Miami Heat: Keys To Ending The Losing Streak
Can Heat Keep Up?
One of the questions when a team visits the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center is can they keep up? The Nuggets use the high altitude of Denver to their advantage by playing at a quick pace to get teams huffing for air quicker than they normally would be. Will the Heat be able to keep up with the Nuggets?
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On paper, the easy question is no. Dragic is the only player in the starting five for the Heat that plays well in an up-tempo style, and he will not be in the game. With him sidelined and Beno Udrih starting, expect the Heat to play even slower than they normally do. But, that does not mean the Nuggets will not try to speed them up.
The Nuggets are built to play fast and in the open court. Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay has work to do, but is as athletic and strong as they come at point guard. There aren’t many big men better running the court than Kenneth Faried, and Danilo Gallinari gives the Nuggets some flexibility in their lineup as he can play multiple positions.
That kind of flexibility could cause problems for the Heat, who just do not have the personnel to keep up without Dragic. Expect the Heat to try their best to keep the Nuggets in the halfcourt, but there is only so long they will be able to keep this from being a track meet.
Next: Bench Play