After dropping their past two games, the Miami Heat need to handle their business at home before embarking on a brutal West Coast road trip.
Having split the opening four games of a six-game home stand, the Miami Heat find themselves at a crossroad at this early part of the season.
Owners of a 2-3 record, the Heat play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls before hitting the road for a crucial West Coast road trip.
Granted, the team has been without center Hassan Whiteside since the opening game of the season due to bone bruising in his left knee. But despite this, there have been some signs of concern that certainly need to be addressed.
So much so, that the Heat convened a meeting of players and coaches in order to air their grievances following their loss to the Boston Celtics, and to set an action plan moving forward.
As forward James Johnson stated following the meeting:
"“A lot of people took heat. I think it was the best thing for us to do, even more important than film. That’s what this culture is about, that’s what we’re about – staring guys in the eyes, telling guys the truth. That’s how you show you really love somebody. We all got to play with a chip on our shoulder and we also all got to play with that edge again. We’re losing who we were and who we are. And that can’t happen on this team.”"
The first aspect that stands out is on the defensive end. After finishing fifth overall last season for defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) at 104.1, the Heat currently rank 21st at 106.7 While Whiteside’s absence is a factor, the Heat nonetheless performed poorly on the defensive end in the game in which Whiteside played, allowing 116 points to the Orlando Magic.
Erik Spoelstra says turnovers and some sloppy possessions really hurt the @MiamiHeat on Saturday against the Celtics. #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/5x34HzOuFP
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) October 29, 2017
Furthermore, there appears to be much hinging on the success of their 3-point shooting. During their two wins, the Heat have averaged 14.0 made 3-pointers while converting at a 39.4 percent clip. Contrast this with their three losses, when the Heat have averaged just 8.0 made 3-pointers at a 27.6 percent clip.
Also, you only need to look at the Heat’s 30-11 finish to last season and the importance their 3-point shooting had on their success. During this period, the Heat shot at a 39.0 percent clip, which ranked third in the league. Currently, the Heat are ranked a lowly 24th with a 32.9 percent return.
On an individual basis, one player in particular has had a rough start to the season.
Aside from one performance in which he posted 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, guard Tyler Johnson has struggled mightily through the first games. Overall, Johnson is averaging 9.4 points in 26.1 minutes per game, which includes just 34.8 shooting from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range. A dynamite presence off the bench last season, the Heat will certainly be hoping that Johnson can quickly cure his early season woes.
Following their upcoming home appearances against the Timberwolves and Bulls, the Heat then face the five following Western Conference teams on the road:
- Nov. 3 vs. Denver Nuggets
- Nov. 5 vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Nov. 6 vs. Golden State Warriors
- Nov. 8 vs. Phoenix Suns
- Nov. 10 vs. Utah Jazz
If this trip wasn’t tough enough, facing the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back in the midst of the schedule certainly doesn’t help. And to top this off, the Heat finish off their trip with a final road game against the Detroit Pistons.
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With this impending trip in the back of their minds, the Heat will certainly be even further aware of the importance of the pair of upcoming home games.