What New Defensive Adjustments Have the Miami Heat Recently Made?
The Miami Heat have transitioned from a seven-game losing streak by improving their play on the defensive end.
The Heat are 3-1 in their last four games after enduring thier longest losing streak of the season. On Tuesday, they defeated Orlando Magic 121-95.
But what have the Heat done differently over the past four games to flip the script? They have turned things up defensively in multiple ways.
"I think any coach would like to see some extended periods of time where your team is committed to doing some tough things defensively," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's four games in a row where we've looked a lot more consistently and closer to our identity defensively."
The Heat held opponents to an average of 101.5 points the last four games. Teams have also only shot 31 percent from the 3-point line during that stretch. That's an improvement from opponents averaging 118 points and shooting 43 percent in the seven-game losing skid.
The Heat are also forcing more turnovers. The Magic had 18 turnovers Tuesday while the Clippers committed 15 Sunday. They are causing an average of 1.1 more turnovers, going from 11.4 during the losing streak to 12.5 the last four games.
It has helped better defend star players. Magic forward Paola Banchero had 23 points but shot 7 of 16 from the field. The Washington Wizards combo of Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole combined to make 11 of 37 from the field. Sacramento Kings high-scoring guard De’Aaron Fox was held to 13 points on 25 percent shooting.
"It starts with defensive activity," Spoelstra said. "The physicality, doing things with force and focus and letting some offense feed off of that defenses while we're working through things. We definitely had some transition opportunities off of defensive stops. We looked fast out there."
Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.
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