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The road to the chip just got tougher, Free Agent Rumors

The road to the chip just got a little harder for the Heat, Free Agent Rumors

Trimming the Fat

News about the NBA restart is gaining steam. The latest proposal is the top 22 teams (overall) will head to the Disney sports complex near Orlando to play a series of games to determine to seed, commence playoffs, and segway into regular offseason duties. If accepted, the restart proposal will officially take place on July 31st. This begs the question: What does this do for the Heat?

Before COVID-19 putting a halt to the season, Miami sat at fourth (41-24) in the conference. This is good enough to be one of the teams selected to compete for seeding and a chance at the time. The downside, however, is the remaining 21 teams are much more competitive and are mostly coming from the west. To make matters worse, each of these teams will be motivated to lay everything on the line knowing that each game will count for this season. The Heat will not only have to bring their “A” game every game but also remain focused. Standing in their way would be loaded teams like the Celtics, Clippers, and Lakers. Every game they will play teams that will have more star power or more chemistry so this will be the ultimate test for a team that has 1st-year newcomers in Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and others. Despite these circumstances, the Heat are more than capable to compete for a title. Their 40+ win season record backs this up.

Last Minute Tune-ups?

Rumors are circulating that the Heat are interested in acquiring Demarcus Cousins through free agency as a last-minute signing before the restart takes place. I’m not sure how true this rumor is but I like the move. It’s a low-cost low-risk situation. Demarcus Cousins was arguably the best (or one of the best centers) before suffering from his string of injuries dating back to 2018. At 29 years-old, Cousins can produce but injuries and durability remain a question. The Heat has some depth in the big-man positions, but Cousins ability would make them more versatile plus the Heat’s playing style could help balance Cousins gameplay and conditioning, thus reviving his profile as an elite offensive threat.

Notice Update

Hey guys, thank you so much for your patience. I do apologize about the lack of content lately. I will continue to provide content to this site. In the meantime, catch me on Macro Sports. I’ll be providing content to the site too as a freelance writer. Link is below. Thank you again for your support and take care.

https://acp2017.wixsite.com/macrosports/post/biggest-overachievers-underachievers-of-the-2020-nba-season

Five thoughts about the Miami Heat vs Golden State Warriors

Seeing Double

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo both posted double-double performances in last night’s win over the Golden State Warriors. Both players combined for almost half of Miami’s 55 rebounds. According to ESPN, Butler led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Adebayo picked up 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Strength in numbers

Heat acquisitions Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala both contributed significantly to the Heat’s road win. Crowder dropped 21 points and eight boards while Iggy grabbed a bucket, five rebounds, and two assists. The Heat also got plenty of help from the bench. Goran Dragic also scored 15 points while Kelly Olynyk dropped 15 as well.

50
50 is the magic number. That is the total number of points that Miami scored in the paint. Why does this matter? Since the beginning of this season, Miami had developed more into a perimeter threat with the shooting ability of Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Although this is against a KD, Steph and Klay-less Warriors team this is a promising sign. This shows that Miami can adjust and won’t resort to being a one-dimensional team should their shots not drop. This is especially important since the playoffs are right around the corner.

Push for Playoffs

Following last night’s win, Miami sits in fourth in the conference, three games behind the Boston Celtics. As the regular winds down the push to maintain a top seed are becoming more urgent. Losses to the Trailblazers, Clippers, and Kings pushed Miami down to the fourth seed. Miami still has plenty of time to climb back up the conference but with under 30 games left it won’t be easy.

Final Thoughts

Although the Heat lost three games straight before taking out the Warriors, they are still in a good position in the east. After acquiring Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Solomon Hill through trades, Heat President Pat Riley made it clear that he is taking another shot at building another super team? Is this team championship contenders? Not yet but I believe that they can make it to the finals. Only time will tell.

Weekly Recap 1/23: There’s no place like home

The Heat (30-13 Overall, 19-6 Conference) narrow the game for first in the conference defeating the Washington Wizards, 134-129. According to ESPN.com, Tyler Herro led the Heat with 25 points, three rebounds and two assists in the game. Wizards star guard Bradley Beal led all scorers with 38 points in the game. It was a high scoring affair that ended with Heat Forward James Johnson hitting the game-tying three and coming up with a clutch block to send the game into overtime. From there, Miami outscored the Wizards 16-11 to hold on to the win and extend their home record to 20-1.

