The last two Miami Heat seasons have shared two common denominators— inconsistency and getting spanked by the Boston Celtics. That notion didn’t change on Monday night, as the Celtics spoiled Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson’s debut on Miami’s home floor.
After what looked like an encouraging start to the game, Miami quickly saw a first quarter double-digit evaporate. They were outscored 70-41 in the second and third quarters combined. And the superstar play of Jayson Tatum was simply too much to overcome.
Despite Wiggins’ defensive upside, he had zero answers for the talent of Tatum. He led the Celtics with a game-high 33 points on 13 of 26 shooting overall. Even with his co-star in Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday sidelined, he got help from the remainder of his supporting cast.
Boston’s frontcourt duo of Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis had the edge over Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. The Heat’s rookie put together a forgetful outing, finishing with 8 points and 7 boards on 4 of 12 from the field.
Adebayo did his thing as probably the only Heat player that showed up. He had a team-high 22 points and 12 boards double-double to go along with 4 assists. His All-Star teammate Tyler Herro was a late scratch before tipoff due to a stomach illness.
The new additions of Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell showed glimpses of strong defensively versatility. However, they each put together rough shooting performances. Wiggins had just 11 points on an abysmal 3 of 12 shooting. It is never easy being integrated into a new system midseason, let alone facing the reigning NBA Champions on the very first night.
It could be a work in progress, but look to see an offensive improvement from the former All-Star moving forward.
Mitchell provided the anticipated point-of-attack defense that he has built a reputation for, but couldn’t convert anything offensively as well.
As for Anderson, his 10 minutes of action looked quite disappointing, to say the least. He was an inefficient non-factor on both ends of the floor. Even worse, his playing time completely eliminated the role of Haywood Highsmith.
The Heat shot a disgusting 24% (11 of 45) from 3-point range as a team and 34% overall. That type of horrid efficiency is deserving for a scheduled loss, especially with the champs in town.
Miami won’t get much time to ease back into things and snap their two-game losing skid, with a road trip to face the top seed Oklahoma City Thunder coming on Wednesday.
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kd and book might be 2 top 10-15 players but even jordan and pippen needed rodman paxson grant kerr kukoc cartwright.wheres kd going next year gonna be interesting
Aha! It seems that on top of everything else, the Suns were trying to sell us damaged goods. Beal is out with a toe injury until after the all star break.
id say jimmys damaged goods over and under till he gets hurt 15 games
Maybe, maybe not. However, so far he has helped them to win his first two games there. You were one of the most adamant people here about not wanting to trade him. But, it’s over, he’s gone, it was a very disappointing period in the history of the team. You were right about what you said multiple times. If he was here, was available, and played hard, the team would have been better for it. Unfortunately, he was not available and he didn’t play very hard. It’s over.
he cant play hard game after game after game rc hes 35 body breaking down..remember he had about month off when he started playing with gsw..jimmy has to pick and choose when to bust ass or else those old legs will fail him again.he can still be a good player but ss days in rear view mirror.
Yeah, I think they’ll have him on a maintenance program with no back to backs and stuff like that.
Considering how Butler is performing for Golden State makes it very obvious he was dogging it this season in Miami. Was he possibly betting on any of the games when he was in the process of “quiet quitting?” Asking for a friend.
hes getting to the free throw line which is all about effort.that will not sustain at his age and injury history.this post kid is some revalation kid can stroke it.gsw just to old to go against some of the throughbreds in the west.once steph retires that org will bottom out.once lebron retires lakers are in good shape with luka.i like lakers way more than warriors.
It’s time for Spo to sit Terry the fk down, I know he wants his ball handling because he’s worried about turnovers but the dude is doing way more harm than good.
He’s been a disaster on both ends of the court.
We no longer need his ball handling anyway, we have Davion, Tyler, Niko and Jaime to handle the ball.
So Spo has absolutely no excuse to play this guy beyond the fact that he’s making a large salary.
