In a game that will haunt the Miami Heat, the team suffered a stunning 121-114 loss to the injury-depleted Orlando Magic. Up by 25 points in the first half and holding a seemingly insurmountable 22-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, Miami unraveled in catastrophic fashion. They were outscored 37-8 in the final frame, a collapse as shocking as it was humiliating.
https://x.com/bytimreynolds/status/1870660572880241015?s=46&t=70KMxl0CSvAS2niDn8R-TQ
https://x.com/bytimreynolds/status/1870668743300517889?s=46&t=70KMxl0CSvAS2niDn8R-TQ
Orlando was missing key players Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Wendell Carter Jr., the latter playing only 13 minutes before exiting. Yet the Heat found a way to lose to a lineup of backups and role players who displayed more fight, effort, and composure than their Miami counterparts.
The Heat had entered this matchup poised for redemption following a disappointing home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder the night prior. Instead, the same counterproductive habits plagued them in Orlando. Defensive lapses, careless turnovers, and an apparent lack of urgency turned what should have been a morale-boosting win into a soul-crushing defeat.
No excuses can justify this implosion—not even the absence of Jimmy Butler, who sat out due to rest. Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Terry Rozier may have contributed solid scoring performances, but individual stats pale in comparison to the collective failure that unfolded in the final 12 minutes. This was a team-wide disaster, and everyone—from the coaching staff to the last player on the bench—deserves blame for this debacle.
Orlando’s young squad, led by an inspired effort from Cole Anthony, took full advantage of Miami’s lackadaisical approach. As the Heat squandered their lead possession by possession, the Magic grew in confidence, snatching the game and Miami’s dignity in the process. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Miami’s fans seemed crushed, already more than they already were.
This game was more than a loss—it was an indictment. If the Heat hope to salvage their season, they’ll need to address their recurring mental lapses and inconsistent effort. Until then, performances like this will linger as painful reminders of what happens when a team takes its foot off the gas.
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Butler is listed as questionable for Monday’s game. That would be the 7th game out of 21 he has missed, or fully one third of the season so far (and that is giving him credit for the recent 7 minutes he played). At that rate, he would miss about 27 games this season. The Heat cannot afford to pay him superstar money for playing 2/3 of a season, not counting games where he doesn’t give a full effort (to his credit, he hasn’t had a lot of those this season). They are in 6th and closer to 9th than 4th.
Not lately but hes dogged a bunch of games this year.Dunc gives 100% every time his non athletic ass steps on ct..Jimmy cant bust ass all the time based on age and injuries.Bam on the other hand does not give full effort quite a bit.There was a key rebound in the okc that bam just half assed after and shtein busted ass and got it.Eric pointed that out the hustle on hart and was taking a back handed shot at lazy bam.i thought.Team is going nowhere with bam and ty as your best players.If there isnt a player better than those 2 mediocre city here we come.Letting jimmy go is risky.When healthy and trying hes still our best player.Hes just gotta stay healthy which is a big ask.Iknow he takes up alot of $$$$ but i wouldnt tradehim just play ware spobot and let keshod have some pt. jjj and jovic just to unathletic
Bam is the hardest working player on the court. That dude has already sweated more in the first quarter than most players sweat in the whole game. The problem is Spo has him doing too many things. Defensively he guards 1-5 and offensively he is a playmaker much of the time. Plus he’s not a center; he’s a natural power forward!
Bam isn’t back to himself 100% but then again neither are Jimmy, Rozier, Jovic or Jaquez…or Spo for that matter. You put Bam with a contending team and he would help them win a championship. Bam is the cornerstone of the team, not Jimmy; whose time has come and gone.
This team isn’t going anywhere with or without Butler. It’s time to turn the page and let Butler go and have a shot at a championship elsewhere. It’s also time to let the young bucks have their turns and begin building for the future. In addition, Riley should retire allowing Spo to take his place in the front office. Both of them appear to be losing their touches in their current positions.