Just a few nights earlier, Miami was able to hold off the Sacramento Kings (15-28 Overall, 7-15 Away) in overtime, 118-113. Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the game. It was another high scoring game that ended with Kings Forward Nemanja Bjelica and Heat Center Bam Adebayo trading buckets to send the game into overtime. Miami stepped up and outscored the Kings 13-8 to send Sacramento back home.

A very large part of Miami’s success comes from their home games. By how the Heat has performed this season they could go to the finals if all their games were played at home. They have the second-best home record in the conference with Milwaukee having a better record. At home, Miami was able to beat many projected title-contending teams like the 76ers, Rockets, Raptors en route to being the second-best team in the conference. Not to mention having a positive record against teams that are both above and below .500, shows show consistency the Heat has maintained. The last time the Heat suffered a loss at home came over a month ago when they were defeated 113-110 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, they have won nine straight home games.

As All-Star Weekend approaches, Miami has shown no signs of slowing down. Being just halfway done with the season I’m am surprised we continued to maintain a top 3 position given the opposition we faced from the beginning of the year. Miami’s success this year is a credit to the plan put in place by Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. Ladies and gentlemen this team has slowly been revamped, piece by piece, starting from two years ago and now they are only a person away from being an outright title-contending team. Although this current squad has massively outperformed there expectations for this year. It is safe to say Riley want to rebuild another title-winning team and one that will last for multiple seasons.

Weekly Recap 12/22: Heating up at the right time

The Heat (22-8 Overall, 15-2 Conference) remain third in the conference after while riding a three-game winning streak. According to ESPN.com, Miami started its week with an overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks (16-7 Overall, 10-4 Conference), 135-121. Kendrick Nunn stepped up and led the Heat with 36 points. It was a high scoring game that went into overtime after Jimmy Butler hit a late 3-pointer to tie the score. From there Miami went on an 18-4 run to put away the Hawks and extend their lead in the division.

Miami would lose a nail-biter to the Lakers (24-7 Overall, 16-4 Conference), at home, a few days later. They lost the matchup 113-110. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 61 points en route to the win. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 15 points with four assists to help the Lakers knock off the Heat. Meanwhile, the Heat had five players in double figures. Butler scored 23 points for the Heat. While both teams struggled to shoot from deep, many Heat players were uncharacteristically cold. The Heat converted 30% from three. Although Miami was able to capitalize on sloppy turnovers from a stacked Lakers squad, they could not pull out the win.

Miami would go back to their winning ways, beating the Dallas Mavericks (19-10 Overall, 11-4 Conference) on the road, 122-118. According to NBA.com, Butler led the Heat with 27 points and five other players were in double digits. After Butler converted both free throws to send the game into overtime, Miami mounted a 10-6 run to leave Dallas with the win. Miami suffers another road defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies (11-20) before starting a three-game winning streak against Philadelphia 76ers (23-10), New York Knicks (7-24) and Utah Jazz (18-12).

As we head into the new year, Miami is hitting its stride. They are on top of the division and third in the conference. The fact that they can sustain this type of success against the top clubs in the NBA, shows the comradery and belief the players have in each other and the organization. Not enough recognition is being given to Jimmy Butler when it comes to talking about MVP candidates and the same goes for Spolestra with Coach of the Year. Week by week, Miami is slowly turning heads and people are beginning to take notice. However, Miami has some work to do to be prepared for playoffs when the time comes.

Weekend Recap 12/8: Ice blood fuels road wins

Basketball ball, board and net in front of big modern basketball arena with flares and lights

The Heat (17-6 Overall, 12-2 Conference) sit at third in the conference after winning three out of four games for the week. According to ESPN.com, Miami started their week defeating the Toronto Raptors (16-7 Overall, 10-4 Conference) in overtime, 121-110. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with a crucial triple-double performance to seal the win over the Raptors. It was a high scoring affair that ended with Butler converting both free throws to send the game into OT. From there Miami was locked in on defense, holding Toronto to just two points in the period. Butler came alive and scored half of Miami’s 13 points to hand the Raptors their first loss at home for the season.

Miami would lose to the Boston Celtics (17-5 Overall, 11-2 Conference), in Boston, a few days later. They lost that matchup 93-112. Kemba Walker and Jaylen combined for 59 points en route to the win. Jayson Tatum scored 19 points and was active on the defensive end, grabbing five rebounds and three blocks. Meanwhile, it was a rough night for Miami. Butler scored 37 points for Miami, but it was nowhere near enough to erase the deficit. Many Heat players struggled shooting the ball. To add insult to injury, turned over the ball 19 times compared to Boston’s 11. Boston also scored 26 points from the free-throw line whereas Miami scored 11.