Sit his @ss down and let Jaime and Niko handle the ball for the second unit.
rc does not like this post. i do. hes been awful pretty much every game.games shooting under 40% 30% from 3 prob outnumber avg games 5 to 1.i think terry needs contacts hes missing so badly
You really don’t know what I like and don’t like. When Rozier sucks, he sucks. I thought he’d snap out of the funk as he’s always been a decent player. So far, he’s been mostly terrible.
too many bad games rc
Can’t disagree with that, H. We could have really used him at his best. Unfortunately, he’s been in a season long slump.
terry was really cooking just before he had that neck injury last year.with boston he was much skinnier and quicker.charl to now he looks like an nfl rb.think hes to stocky now like to see him lose a few lbs.terrys a 2g in a pg body.if dru could have stayed healthy this team would be alot better.not sure dru is sustainable always has these major injuries.lets give the kid one more shot he looked really good .3 strikes your out dru
benedict butler and benedict mathurin 2 good players both not all stars.one was born a benedict one became benedict due to his actions against an org that paid him million$$
how much better would our team be if we had precious and bryant.not all star players both have size can score and defend.oh pat its time to retire
Bryant’s defense sucks. Precious is a good back-up PF.
whos better love or bryant jovic or precious
Love is better than Bryant and Precious is better than Jovic, although they play different positions. Jovic should be playing SF. Precious is a natural PF. Thank Butler for no longer having Precious.
love is better than bryant.at this stage of their careers u really feel that low about tb wow thats surprising but i respect your opinion but i respectfully disagree.jovic is 6 10 hes not quick enough for sf or tough enough for pf.in football terms thats called a tweener meaning he has no true position .when the heat got lowry i liked the deal when i saw turtle play after a while i didnt like the deal.lowry was a borderline all star type player his years in toronto but age and to many buffets got his fat ass
what the f were the heat thinking trading thomas bryant.hed be a nice back up center.pat must like the beach boys(love).achiuwa would be a nice back up big also.lots bad moves by pat.mickey doesnt care ,
I will repeat what I’ve previously stated. The Heat wanted to sign Dru to a regular contract. Because of the cap stuff that you don’t like, they had to move someone out. Bryant had a lower expiring contract than Love’s 2 year contract.
As for Precious, I agree. The team would’ve been better off keeping him and Dragic, as opposed to Lowry’s $85 million contract. But you were not much of Precious fan when he was here.
Predator was just starting to learn the ways of the guac.
are u a comedian in real life
I will try to interpret that as well as I can. He is saying something similar to what you are – that Precious was starting to show his potential and we would be in a better place if we had kept him.
Thank the “quiet quitter” who gave him and the “quitter’s” brat (brother in Slovenian) Dragic up in order to trade for his good friend Lowry. The “quitter” didn’t even make an effort to attend The Dragon’s swan song festivities this summer. “Brat” my @$$!
2qs hard to understand at times ty for that,i thought winslow was the king of guac
Winslow was but then he passed it top Yurt but Yurt ate tainted horse meat and the guac couldn’t fully take, so we passed it to Precious who was starting to become the Predator on the guac. We then passed it to JJJ, who showed what it can do in his rookie season. Right now we’re trying to get the guac balance right again in his supply. I plan on working with the training staff and chefs during AS break.
it gave jjj stomach cramps pass it to dunc lol
thats your expertise rc aprons.all i know love cant move or jump 2 inches off the ground.bryant looked really good tonight.precious was hardly here thought he was a rotational player with good rebounding defense and could score.rather have him than jovic.he looks like a pf not sure nikos niche
You were not a fan of his while he was here for the one year. I appreciate that you are a ‘ what have you done for me lately?’ type of fan and that’s okay. But whether you are right about Love, it doesn’t mean that you could have moved him with his two-year contract to be able to sign Dru (that turned into Keshad after the injury). That’s why they had to move Bryant.
I can also appreciate that you really don’t want to delve into the nuances of the collective bargaining agreement. But that CBA has a direct effect on what you can and cannot do in the NBA today. It is not like the Steinbrenner Yankee days when he would get every good free agent and outspend every other team by a lot.
