NBA Miami Heat

Miami Heat’s Playoff Hopes In Jeopardy

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By @GoldenPerspectv

Dwyane Wade and Damian Lillard

Craig Mitchelldyer – USA Today Sports

If only the Miami Heat played as good as they look on paper, fans wouldn’t be scratching our heads and wondering if they can even make the playoffs. Their pile of problems haven’t seen any improvement since the start of the season. Whether it’s their lack of a post presence, shortage of quality point guards or pathetic effort in the second half of games, they can’t seem to string together a series of wins.

Hassan Whiteside is the only bright spot with upside on this team, and that’s still a stretch. He’s played solidly off the bench in the last couple of games, but he still needs time to develop into a true on-court factor. I’m sure when opposing teams notice Miami on their upcoming schedule, they do not highlight his name and scout him. He has great potential at 25 years of age, but not enough experience under his belt.

The true issue for the Heat is their scarce paint penetration outside of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. That fault lies heavily on the point guards. Mario Chalmers has a good game once in a blue moon, but he is consistently a nightmare to watch. Norris Cole retained the starting role temporarily in the beginning of the season but didn’t impress either. LeBron James‘ favorite player in the draft, Shabazz Napier, once received significant minutes but now he’s only collecting garbage time.

The Heat are an average long-range shooting team, but they’d be even better with a point guard who could collapse the defense. Their offense becomes very stagnant at times, which in turn heavily relies on Bosh isolations or Wade pick-and-rolls. The most efficient play they have is when Wade is posting up, but it isn’t good enough to go to every time down the floor. They’re 27th in total points scored, and I don’t see that improving anytime soon, especially if they lose their third-leading scorer, Luol Deng.

Just like most of the Heat’s games, they came out very flat in the second half of their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. They played the first half with a lot of bounce and energy, but it’s almost as if that midway intermission took a toll on them. It’s like they had to regain their zest, but by the time they did, the game was already out of hand.

They are an older team, but I don’t think they lose their legs after two quarters. I can’t pinpoint what it is. They play sloppy, they look confused on defense and just look uninterested. If they shop Deng to another team, it needs to be for a point guard. Otherwise, the Heat won’t be eighth in the East for long.

 

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