What the Miami Heat can learn from loss to Mavericks ahead of Orlando Magic matchup

The Miami Heat went down in Dallas on Wednesday night in a game they probably could have won if some aspects of their game were cleaned up.

Here are some things for them to hone in on ahead of their Friday night matchup against the Orlando Magic:

The Main Thing: Against the Mavericks, the Heat's defense was not where it needed to be. The Mavs were able to break down coverages and create good looks against a Heat defense that has been pretty phenomenal this season.

Although the Heat did a decent job protecting the rim, the Mavs ate off of a high frequency of attempts in the short mid-range, converting on 60 percent of their looks there, (90th percentile). Additionally, they caught fire from three, where they sank half of their shots.

Ryan Nembhard, (15 points, 13 assists, one turnover), Anthony Davis (17 points), Cooper Flagg (22 points) and Naji Marshall, (18 points, four assists), combined to shoot about 58 percent from the field and 63 percent from three.

As a result, the Mavs finished with above average offensive ratings, both in the halfcourt and in transition, despite the Heat winning the possession battle with 10 more field goal attempts and six more free throws.

The Magic have been rolling despite the loss of star player Paolo Banchero in mid-November. Since then, their offensive rating has gone up by almost five points while their defensive rating improved by three points. They are turning the ball over much less in that span while also taking more in the short mid-range and converting better at the rim and from three.

While Banchero's status for the game is still in question, the Heat have to be wary of Franz Wagner's relentless paint attacks and Desmond Bane's well-rounded offensive game. Anthony Black and Jalen Suggs' added playmaking will also play into this, as the Magic lead the league in free throw rate and fourth in percentage of shots coming at the rim.

Zone-busting: The Mavericks held up a mirror to the Heat, bringing out their zone, something that more and more teams are doing to contain their drive-and-kick game and slow down the amount of higher-quality looks.

The Heat shot the ball very poorly against the Mavericks at the rim (62 percent), in the short mid-range (28 percent) and from three (30.6 percent), all of which encompassed 98 percent of their shot profile.

Credit goes to the Mavericks' elite defense, for sure, but the Heat will be facing another top-ranked defense with the Magic that also likes to run opposing teams off the three-point line, (second-lowest percentage of opponent shots coming from three, behind the Mavs), and also does a good job protecting the rim despite allowing a lot of attempts there.

Although the Heat have mostly shot the ball well from three this season, there's more to countering a zone than just long-distance shooting.

The Heat could try to screen the middle of the zone or have someone stationed around the free throw line in order to draw help and free others up, but those solutions could mess with the formation that's been so successful for them this season: their free-flowing, five-out system with guys constantly cutting and moving off-the-ball.

Rebounding: The Heat lost the rebounding battle by nine in their loss to the Mavs. The Heat were able to rebound four more of their misses than the Mavs did, but were mauled on the other side of the glass 40 to 27.

The Heat will have to make sure to finish defensive possessions better, which goes hand in hand with their defensive execution, or lack thereof. For the season, the Magic rank sixth in defensive rebound percentage and tenth in offensive rebound percentage.

Pace Battle: The Heat and Magic share some similarities this season, with both teams getting into their offense much quicker than in years prior, (Magic tenth in offensive possession length), while slowing things down for opposing teams on the defensive end, (Magic tenth-slowest defensive possession length).

Banchero returning from injury for the Magic in this game might actually help the Heat in this regard, as he tends to play a slower brand of basketball than his co-stars. Additionally, if the Heat were to opt to start Kel'el Ware next to Bam Adebayo, that would slow Banchero down even more, who has historically struggled when defended by Adebayo.

However, the Heat are likely going to be without Tyler Herro for this one, so the dynamic changes without one of their best perimeter release valves and playmakers.

Although many have pointed to a slightly slower offensive pace for the Heat since the return of Herro into the lineup, they still rank third in the league in pace in that span, with Powell missing two of the five games.

For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.

Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket

What the Miami Heat can learn from loss to Mavericks ahead of Orlando Magic matchup

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Defensive woes, plus Powell missed, in disappointing Heat loss in Dallas

For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.

Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket