How the Miami Heat will look post-trade deadline

The Miami Heat still have some kinks to work out after the trade deadline, such as struggling on the road and a declining defense.

After a hot start to its 2019-20 season, the Miami Heat started to slip. Miami had a record of 24-9 in the 2019 portion of the season but has gone 11-10 in the new year. The players acquired at the trade deadline could help the Heat get back on track over its final 28 regular-season games.

Miami addressed its biggest need at the trade deadline: defense. Adding Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder gives the Heat two solid wing defenders. Miami also added Solomon Hill – who shoots 38.1 percent on 3-pointers – but Iguodala and Crowder are the key additions.

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In addition to being a stout defender, Iguodala is also a solid ball-handler and distributor. The 6-6 wing was the key bench piece for the Golden State Warriors, helping them win three championships since 2015 and winning the Finals MVP award in the 2015 finals. His championship pedigree made him an attractive player to add for the championship-hunting Heat.

Crowder is another playoff-experienced veteran; he started on a Boston Celtics team that made the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. The 6’6″ forward was also a key rotation player with the Utah Jazz during their playoff appearances in the last two seasons.

Crowder has shown good 3-point shooting abilities in the past but hasn’t shot above league average since 2016-17. In his first four games with Miami, he has made 14 of 25 3-pointers (a mark of 56 percent). His percentage will eventually come back down, but his hot start from beyond the arc with the Heat is a positive sign.

Although Iguodala and Crowder came at the price of the young, talented and oft-injured Justise Winslow, the trade provided Miami with two serviceable players. Since December, Miami’s defensive rating ranks 17th in the league. From the beginning of the season to the end of November, the team’s defensive rating ranked eighth in the league.

Still, Iguodala and Crowder are not huge game-changers. Neither are suited to be a defensive anchor, though Iguodala could be assigned to guard one of the opposing team’s best players in close games. They’ll provide Miami with more depth off the bench, which is certainly helpful to a team looking to climb back up to the second seed in its conference.

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Lineup wise, Miami introduced a new starting lineup in its first game back from the All-Star break; mainstays Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were joined by Crowder.

Nunn, Robinson, Butler and Adebayo have been starting all year with Crowder (and Derrick Jones Jr. for Miami’s last two games before the All-Star break) filling the void left by Meyers Leonard, who is nursing an ankle injury. He and Tyler Herro (foot) don’t currently have timetables for their returns, per David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinal.

Leonard has started in Miami’s first 49 games before going down with a left ankle sprain. It might be wise for Miami to keep what they have going. The lineup of Nunn, Robinson, Butler, Jones and Adebayo has a net rating of +22.8; the rating goes down to +12.5 when Leonard replaces Jones. Admittedly, the former lineup has played almost 400 minutes more than the latter, but with such a staggering difference in net ratings, keeping Jones in the lineup may be worth it.

Opting for Crowder or Jones in the starting lineup over Leonard gives Miami an improved defensive lineup. Jones and Crowder are more mobile and active defensively than Leonard, which allows Miami to run a more switchable man-to-man scheme and allows Adebayo to play the middle in Miami’s 2-3 defense.

One other thing to look out for is the play of Nunn and Tyler Herro. The two rookie guards being key players for Miami is terrific, but they are currently dealing with a shooting slump and foot injury respectively.

In his last 20 games, Nunn is averaging 14.1 points on 42.7 percent field goal shooting and 33.3 percent 3-point shooting. These averages are all down from his season averages of 15.3 points on 44.1 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The Miami Heat are better off when Nunn has it going offensively; the team has a record of 15-11 when Nunn’s field goal percentage is below his season’s average and a record of 19-7 when it’s higher. Miami has only lost two of the 13 games in which Nunn has scored 20 points or more.

Conversely, Herro’s shooting has been steady all season at 41.4 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. His hot shooting came to a halt recently, as soreness in his right foot has kept him inactive for the past six games. More DNPs are to follow as there is currently no timetable for his return.

Herro coming back won’t fix the Miami Heat’s defensive woes but he will help offensively. His shooting will open up the offense more and his ability to handle the ball will take some pressure off Goran Dragic.

The final — and perhaps most pivotal — detail to keep your eye on is if the Miami Heat can improve their play on the road. The Heat have a 22-3 record at AmericanAirlines Arena and a 13-17 record away from it. It has a plus-minus of +10.6 at home and -2.9 on the road, a difference of 13.5; the only team with a higher difference (at 14.9) is the Philadelphia 76ers.

Miami is right on the bubble of having homecourt advantage in a playoff series. The Heat currently owns the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference but the 76ers are just half of a game behind them; the third-seeded Boston Celtics are 3.5 games ahead of the Heat.

Playing better on the road is critical for the Heat. Three of the top five winningest teams at home are Eastern Conference opponents (76ers, Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks). For Miami to go far in the post-season, it can’t rely on their prowess at home, especially because at the moment it will only be hosting one playoff series. One of the most dominant home teams in the league will likely be waiting for the Heat should it advance.

The Miami Heat have plenty of improvement to do over the remainder of the regular season. Addressing these issues is paramount to how the team will fare in the playoffs.