The loss of Hassan Whiteside to a severe ankle injury has already hurt the Miami Heat more than they know.
The Heat have now lost two games in a row, with their most recent loss against the Charlotte Bobcats being a true nail-biter right up until the final buzzer. A common theme has emerged in this recent losing streak, and that is the sheer lack of rebounding from the Heat’s end. You could point to the absence of Whiteside as being the primary reason, but it would also appear the lack of energy and execution has been the driving force behind these overwhelmingly poor efforts on the glass.
Over the last two games, the Heat have been out-rebounded by over 20 rebounds. Where the Heat have really been dominated is on the offensive glass, only tallying 14 offensive rebounds in the span of these last two losses. This is obviously not a recipe for success, and yet the Heat continue to struggle finding position underneath the rim against larger frontcourt players, even with Chris Bosh and Chris Andersen healthy.
The Heat shouldn’t bank on the return of Whiteside as their saving grace when it comes to their rebounding issues. This has to be a team effort, with multiple players going towards the rim any time a shot is fired up. This will require 48 minutes of consistent energy around the rim from all the Heat players, not just the ones in the frontcourt rotation.
Until these issues are resolved, the Heat will continue to lose games in bunches.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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