admirably on a new-look team in a relatively new environment.
While the regular season was basically a starting point, the postseason and beyond is the only thing on the mind of every member of the Heat. It's why players like LeBron and Bosh came here: to win a championship as soon as possible and do it many times.
Each player sacrificed millions of dollars, as well as his ego and statistics, to join forces in Miami just to have a chance at winning a few titles within the next decade.
Even with James, Wade and Bosh teamed up, it turns out that the road to the NBA Finals isn't going to be as easy as expected. In a few games against some of the elite teams of the league, the Heat have struggled to compete with the opposing teams' talent level and already-developed chemistry.
The reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics have proved that the road to the Finals still runs through their town in the East. With two wins over the Heat this season and the No. 1 seed, they're currently showing that they are still the team to beat.
Aside from Boston, the Heat still need to worry about the likes of the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks sneaking up and possibly surprising them if they do meet up in the postseason. While the Hawks are basically the same team that the Heat faced in the first round of the postseason only three seasons ago, the Magic and Bulls have new looks to them that have allowed them to propel upwards in the standings as they improve themselves game after game.
The Heat have the talent and individuals to win multiple championships, but they also need the ambition and tenacity to stay the course and pull off a feat such as winning a number of NBA championships over the next few years. The team still has its flaws, as any team would, and their egos might sometimes get the best of them, but the Heat are a team that is ready for a championship run. They only need to worry about these 15 players possibly making that harder than it should be.
15. Jrue Holiday Vs. Miami Heat Point Guards
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Previous matchups
October 27th: Six points, three assists and two rebounds in 97-87 loss.
November 26th: Nine points, six assists and five rebounds in 99-90 loss.
Don't let the stats fool you—Jrue Holiday is the real deal when it comes to the future of the point guard position.
Despite only having a combined 15 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' two losses to the Miami Heat, Holiday still averages 15 points and seven assists over 35 minutes per game in only his second season in the league.
While he wasn't exactly exceeding expectations in the first month of the 2010-11 campaign, he has greatly improved in just about every statistical category, including points, where he has scored in double digits in 12 consecutive games.
The main problem for the Heat point guards is that their defense is severely lacking. While Eddie House and Mario Chalmers are quality three-point threats and Carlos Arroyo is a formidable mid-range shooter, they don't have either the patience, discipline or quickness to keep up with a speedy point guard like Holiday. Some of Holiday's greatest strengths are his agility, ability to penetrate and ability to spot teammates for open shots.
The Heat would get the benefit of taking on Holiday in his first postseason, but if anyone remembers Derrick Rose's first postseason series, a player can never be taken lightly, no matter how old or young.
To be serious, a Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers postseason series might not go beyond four games if the Heat don't take light of the situation. The Heat dominated in both games despite each game being decided by 10 points or less. In fact, the Heat had as much as a 30-point lead in the team's first matchup on October 27th in Philly. The Sixers managed to keep up with the Heat in the second game but could not hit enough shots to get it within a reasonable deficit.
14. Brandon Rush Vs. Dwyane Wade
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Previous Matchups
November 22nd: 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 93-77 win.
The Miami Heat were about to hit rock bottom when they took on the Indiana Pacers. It came only a few days after a buzzer-beating loss at Memphis and a few days before a date at the new Amway Center with the Orlando Magic, and it was basically a game that the Heat could have used as a momentum builder into Orlando.
Instead of looking at it like that, the Heat either took the Pacers too lightly or were already looking towards Orlando. They were decimated by the Pacers, who never relinquished the lead as the American Airlines Arena crowd jeered at their big three.
A lot has changed since then, but Brandon Rush's tenacity on defense hasn't. While his 20 points were key in their victory earlier in the season, it was his defense that sealed the deal for an easy road victory.
Dwyane Wade was just coming off an injury that had kept him out the game before, and Rush looked to take advantage of the ailing Wade. He did just that, as he held Dwyane to one of his worst games over his illustrious eight-year career by yielding only three points on 1-of-13 shooting in 37 minutes' worth of game time.
To give Wade the benefit of the doubt, he still might have been recovering from the injury that he had suffered only a few days prior, but it's no excuse for missing 13 of 14 shots and only scoring three points and going to the foul line just once. The one free throw was a clear indication that Wade wasn't ready to drive and put his body on the line, yet there is still so much to expect out of Wade. Rush is a tough defender and could give Wade some trouble if he can frustrate him enough into bad shots and weak defense.
13. Brandon Bass Vs. Chris Bosh
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Previous Matchups
October 29th: Nine points, six rebounds and one assist in 96-70 loss.