Miami would go back to their winning ways, knocking off the Washington Wizards (7-15 Overall, 3-6 Conference) at home, 112-103. According to NBA.com, Butler logged his second triple-double and Bam Adebayo scored his career-high in the game. Miami was down at halftime, 65-61. From there Heat battled back offensively and defensively to send the Wizards home. Butler iced the game with a three-pointer late in the fourth to extend the lead to eight. He led the Heat with 28 points while four other players also ended the night in double figures. Miami would end their week with a slim win over the Chicago Bulls (8-17 Overall, 5-11 Conference). In the second game of the series, despite a stronger effort from the Bulls, Tyler Herro stepped up and knocked down clutch threes to keep Miami perfect at home, 110-105.

As the season continues, I feel the Heat are continuing to improve with every win. Being able to at least secure a road win against Toronto was what this team needed. Although losing to Boston deflated that feeling, being able to knock off one of the top teams in the east is a good step moving forward. Although Butler had been on a tear for Miami, Herro and Adebayo has quietly been very productive as well. Despite this, I want to see Kendrick Nunn more. He’s been struggling for a few games now and has gone quiet. When he gets going Miami is almost unbeatable. I just hope he gets out of this slump soon. If Miami continues to win at home and on the road and move up in the conference, a serious discussion needs to be had about Eric Spoelstra being in contention for Coach of the Year.

Weekend Recap: Dr. Jekyll on the road; Mr. Hyde at home

The Heat (14-5 Overall, 9-1 Conf.) drop to third in the conference after winning two out of their three games for the week. Miami started their week defeating the Hornets(8-13 Overall,6-8 Conf.), 117-100. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler both scored 21 points each to push the Heat over a scrappy Charlotte team, led by former Boston Celtic Terry Rozier. After being down by 11 at halftime, the Hornets hung around thanks to sloppy turnovers from the Heat. However, the Heat got back to basics and attacked the paint, putting away the Hornets.

Miami would lose to the Houston Rockets (13-6 Overall, 8-3 Conf.)a few days later in Houston. They lost that matchup 117-108. James Harden and Russell Westbrook were just too much for Miami and they combined for 61 points. Danuel House Jr. had a big game for Houston. He scored 23 points as he took advantage of Miami’s big men. The Heat’s stars struggled heavily. Miami made 37 percent of their shots and, to add insult to injury, turned over the ball 19 times compared to Houston’s 15. One bright spark was Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk stepping up for the Heat scoring 22 and 19 respectively.

The Heat extended their home streak by beating the Golden State Warriors( 4-17 Overall ,3-13 Conf.), 122-105. Miami took advantage of the struggling and injured Warriors. Miami was up big at halftime, 71-57. From they outscored Golden State for the rest of the second half. Goran Dragic led the Heat with 20 points and Jordan Poole led the Warriors with 20 as well. Miami would end their week with a narrow win over the Brooklyn Nets(10-10 Overall, 6-5 Conf.), 109-106. Miami was able to grab their first road win since beating the Bulls back on November 22. Miami had to battle back from being down at halftime, 58-65. The Heat’s veterans stepped up in the win. The Heat had six players in double figures with Dragic leading with 24. Brooklyn Guard Spencer Dinwiddie led all scorers with 29.

The Heat still have a long way to go to be a potential title contender. Miami’s consistency reminds me of the Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde movie. On the road, we play like an average team but at home, we play like a beast. Miami’s road consistency is day and night compared to home consistency. Being undefeated at home will be a large boost to our confidence but coming up short against major opponents especially on the road won’t help this team challenge for a top spot in the playoffs. Besides consistency, one problem that continues to read its head is turnovers. The win over Brooklyn was the first time since November 7 that the Heat recorded fewer turnovers than the opposing team. This was 11 games ago. While we still have a long way until playoffs, the Heat are heading in the right direction, but they will ultimately beat themselves if turnovers and consistency on the road aren’t addressed.

Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets Recap

Coming from a deflating loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat (12-4 Overall, 7-0 Home) return to their winning ways and beat the Charlotte Hornets (6-12 Overall, 3-7 Away), 117-100. Miami remains undefeated at home thanks to a big scoring performances and flat out defense.

