Q: Ira, the Heat need bigger bodies. Kel’el Ware is a stick and so is Nikola Jovic. And even Bam Adebayo is not a prototype center. So why is anyone surprised they are getting pushed around? Rebounds equal rings, even Udonis Haslem said it Friday. – Steve.
A: Even with similar-sized players in previous seasons, the Heat largely had held their own on the boards. But again the relentless rebounders – such as the damage that Mitchell Robinson created on the offensive boards on Friday night – continue to be an issue. It comes off as almost rudimentary, but there has to be a better job boxing out. Yes, as Erik Spoelstra has pointed out, more teams are sending more and more players to the offensive glass. And more teams have players cutting on offense, creating rebounding lanes. Fair enough, especially when the Heat are playing zone. But the type of rebounds Robinson was getting Friday night was more of a matter of putting body on body. That is where the next step has to come for the Heat. And at the moment, is Jovic even playable?
Q: Everyone – calm down. The Heat have been without Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Let’s wait to see what this team looks like with everyone back. – Mitch.
A: A reasonable thought. But in this league, it’s almost as if someone is always out. The Cavaliers found a way against the Heat without Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. The Knicks found a way without Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby (for all but five minutes on Friday night). Norman Powell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. did their parts on Friday night. But while the Knicks also had Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson step up, the Heat lacked such boosts. Yes, the Heat bench largely has been consistent this season, but you can see now why Herro and Adebayo are so needed, so that complementary talent can again be cast in complementary roles.
Q: Ira, I don’t care about the NBA Cup. This Heat team needs to focus on avoiding the play-in tournament. A trip to Las Vegas in the middle of December after just coming back from a West Coast trip does no good. – Ted.
A: Agree, but players like shiny things and cash money, both of which can be gained by advancing to the Cup’s knockout round. As it is, without victories over the Bulls and Bucks in their remaining two games in pool play, the Heat will be eliminated. To their credit, they did make it closer at the finish Friday, which will help with the margin-of-victory tiebreaker.