Just four months ago, the Miami Heat were in the NBA Finals. And now, they have one of the worst records in the league. The latest loss coming against the Washington Wizards. After having a 10 point halftime lead, Miami fell apart offensively in the second half. With the loss, Miami falls to 7-14 for the season.
Here are my three takeaways from Wednesday’s game.
Tale of two halves
The Heat was in a good position coming out of halftime with a ten-point lead. But after scoring 65 points in the first half, Miami struggled to get going offensively in the second half. The Wizards zone defense has something to do with it. Miami also settled for a lot of three-pointers in fast-break opportunities. On a three-on-two fast break, Jimmy Butler kicked it out to Kelly Olynyk for three instead of attacking the basket. It was empty possessions like that ended up hurting the team in the end.
Miami scored just 35 points in the second half.
Tyler cools down in the second half
Tyler Herro was Miami’s leading scorer with 20 points. He had it going from inside and outside the arc. Herro had a few tough finishes around the basket in the first half. It was also the first time Herro shot well from three-point range, but he ended up having a quiet second half. Herro was very sloppy with the ball and turned it over in the crucial moment of the game.
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Herro finished the night with 20 points on eight-of-15 shooting, including four-of-nine from beyond the arc.
Miami’s search for an identity continues
Watching all the Heat games this season, you can tell the team has no identity. It’s hard to find a sustainable identity with a roster filled with one-dimensional players, either offensively or defensively. Andre Iguodala, one of the team’s better defenders, was replaced by Kelly Olynyk in the closing minutes of the game. With Iguodala struggling, they believed that Olynyk would help with the spacing.
Miami needs more two-way players on its roster. The only two way players they have are Bam Adebayo and Butler. Finding more two way players should be a priority for the team ahead of the trade deadline.
Up next: The Heat will face Washington again Friday night at 8 p.m.
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Main Image credit to Jeremy Guerin. Follow Jeremy on Twitter @jeremyguerin_7