In the opening quarter, Charlotte jumped out to an early lead 7-2 and remained in the lead until Miami narrowed the gap with five quick points from Tyler Herro. Both teams battled continued to be neck-and-neck until the Heat pulled away late in the first to close out the quarter, 36-31.

In the second quarter, Miami remained in the lead, outscoring the Hornets, 33-27. The Heat were up by as much as 18 before the Hornets chipped away to bring the deficit down to 11. Miami cruised into halftime, 69-58.

Coming out of halftime, the Heat continued to steamroll the Hornets. For the rest of the second half, Miami fed off the energy of the home crowd and put the Hornets away to remain undefeated at home.

Bam Adebayo added another double-double performance (21 points &13 rebounds) in the win along with Jimmy Butler dropping 21 points and Kendrick Nunn putting up 19 points as well. Miami also had plenty of firepower from the bench with Herro scoring 18 points and Kelly Olynyk chipping in 15.

Again, Miami looked impressive against Charlotte, but one thing stands out, it’s the turnovers. I’m not concerned about scoring and not our defense, but turnovers will kill this team in the long run. Against the Hornets (13 TO), which is almost last in the Eastern Conference, had fewer turnovers than Miami (18 TO). To be fair, it’s encouraging to see that the Heat can remain locked in despite having key injuries in Justise Winslow, Derrick Jones Jr., James Johnson, and others.

Miami heads to Houston (11-6 Overall, 6-2 Home) on Wednesday to face the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are currently in a slump, losing their last three games. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.

Week of 11-18 Game Previews

The Heat have three games slated for this week. On November 20, Miami (9-3, 5-0 Home) looks to extend their unbeaten home streak as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-9, 2-4 Away) in a rematch prior to last week’s win. Kendrick Nunn scored 23 points in the 108-97 win over the Cavs. Cleveland goes into Wednesday’s matchup losers of four straight games and are desperate to snap their slump. According to NBA.com, Kevin Love currently leads the Cavs in scoring (18.2 ppg) and rebounds (12.1), while Jimmy Butler leads the Heat in scoring (18.4 ppg), assists (7.2 APG) and steals (2.8 SPG). Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

On November 22, Miami will travel to the windy city to face the Chicago Bulls (4-8 Overall, 2-5 Home) in their first matchup of the season. According to ESPN.com, the Bulls currently sit fifth in Central Division Chicago is also in a slump, currently losing three games, two to the Milwaukee Bucks and one to the Brooklyn Nets. Zach Levine currently leads the Bulls with 20 points per game. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.

Then on November 23, Miami wraps up the week with a huge game on the road, against the Philadelphia 76ers. According to ESPN.com, the 76ers are currently third in the Atlantic Division and recently defeated the Cavaliers to end their two-game skid. Joel Embiid leads the 76ers with 22 points per game. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Five thoughts about Heat vs Pelicans

Miami needs to clean up turnovers

Turnovers kill games and the Heat had plenty of it. Miami logged 22 turnovers compared to New Orleans 18. If the Heat didn’t outperform the Pelicans in impactful statistics, this would have been a different game. Miami will need to clean up this margin because this could be the deciding factor of games later in the season.
Nunn is white-hot

Nunn stays white-hot

Rookie Kendrick Nunn shined in helping the Heat defeat the Pelicans. He scored 22 points on 55% shooting. His fearless and aggressive play helped Butler and others operate with more freedom.

Heat is perfect at home
Miami gets to remain undefeated at home following their win over New Orleans. The Heat are currently 5-0 at home. This is a good scenario to have especially come playoff time. Miami needs to continue to maintain or at least win as many games as possible at home. Miami doesn’t need to be undefeated but, having a winning record at home is a huge morale boost for the team and its fans.

Nickel Alexander-Walker will be a problem in the future

Alexander-Walker exploded for 27 points for the undermanned Pelicans. The rookie is currently averaging seven points per game. Alexander-Walker was always a baller, this goes back to his AAU days. I’m starting to see his game transition from college to the NBA just liked it did from high school to college. Now, I understand he isn’t in the eastern conference and the Heat won’t see him multiple times a year, but this is one dude to look out for in the future.

Final Thoughts

As the Heat continue their impressive start, competition is starting to wake up. Miami gets to extend their home streak in a rematch against the Cavaliers. It is exciting to see a young player such as Nunn, Adebayo, and others step up to the plate and put on display what Heat culture means. The best is still yet to come as there will be bigger tests down the road and growing pains that come with it.