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Miami Heat: Keys To Ending The Losing Streak

By Kenneth Teape

Dec 10, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) shoots the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) defends during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) shoots the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) defends during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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Miami Heat: Keys To The Game vs. Denver Nuggets
Dec 25, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Gerald Green (14) drives to the basket against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half of a NBA basketball game on Christmas at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 94-88 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Bench Play

With the mismatch that the Heat have in the starting lineup, as he mentioned in the last side, they will need their bench to step up in a big way. They will probably log heavy minutes once again as the high altitude will cause players to tire more easily than they are used to, so Erik Spoelstra will have to make substitutions more often than normal.

When that happens, the Heat’s bench needs to be ready. The second unit is a better matchup for the Nuggets, as they can play small-ball and get into a track meet. With Green, Tyler Johnson and Justise Winslow leading the charge, the Heat can keep up with almost anyone on both ends of the court. They are all strong defenders on the perimeter, while Green is one of the most prolific bench scorers in the NBA.

If Whiteside moves back into the starting lineup, the real question will be which big will come off the bench? It would be tough to imagine Chris Anderson or Udonis Haslem getting major minutes; could we see Amar’e Stoudemire get some run in an up-tempo game that fits his style? It does not look like Josh McRoberts will be playing either, as he still has no timetable to return.

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Could the Heat decide to stay exclusively small with their second unit to try and keep up with the Nuggets? It will be one of the bigger decisions for Spoelstra to make, as it is hard to imagine the Heat keeping up with the Nuggets with Chris Bosh and Whiteside playing together. It may be smart to keep Whiteside on the bench one more game to stagger the minutes between the only two big men that Spoelstra currently has at his disposal.

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