NBA Miami Heat

Injection Of Youth A Rare Bright Spot For Miami Heat

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By @blackirishpr

Miami Heat

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“Thank goodness for the Brooklyn Nets” is a rare statement that you would not expect to hear from fans of a team with a worse record and barely holding on to the last spot in the playoffs, but that is the way that Miami Heat fans must have been feeling the other night after the team started the year off the same way it ended 2014: with a loss.

However, the only constant is that the misery and third-quarter breakdowns have not stopped them from besting the Nets three times this season. More importantly, the team from Brooklyn has helped the Heat showcase the positives of trying to shift from a veteran-or-nothing mindset.

As Heat fans all know, the transition has not exactly been easy with coach Erik Spoelstra’s reluctance to fully adapt. Rookie Shabazz Napier went from having fourth quarter point guard minutes to being assigned to the D-League. James Ennis went from being a contributor to collecting dust on the edge of the bench. That said, the first-timers have seen success against the team one slot ahead of the Heat.

In their first matchup, Napier chipped in 11 points and whipped people into a frenzy with a crossover that spun Kevin Garnett in a circle and had point guard Deron Williams looking silly. Meanwhile, Ennis showed up for 10 points and eight rebounds. In the second matchup, Napier offered another 11.

The third showdown was all about the fourth-year player that Dwyane Wade calls “a game changer.” Not only did the 7-foot center tie the team’s season high in blocks with five, Hassan Whiteside gave the Heat 11 points and 10 rebounds on his way to the most successful NBA  game of his pro career.

Combine those stats with the fact that his 17 blocked shots are one off of the total team high for the season, after starting a month later than the rest of his teammates, and you will see that Miami is finally trotting out the rim-protector that has alluded them for years.

The only question left is, will Spoelstra’s stubbornness eventually stunt the growth of his potential young studs, or will he go back to giving them chances like handing Ennis two-guard time to stop the dreaded Norris Cole-Mario Chalmers alignment?

Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.

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