Seventh in the East, a game and a half away from the 6th place Pacers but with Philadelphia holding the same record as them, the Miami Heat once again seem to have to entrust their postseason chances to the play-ins. It happened last year too, and he took the team to the final. Coach Spoelstra preaches confidence: “Once the injured are recovered, the direction is the right one”
MIAMI – Inconstant. In some ways disappointing. For others, once again, an example. Few teams are as comfortable with struggle and adversity as the Miami Heat, who are again this year they will have to earn access to the playoffs in the last week. Too many injuries, a home performance of just over 50% (18-17), thirty-five different starting fives (franchise record) and seasonal shooting percentage around 45% highlight aproblematic year supported, however, by the famous “Heat Culture” (which has now also become a commercial brand) and bybest head coach in the League. If at the beginning of his career as head coach Erik Spoelstra had to defend his status (with the protection from above of Pat Riley) from the strong personalities of that locker room, this year he had a no less easy task – that Of struggling with a full infirmary that took away men, continuity and options. Including the last home game lost against Golden State, they do 223 absences due to injuries various (Herro missed 33 games, Butler and Love 18, Richardson 24, Adebayo 10….). So many, too many even for a team used to extracting a lot from the second lines. However, Coach Spo once again made the most of the little available and transformed difficulties into opportunities. Help to cover the absences also came from the free agent market with Patty Mills’ signature, the Heat’s historic ruthless killer as an opponent, now a blaze of energy on the pitch and friendliness in the locker room; and with that of Delon Wright, who continues the family tradition (brother Dorell played at Miami).
The defense, the young players and “Scary” Terry
When we talk about the Heat we always start with the defense and – even if not exactly from the beginning of the season – as soon as Miami regained its usual attention, intensity and energy, the results were visible. To date, the Heat are the fourth defense to have conceded fewer points per game, holding the opponents below their scoring average in 22 of the last 24 games (for a total average per game of -11.6 points). Another evident fact is the transformation, which began in the gym in the summer, of Duncan Robinson. Of course he still remains a threat beyond the 3-point line, with percentages above 40%, but he has become a most complete player: in penetration, in defense, in post. Flexibility is even more important for the absences on the roster, just as it is fundamental for this the inclusion of young people. Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic they are now part of the rotations even with the full group and they both often start as a quintet. The former UCLA player is the defensive certainty of the fourth quarter, the Serbian – who could have been in Portland today if the exchange for Damian Lillard had materialized – started the season as Adebayo’s third replacement, progressed through the role of power forward, while now he also carries the ball and almost 42% from three with more than 100 attempts in season. It was another great moment of the season the trade that brought Terry Rozier to Florida. Grew up with Wade as an idol and role model, today he is the player who remembers him most on the pitch due to his movements. The first step off the dribble, the crossover, the elevated three-pointer by throwing the body to the left. The former Boston and Charlotte player has the class to remember (at least) the inimitable no. 3 of the Heat, but also the attitude and character to play for the Heat. The best possible acquisition for the present and future of the franchise, contract holder until 2026 While already in the summer of 2025 Jimmy Butler can exit his agreement and start talking about renewal.
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Bam Adebayo: “The Miami Heat deserve more respect”
There is certainty for the future: his name is Erik Spoelstra
A season that remains difficult, without certainty (to date) of the postseason but where all in all the pluses and minuses balance each other out. In South Beach they hope that the best is yet to come, while Spoelstra he photographs the moment with his usual clarity: “On the pitch we don’t always make decisions up to our standards and we shoot with clearly worse percentages. In defense we need to have more continuityfollow the example that someone like Haywood Highsmith offers on the parquet every evening, but the direction, once the injured have recovered, is the right one. We are a competitive group that strongly wants to change this moment of results”. In the end, however, the feeling is that so far the best news is precisely the renewal by coach Spoelstra, signed a few weeks ago for the next eight years. The basis of a renovation that maybe at the end of the season it might necessarily be radical.
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Jaquez: Miami has a different freshman than usual
Orlando renews Jamahl Mosley through 2028
The Orlando Magic have decided to reward their coach Jamahl Mosley with a new contract valid until 2027-28. The figures for Mosley’s new agreement are not known, but he is far from the top of the highest paid coaches in the NBA – dominated by the new agreements signed in recent months by the best coaches in the league
11. TYRONN LUE, LA CLIPPERS | 6.5 MILLION DOLLARS
One of the reasons why Tyronn Lue is on the bench of the Clippers and not on that of the Lakers is precisely to be found in the salary, given that the yellow and purple did not want to pay him a salary higher than 6 million dollars per year which is the standard for coaches capable of win the NBA title like him in 2016. A rich contract extension should arrive in the summer, catapulting him into the top-5 of the highest paid
10. RICK CARLISLE, INDIANA PACERS | 7.25 MILLION DOLLARS
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2024-03-27 09:38:56
#NBA #Miami #Heat #xray #season #certainty #Spoelstra #playoffs