November 24th: 18 points, six rebounds and one assist in 104-95 win.
We'll let Brandon Bass and the Orlando Magic off for their first matchup with the Heat considering it was probably their worst shooting performance, and overall offensive performance, since Dwight Howard joined the team.
Their second matchup, however, was an indication of just how dangerous the Magic can be with their inside and outside game. While J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson scored the majority from outside and Dwight Howard scored the most from inside, it was Brandon Bass leading the way from mid-range and inside, as he scored 18 off the bench.
Following their blockbuster trade, Bass has replaced Rashard Lewis as the starting power forward, as he adds another interior and mid-range threat to an already volatile and dangerous Orlando Magic starting lineup.
While his matchup, Chris Bosh, is a quality offensive scorer, he could give CB1 nightmares if he uses his body to grab rebounds over the lanky power forward. Rebounding against bigger forwards has already proved to be a problem for Bosh, as he has also allowed players like Zach Randolph to go off simply because of their rebounding.
While Bass won't be expected to register 20 and 10 per night, he is completely capable of hitting an extremely important 15 and 8 in a postseason series. Chris has without a doubt improved since November 24th, but he still has problems with out-rebounding bigger players in the paint. Facing a player with the size of Bass, as well as fighting with Dwight Howard, could lead to the demise of the Heat if they can't find Bosh some help under the rim.
12. Andrew Bynum Vs. Miami Heat Centers
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Previous matchups
December 25th: Six points, five rebounds and one block in 96-80 loss.
Since the signings of the big three in Miami, the matchup that the majority of the NBA community longed for was the Heat to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in their attempt for a second three-peat.
We were able to see one meeting between the teams already in a Christmas Day game at the Staples Center. The Lakers were at the beginning of their slight losing skid, and the Heat were at their highest point in a 15-1 December. Miami controlled the game from tip-off and won easily by 16.
When healthy, one of the Lakers' biggest strengths is their frontcourt size. They have now been attempting for years to center their defense on center Andrew Bynum, who is still recovering from an injury that kept him out the first month of the season.
In his Christmas Day matchup with the Heat, he came off the bench to score six points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. In the short time he played, it was clear that Bynum did have the talent to become an All-Star center in the league, as he exploited a few of the Heat's weaknesses in the middle.
Luckily for the Heat, and many other Western Conference teams, Bynum has only played in one 82-game season and has played in 65 games or fewer the other four. He continues to work his way back into the rotation after a near two-month layoff as he also attempts to avoid too much wear and tear on already weak knees. When healthy, however, he could pose a large problem for the Heat's centers, as he might take advantage of a key matchup if the series was to happen.
11. Joe Johnson Vs. Dwyane Wade
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Previous matchup
January 18th: 19 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in 93-89 win.
The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks have created an impressive rivalry over the past few seasons that has come complete with a seven-game series in the first round of the playoffs and now a competitive race to the Southeast Division title that is only separated by two games.
Miami leads the way by two games, but the Hawks have been streaking as of late, winning eight of their past 10 games. Unlike Miami, though, Atlanta hasn't seen too much postseason success, as it looks towards its $120 million man in Joe Johnson to lead the way.
Johnson has recovered from a slow start to the season with an impressive January where he scored at least 24 points in every game until he struggled against Miami. Johnson was key in the Hawks' latest win against the Heat, as he found his teammates for open scores in overtime while also making a few key baskets himself along the way, including the game-tying lay-in during regulation.
Joe has been criticized for not being worth the $120 million he will be making over the next six years, and he will need to make a deep postseason run to prove his critics wrong.
The two advantages Johnson holds over Wade are his superior three-point shooting and the three inches of height that he holds over Dwyane as well. While Dwyane did hold Johnson to 8-of-24 shooting in their loss to Atlanta, Joe could still erupt at any time from beyond the arc and in the paint if he is able to use his larger size to his advantage. Wade is a lockdown defender, but his risky defense at times could allow a three-point shooter in Johnson to thrive from beyond the arc.
10. Andrew Bogut Vs. Miami Heat Centers
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Previous matchups
December 6th: 11 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in 88-78 loss.
January 4th: 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 101-89 loss.
January 7th: 12 points, 27 rebounds and two blocks in 101-95 loss.
Chances are unlikely that the Milwaukee Bucks will even make the postseason with the way they've been playing lately, but even if they do eke in as an eighth seed, they could still pose as a threat to just about any team they step up against.
They have a quality point guard, Brandon Jennings, decent role players in Carlos Delfino and John Salmons and a superior center in Andrew Bogut. Miami matches up well at just about every position except against the 7'0" Australian.
