What Have We Learned From the Heat’s West Coast Road Trip?
The Miami Heat are preparing for their first contest after a five-game West Coast road trip. The team went 2-3 away from South Beach.
Here's a look at five of the biggest takeaways:
1. Miami needs a No. 1 scorer
Don’t get me wrong, Tyler Herro has dazzled this year as the team’s top scorer but his inefficiency has posed more question marks rather than answers. The guard dropped 26 points in an all-around great win against the Golden State Warriors to start the road trip. Herro also combined to shoot 8 for 30 in the losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns. Bam Adebayo has also been a pleasant surprise on offense, but the defensive performance that Anthony Davis displayed against the center proves that he isn’t a first-scoring option either. It is no secret Miami has looked in the trade market for another star. The Heat need to make some kind of move in order to be able to offensively compete come playoff time.
2. Bam Adebayo is a deserving All-Star
Miami’s big man has been the most consistent player on the court for Erik Spoelstra this season. Adebayo had a double-double in four of the five contests while playing for more than 36 minutes per night. The center scored 28 points on two separate occasions during the road trip. Adebayo tallied a 17-point quarter in Miami’s loss to Phoenix on Friday. The two-time All-Star has done all of this while continuing his defensive excellence as well. Adebayo showcased a three-steal, three-block performance in the Dec. 30 contest against the Jazz. The big man’s continued production will land him in Indiana for All-Star weekend.
3. Duncan Robinson and Kevin Love can carry a solid bench
The starting lineup may seem to change every contest, but at least Miami has two consistent role players coming off the bench. Love provides two things, consistent scoring and a knack for rebounds. The forward netted 20 points in as many minutes against Phoenix. Love led the Heat with 14 boards in the win over the Lakers. The former NBA champion was a leader off the bench during the road trip, and he should continue his production as Miami begins to get healthy down the stretch. Robinson spent a large chunk of the season in the starting lineup but played all five games out West off the bench. The guard hit three triples in each of the matchups with the Jazz, Clippers, and Lakers. His floor spacing has also paired well with Love, who has been able to outrebound the opposing benches. Robinson’s three-point shooting percentage is the best it’s been since 2019-20 providing the Heat with another scoring option that defenses need to gameplan for.
4. Heat defense can compete with the best of the best
Despite the offense returning to Miami with uncertainty, the defense proved that it can lockdown opposing stars. Miami started the road trip in Golden State, holding Steph Curry to three made field goals. In the next contest, Lauri Markkanen could only muster 12 points against the Heat. LeBron James refused to even speak with the media following a 12-point performance in a loss to Miami. The Heat have shown an ability to cause issues for the other team’s top-scoring option. That should translate well moving forward as the team’s rotations begin to shrink once the playoffs loom.
4b. Heat defense then allows role players to have big nights
It’s great to shut down a player on offense, but that cannot translate to others shining. With Markkanen struggling, Kelly Olynyk had 19 points and 10 assists. Keyonte George scored the second-most points in a game in his young career with 21. Norman Powell had a season-high 22 points against Miami. In the Heat’s loss to Phoenix, it wasn’t Devin Booker or Bradley Beal who led the team in scoring, it was Grayson Allen. Limiting star players is a great talent, but allowing others to step up defeats the purpose. Miami faces a few teams coming up that have multiple players capable of handling the scoring duties. The Heat will need to prevent the big game, whether it is from the star player or somebody else
5. Miami can’t rely on offensive bursts from depth players forever
One of the hardest kept secrets of the season is that the Heat have dealt with their fair share of injuries. Miami put out four different starting lineups during the five-game road trip. A career night from Jamal Cain propelled the Heat past the Warriors. Nikola Jovic has 15 points and eight rebounds in the win against the Lakers. Miami lost the other three contests on the West Coast. It’s great when an unsung hero steps up to help out the team when typical rotation players are out, but it is not a method for success. More times than not, the production from the depth pieces won’t be there.
Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.
