With just under 15 seconds to go in the game, Dwyane Wade had the basketball at the top of the key with the Miami Heat trailing the Charlotte Hornets, 78-76. As the clock continued to dwindle, the inevitable setup for Chris Bosh and Wade was approaching, like a wedding photo shoot in Dumbo just before sunset. Bosh set the screen for Wade, opting to go to the three-point line rather than roll to the basket.
Wade dumped off the ball after being double-teamed by Cody Zeller and Gerald Henderson, and Bosh shot the ball from what seemed like 30 feet away. As I looked at the television, I couldn’t keep from asking why?
Why would he shoot a three-point shot when the Heat were only down two? Why would he just camp there even though Zeller followed Wade and was late to come back on rotation? It is almost a sure thing that he would have been fouled on the way to the basket.
The naysayers might say, in defense of Bosh, that that was a shot that he could make, and that he had just gotten a three-point shot to go down a few plays before that. What they don’t look at is that Bosh had only gone 1-for-6 from three-point range for the entire game. Out of 20 shots he had only made seven, which isn’t very good.
The questions didn’t stop.
Once Bosh missed that three-point shot, Mario Chalmers grabbed the rebound, and instead of putting the ball up, because, you know, the team is down two, he grabs the rebound, dribbles to the three-point line and hoists a long-range bomb to try to win the game. Of course, the ball didn’t fall through the hoop and Miami lost.
Why wouldn’t he put it back up? What is running through his mind as he is racing towards the three-point line? These were just some of the things that the Miami Heat did in this game that baffled fans.
It goes without saying that Miami struggled this game without Luol Deng and Hassan Whiteside. But the hard truth for Miami fans is that it would be tempting to think that the Heat played down to the Hornets, playing to the narrative that if they had their ducks in a row (injuries, lineups, etc.) things would be different.
But the Hornets, who have won eight of their last nine, played down to the Heat.
Although Miami is allowing the second fewest points in the league, they are also averaging the second fewest points scored against opponents. Thus, Miami hasn’t been able to score much against opponents all season long. Yes, Miami has had injuries. Yes, they haven’t had luck on their side this season. But they haven’t played all that well either, even when they have been healthy.
If Miami wants to even make it into the playoffs at the end of the season, they will have to show another side of their team. Namely, they will have to make better decisions, and Bosh has to stop being primarily a jump shooter.
This is a huge problem for Miami. If he takes less jump shots, it could be what saves Miami’s season.