Even though the Heat have taken all three games in the four-game series thus far, they needed late-game flurries to win them. While Bogut wasn't scoring at will against a capable defender in Erick Dampier, he was rebounding with ease, as he set a career high in their latest matchup with an absurd 27 caroms, 20 of them defensive. Andrew is a key component of a Bucks team that was one of the most dangerous teams in the league only a season ago.
While Bogut still isn't at 100 percent—he was injured for a few games already this season—he will be a huge part of the team if he is healthy and if the team has another late-season push to give them a playoff spot. Andrew will no doubt play a part for the rest of the regular season as he continues to develop into the No. 1 pick the Bucks have hoped for. The only solutions for the Heat to defend Bogut would be to send out Dampier and Jamaal Magloire to bang with him under the net for loose balls while also limiting his offense.
9. Shaquille O'Neal and Kendrick Perkins Vs. Miami Heat Centers
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Previous matchups
October 26th: Nine points and seven rebounds in 88-80 win.
November 11th: Five points and seven rebounds in 112-107 win.
The days of Shaquille O'Neal leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a three-peat seem like an eternity ago, and it appears that his production on both sides of the ball has completely dropped off since then as well.
Nevertheless, O'Neal has filled in admirably for the usual starter in Kendrick Perkins, as Shaq uses his big body to alter shots, grab the occasional rebound and score the occasional point. He has also proved that his game is not completely lost, as he recently scored 23 against Brook Lopez and the New Jersey Nets.
It's the same story and different players for the Heat's centers, as they are most likely to take on Perkins come postseason time if the two do eventually meet up. Perkins hasn't played since Game 6 of the NBA Finals, where he injured his leg and has been rehabbing it since.
The Celtics front office made the right moves by signing not only Shaquille O'Neal, but also Jermaine O'Neal, as well as drafting Luke Harangody to fill in the void. The Celtics haven't lost a step, as they currently hold the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Perkins and O'Neal are a lot of size to handle for a weak center position. Zydrunas Ilgauskas isn't nearly enough to contain O'Neal or Perkins, and Joel Anthony doesn't have the size, so it basically comes upon Jamaal Magloire and Erick Dampier to limit the rebounding and scoring of the two Celtics big men. Scoring won't come as handily for O'Neal, but Perkins' offensive game is a bit more polished and could pose as a problem alongside his rebounding and defense.
8. Carlos Boozer Vs. Chris Bosh
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Previous matchups
January 15th: 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 99-96 win.
Could the Heat have been better off signing Carlos Boozer and not Chris Bosh? Possibly. But what does it matter when the team is at 30-13 and the big three are already developing a chemistry that has seemingly withstood barrages from just about every NBA team?
In Chicago, there is a team headed by Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer that is flying under the radar in the Eastern Conference standings as it sneaks near the No. 1 spot that hasn't been held in Chicago since Michael Jordan was lighting up Karl Malone.
Since coming back from an injury that kept him out the first few weeks of the regular season, Boozer has barely needed any time to get back on track, as he has scored in double-digits in every game since a December 8th win against Cleveland where he only played 21 minutes. He has also recorded double digits in rebounds in seven of the nine games he has played in January.
At 20 points and 10 rebounds, Carlos has become quite the asset, as he and Rose form a formidable duo that can compete with just about any other duo in the league.
Boozer didn't perform too admirably in the Bulls' first meeting with the Heat, but he did enough to will out a three-point victory against the LeBron James-less Heat. Boozer poses a matchup problem against Bosh mostly because of his size and his superior post game that Bosh could have trouble defending. Chris gives up nearly 30 pounds to Carlos, and Boozer could use his size to his advantage to create a mismatch that could require some help from Bosh's teammates.
7. Joakim Noah Vs. Miami Heat Centers
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Previous matchups
None to date.
It might appear that the Chicago Bulls don't even miss Joakim Noah at the moment, but it's going to make that team even scarier when he does return.
Considering the Bulls have had Kurt Thomas at center over the past few weeks, their 29-14 record is nothing short of a brilliant start to a new-look team that has a championship on its mind.
Unfortunately, they have had to play without Noah for the past month and haven't had a true gauge of just how good their team is when at full strength.
Prior to his injury, Noah was averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds, which equates to the best season of his young career if he continued to play at the pace he was. If they can get any positives out of the situation, the Bulls should at least feel lucky that the injury happened to Noah's thumb and not to his legs, an injury that would be a disaster for any player near 7'0". Joakim has used his legs over the past two seasons to his advantage as he rids himself of the bust label and becomes one of the top rebounders of the league.