Precious and Tragic for Lowry was Butler’s doing. He wanted his buddy Lowry so those lost years are on him
True. And if someone wants to blame Riley for giving into that, okay. But in the real world, if your ss wants something, they have a good chance of getting it. It is why Riley drafted Napier. But LeBron left anyway.
dragic for lowry was enough. precious was precious to me.thought he had similar skillset of bam.poor mans bam
I remember that you often complained about drafting Precious because the next pick was Maxey. I also remember that Precious was projected as a top ten that year, so the Heat thought they were doing the right thing and making the best move. Sometimes it happens. Pritchard also was taken 6 spots later. We also missed on Booker. 14 teams passed on Greek. 30 teams passed on Jokic before Denver picked him at 41.
Dragic for Lowry, looking back talent wise, was enough. But, sorry to keep saying this, but contract wise, it would not be enough. To give you more heartburn, that was the same period they gave Duncan $90 million. Two of the worst contracts in the same offseason.
i have to go to apron school rc when r u holding classes weekends?
Celts: ok no more boogieman butler and these heat might not reach the playoffs so were good 😜
jalens lucky dipo got hurt remember dipo picked his pocket time after time
Bam Adebayo takes optimistic view of shaky start to post Jimmy Butler era“There are more positives than negatives in this game.”
…”the Heat’s starting lineup played the Celtics to a 29-29 tie in 13 minutes together on Monday, while the team was outscored by 18 the rest of the game.
This might be part of why Adebayo remains optimistic, especially with the eventual returns of Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (also out with a stomach illness) that will boost the rotation.”
https://allucanheat.com/bam-adebayo-takes-optimistic-view-of-shaky-start-to-post-jimmy-butler-era?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
starting 5 is fine dav ty wig bam where is he lately.after that i cringe
Honestly, with two brand-new players getting heavy minutes and Tyler out, against one of the top teams in the league, this was the expected result. Wiggins and Mitchell need more minutes with their new teammates, and in their new system. If we still look this bad when we face the Mavs on Thursday, against another team that’s trying to figure out its new identity (without Mr. Groin Strain) then it’s panic button time.
Still a lot of basketball to play this season.
So Mr. Brittle Legs is upgraded to Mr. Groin Strain hehe. Panic button is reset at 2 games after allstar break 😉
And yes lotsa bb to play. But getting fewer by the week lol
lively gafford pj all are injured
team has looked so unorganized lately new players rotations rozier whatever it is they look as bad as theyve been in a while.time to break out keshad and stevens wtf have u got to lose spobot.rozier just dribbles to nowhere he needs to be benched
I agree. What does Miami have to lose by playing Johnson, Stevens and Christopher whenever possible?
A lot of talk is expressed about playing Johnson, Stevens, and Christopher. I am hoping they get a chance, the sooner the better. It would be a silver lining if we are to fall out of the playoff race.
Spo is very reluctant to play these players or inject new players into the lineup in general. I wish he would, particularly when we fall 25 points behind, which could happen against OKC. He could try at least some of them out in that situation, and then use them in higher leverage scenarios.
Also, some chatter about a Marcus Smart buyout, but I am resisting getting excited.
I hope Tyler is feeling better by tomorrow night. They’re going to have to get a win or two this week before a much needed break.
OKC is a juggernaut. They have a much better chance against Dallas with Luka gone and AD, Lively and other players injured.
If they lose both games, they will go into the all-star break 3 games under .500 with several tough games coming up in the first nine games afterwards (Toronto, Milwaukee, Atlanta x 2, Indiana, New York, Washington, Cleveland and Minnesota.
OKC is probably too strong. Dallas is vulnerable right now.
Yes. Dallas is very vulnerable. I’m hopeful the trauma of the Boston and OKC games don’t prevent the team from putting together a good game on the second game of a back-to-back @ Dallas going into the All-Star break. If Dallas beats them, it’s going to be a very l-o-n-g week of soul searching for the players until the team resumes it’s games on the road @ Toronto, @ Milwaukee and @ Atlanta.