It's another problem for Heat centers mostly because of the fact that Noah is one of the elite rebounding centers of the league. He averaged 11 per game last season and is well on his way to eclipsing that this season if he continues to progress as a player, as well as continuing to work on his game. Not only that, but he is a decent scorer as well, as he can hit from inside as well as mid-range.
The 14 points he was averaging was three more points than last season's average, as it became apparent that Joakim might be the real deal when it comes to the future of NBA centers.
6. San Antonio Spurs Bench Vs. Miami Heat Bench
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Previous matchups
None to date.
If there has been any disappointment of the Heat's 30-13 season, it has been the play of their bench. Due to two injuries to their sixth and seventh men in Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, the Heat have had to rely on the likes of James Jones and Juwan Howard to fill in the shoes of far superior players.
Haslem and Miller have yet to play with each other in the regular season, as Udonis suffered his foot injury in November while Miller returned in December.
Having players like Mario Chalmers and James Jones as the primary scorers off the bench makes the San Antonio Spurs bench look all the more impressive. If it wasn't enough that the Spurs starting lineup consists of NBA champions in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the bench has also stepped up to aid the Spurs in their astounding 35-6 start.
Players like George Hill, Gary Neal and Matt Bonner are quality contributors, as they can support the older players of the starting lineup. The veteran Antonio McDyess and the Brazilian Tiago Splitter have also supported the frontcourt when Duncan and DeJuan Blair leave the floor.
One of the Heat's largest problems off the bench has been the injuries suffered by the two biggest contributors off the pine. Rather than Miller and Haslem, third unit players in Chalmers, Howard and Joel Anthony are playing alongside the big three. It's going to be extremely detrimental to the Heat if these two do have an NBA Finals matchup and their bench isn't 100 percent.
The Spurs bench has been able to support the starting lineup all season. The postseason would be the best time for the Heat bench to start stepping up as well.
5. Kevin Garnett Vs. Chris Bosh
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Previous matchups
October 26th: 10 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 88-80 win.
November 11th: 16 points, 13 rebounds and two assists in 112-107 win.
The entire starting Boston Celtics lineup should be on this list because of just how badly they have tormented the Heat since joining forces prior to the 2007-08 season. They've only lost once since the original big three was brought together and are 2-0 this season.
While it's a given that the Heat weren't exactly ready to take on a well-developed, chemistry-laden team such as the Celtics, it was clear that the road to the NBA Finals through the East still ran through Boston.
No member of this team is as effective as Kevin Garnett. All the credit in the world can be given to Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, but it's Garnett's tenacity, emotion and ambition that have propelled this team to two NBA Finals appearances in the past three seasons. Even in the postseason where he sat out, Garnett was rallying his team from the sideline.
Kevin is known for also using his emotions to get inside the heads of opposing players as a way to throw them off their game and get them frustrated.
Chris Bosh struggled mightily in the season opener, as he was held to only eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, but redeemed himself somewhat in the second matchup, as he scored 15 points on an improved 6-of-10 from the field. Garnett is a quality defender and rebounder who could greatly affect Bosh's game if he can keep up with the younger forward. Chances are high that he will, and it will be up to Chris to find a way to score against Garnett's hard-nosed, in your face defense.
4. Ray Allen Vs. Dwyane Wade
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Previous matchups
October 26th: 20 points, 5-of-8 from the three-point stripe.
November 11th: 35 points, 7-of-9 from the three-point stripe.
Call him the most effective and dangerous 35-year-old in the NBA right now. Ray Allen has made a living out of irking opposing teams with his timely baskets and his ability to hit three-pointers from anywhere within half court at the worst possible times for the other team.
The Miami Heat have already fallen victim to this once this year, when a huge comeback was ended after Allen hit a three-point dagger to put the game away. His theatrics weren't needed as much in the second game, as he came out firing and hitting on his way to 7-of-9 from beyond the arc.
This isn't anything new to the Heat, as Ray Allen has had some sort of personal vendetta against the team since joining Boston. Dwyane Wade is a quality defender and is completely capable of guarding a 35-year-old three-point specialist, but his biggest problem is that he takes far too many risks against such a deadly shooter. Wade tends to go for home runs by means of a steal in the passing lane en route to an easy fast break dunk rather than sticking one-on-one with his man.
The first two games were utter disappointments for Wade, as he grew frustrated on offense and then allowed it to affect his defense by trying to intercept passes for fast break scores. Allen isn't the type of player to leave open at any time, and he should be under a watchful eye for the entirety of the game because of the threat of a potential three-pointer that could get him hot and switch momentum.
3. Derrick Rose Vs. Miami Heat Point Guards
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Previous matchup
January 15th: 34 points, eight assists and four rebounds in 99-96 win.
Call it the year of the point guard, but the Miami Heat have their plates full with elite point guards to face in the Eastern Conference. From Jameer Nelson to Rajon Rondo, the Heat will have to face at least two of these point guards if they want to make a legitimate run for the championship.
Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls could come in either the second round or the conference finals if the planets align. Hopefully Rose and Chicago will come in the second round, which would allow the Heat to gain experience on how exactly to defend elite point guards for a seven-game series.
Unlike Rondo, Derrick Rose is a shoot first, explosive point guard who has the ability to take over any game at any given moment. He is deserving of all the MVP talk this season, as the Heat became firsthand witnesses to it during their 99-96 loss to the Chicago Bulls earlier this week. Rose used his agility and pure talent to decimate the Heat's point guards as he led the Bulls to a win after blowing a double-digit lead late in the game.
It's the same issue for the Heat, as they don't have a point guard that is special enough on defense to contain a player as quick as Rose. The only two players that are capable would be Wade and James, but it would be a risky move to have either worn out as they attempt to guard a player who is always on the move. The only solution to guarding Rose would be to have a quick point guard like Chalmers defending him with Wade and James helping out.
Rose is just as deadly as any other point guard in the league, and the Chicago Bulls are an unheralded team that could make a deep push into the postseason if teams cannot find an answer for the Rose-Boozer combination.
2. Dwight Howard Vs. Miami Heat Centers
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Previous matchups
October 29th: 19 points, seven rebounds and one block in 96-70 loss.
November 24th: 24 points, 18 rebounds and one block in 104-95 win.
It's the biggest mismatch in the NBA for any team. No matter how good of a defensive center a team has, they will always need to throw at least one more player to double-team Dwight Howard into a difficult shot that doesn't result in a foul.
As if it didn't get bad enough for the Eastern Conference, and every other NBA team for that matter, Howard has worked with Hakeem Olajuwon on a more polished offensive game that is becoming more effective each and every night.
The fact that the Heat's primary centers have been Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Joel Anthony and Erick Dampier isn't exactly helping either. The second game of the series was Howard on any regular day, as he scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in an easy Orlando victory.
The first game appeared to be another Dwight Howard night, as he scored 19 in the first half, but he failed to score a basket in the second as he was limited by foul trouble for most of the way.
If Dwight isn't in foul trouble, however, the Heat don't have any clear way of stopping Howard from scoring. The Cleveland Cavaliers' demise a few postseasons ago came at the hands of Dwight and the Orlando Magic, where he absolutely bullied Ilgauskas into a six-game series win.
The only centers that could compete with Howard would be Erick Dampier, Jamaal Magloire and Dexter Pittman. Each player has the size to contain Dwight, but they are either too limited in minutes or too inexperienced to guard a player like Howard.
The center position has been a recurring issue for the Heat, and they'll need to figure out a solution if they do meet up with Howard and the Magic late in the postseason.
1. Rajon Rondo Vs. Miami Heat Point Guards
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Previous matchups
October 26th: Four points, five rebounds and 17 assists in 88-80 win.
November 11th: Eight points, three rebounds and 16 assists in 112-107 win.
12 points in two games doesn't exactly spell out success, but we're sure the 33 combined assists was what gave the Boston Celtics two easy victories against the Miami Heat.
The combined losses between the two games might only be 13, yet each game was Rajon Rondo's from the start, as he picked apart the Heat defense and did whatever he felt like when he was able to penetrate.
The problem for Miami was that he was able to penetrate on nearly every possession. His play starts from when he gets the ball past half court, as he either uses a pick and roll or a crossover to work himself into the teeth of the defense. From there he will attract defenders that are trying to defend his dangerous driving, which allows Rondo's teammates to get open for an easy two points.
Rondo's court awareness and high basketball IQ allow him to find his talented teammates for a score from just about anywhere.
Carlos Arroyo and Eddie House hardly provided an answer in the first two games, as Erik Spoelstra elected to use LeBron James to defend Rondo late in the game. Having Mario Chalmers back in the rotation hardly helps the situation, as he is prone to making bad decisions, especially late in games, and is far too undisciplined to defend a player of Rondo's caliber in a postseason game.
The only way to control Rondo is by keeping him out beyond the arc. He isn't an impressive shooter and can't work against a defense as easily when the attention of the opposing team isn't completely focused on him. It's nearly impossible to stop Rondo, but it is possible to control him and at least limit him from controlling the tempo and pace of the game.