Note: The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) states that players must receive at least 3 days off during the all-star break.
if sga chet williams dont play they might have a shot
Some things are very obvious.
Heat often start very well, but the first slump comes with second unit coming to the court. And that first unit in second stint never play well. I think this is a concentration thing.
Newcomers:
-Wiggins will help this team. Kyle maybe.
I don’t know about Mitchell. He is clearly not a starting level point guard.
If he shoots like that at his age, then that’s it.
He doesn’t have talent to be a decent shooter.
He is useful player, though, for some special assignments.
special assignments lol what may those be if youd like to share with hhh
My guess would be a guy to stick on Brunson and chase him around. Missions like that
That what I meant. HH role for guards
Defensive, of course. A guy which starts a game, try to steal a ball or two, get an assist or two and make 3 fouls.
HH role for guards.
*Defensive substitutions during key situations where strong defensive pressure is required to shut down a scorer or protect a lead.
if u listen to ethan skolnick who i respect the most for heat stuff he kills rozier all the time .surprised he wasnt dealt but hes awful.stevens and keshad need to see them play spobot.ware going noware this year
I was a draft Keshad in the second round guy, but he has been injured. Same with Stevens. I think we’ll see a little bit of at least one of them after the All Star break.
Keshad Johnson (6’7″, 225 lbs., 6’10.25 wingspan) was projected to be drafted in the mid-late second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. When he went undrafted, Miami lucked out and was able to pick him up as an unsigned player. This year, in 13 games with the Sioux Falls Sky Force, Johnson has averaged:
Note: Stevens leads the G League with 10.8 apg and Christopher is 4th in scoring at 26.4 ppg.
Nothing to see here. Move along. OKC next, then Dallas (minus AD) before a much needed all-star break.
Despite Miami’s mediocre play, the team is in 7th place
i think we might be able to hold the bulls off yah 10th place ill take it
10th place and lose in play-in round so we can keep lottery pick. That’s the plan.
Wow, there are so many variables in this. What is your assessment as to how stacked this draft is compared to next year’s? I know this is a highly regarded one. If we did miss the playoffs, we could have something like pick 13 and 18. Some really good prospects there. They could even trade both to move up to try to get Demin, although I’d prefer they keep both picks and take 2 out of Gonzalez, Maluach, Fland, Jones, and Fleming.
Now, on the other hand, the risk is if we don’t make the playoffs, the picks we owe OKC and Charlotte move up 1 year and become completely unprotected.
It may be a moot point as I still think the Heat will make the playoffs. Still, a lot of intriguing possibilities.
Bleacher has the Heat getting pick 14 from Warriors and taking Liam McNeely. No idea if related to Peter McNeely but HFL is not going to be happy lol
I do like some other choices in that range, but yeah, you’re right about that (regrettably).
The Heat was a reason Celtics got Porzingis in June 2023. Not worried about the scoreline. As I said before, this is pre 2026/27 season. I am happy Ware got some minutes and so did the new additions. The Heat have a lot of time to fine tune for the ’26/27 season.
25/26 season just blowing off to
Ehe.
Exactly. We are two players upgrade away from being competitive. We need two players in our top seven, that are better than the weaker players we have now in that role. Bam is at a high enough level that he doesn’t need replacement. And Wiggins and Ty are probably good enough too. Kel ‘el is a player we hope will evolve to not needing better also. From there, we need better, at least two guys, one a starter, and hopefully he will be a star. And, we can’t lose anyone in our top seven in adding those two players, or we will need three players overall. It will take time, likely two years, but hopefully we will be a little improved next year.
Or we could tank. A decent argument could be made for doing that. We probably should have going into this season. We would have gotten at least a couple picks for Jimmy, but that’s spilt milk now.
This year is about getting these younger guys into roles they’re confident in playing. Try to make the playoffs and get some more experience and go in to this summer and do what you can to get at least one more offensive-minded player to help Herro. Durant cough cough 😉
My prayer is that every one stay healthy so they get meaningful playing minutes.
Heat don’t tank. Me neither.
We are already tanking in disguise…not the traditional tanking to get the lottery pick.