Here, here. Well said. If Bam had any support and was used correctly, he would be an all-star
I’m only mad at one person, the man who should abdicate his title as the Godfather. He should be seen for what he has become, ineffective and nonfunctional. We should refer to him as Nero now because he sits on his hands as the team flames out.
Time for him to move on. Until he does, I fear running it back is his only answer. There is no excuse anymore for doing nothing. No one on this roster is untradeable anymore in that they all have value, even taking their contracts into account.
This team is going nowhere with part time Jimmy. Many of us saw this coming. As should have our GM.
I understand what you’re saying, but imo we are already in mediocre city and it’s only going to get worse as Butler gets older. You add an A level younger player to Bam, Herro, Ware, Keshad, Pelle, Dru, Christopher, Stevens, plus a couple of first round picks, and we can look forward to a really competitive team. I agree with SunMan, 30, and others that it’s time to move on for the sake of both Butler and the team.
What if Miami has a fire sale and trades Butler, Rozier and Duncan for young players, expiring contracts and trade picks as well as Highsmith, Richardson and Burks for second round draft picks and/or cash?
That would leave:
If Miami can get a young player, an expiring contract and a 2025 draft pick for Butler, (such as the Houston trade(s) I have proposed), an expiring contract and a draft pick for Rozier, an expiring contract and draft pick for Robinson, cash (cap space) or second round picks for Highsmith, Richardson and Burks (like the Bryant trade), plus their own lottery pick if they do not make the playoffs, they have something to work with next summer. Meanwhile, the team can bring in Johnson, Stevens, Christopher, plus draft picks and free agents next year and go into quick re-tool mode.
At worst, by this summer, the team could look something like this:
Smith/Stevens
Herro/Larsson/Christopher
Jaquez/Johnson
Bam/Jovic
Ware/Love
Plus Draft pick(s)
Plus Free agent(s)
Plus Trade(s)
These are far better options than hoping this year’s team can remain healthy and be competitive while waiting to see if Jimmy opts out and walks away next summer.
The Heat had an excuse for being mediocre last year, injuries. This year’s team has remained relatively healthy, so it has no excuses.
It may also be time for Riley to retire, for Spo to take his place, for Chris Guinn to to be promoted to Head Coach to replace Spo and Caron Butler promoted to Associate Head Coach to replace Quinn.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching on February 6, I would consider making a trade this week for improvements. If that doesn’t come together, I would then execute a fire sale at the deadline.
I would propose sending Terry Rozier to Chicago in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic, and trading Duncan Robinson to Utah for point guard Collin Sexton. This could be done in one combined trade or as two separate transactions, with additional marginal players or cash included if needed. These moves would address the three positions that Miami has needed to improve for several years: center, power forward, and point guard.
1 – Collin Sexton
2 – Tyler Herro
3 – Jimmy Butler
4 – Bam Adebayo
5 – Nikola Vucevic
Clarkson has a terrible defensive rating. Maybe Rozier for Vuc. https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-defensive-ratings-shooting-guard
??? I didn’t mention Clarkson.
Ha. True. Maybe meant Sexton?
Sexton’s rating is even worse. 123.5
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-defensive-rating-sexton
What happened yesterday is inexcusable. However I look at it, my mind is not able to process it. I watched part of the first and the whole second quarter and then I saw the resulting score and couldn’t understand what was going on. It’s just crazy! I wouldn’t say a word if we played Boston or another strong team. But Orlando without 4 of their best players? This is simply unprofessional and I am very very disappointed.
Heat’s historic collapse reveals hard truth about state of the roster. It’s time for a change.
(Allucanheat – 12/22/24)
“After all, the Heat won’t win a championship this season with Butler on this roster, and Butler won’t win a championship with this supporting cast. Trading Butler to a true contender out West might be the only way for both team and player to reopen a championship window. For Butler at 35, a trade to the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns or Houston Rockets could be one last push. For the Heat, it would offer a chance to reboot around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.”
“Everything in the NBA is fleeting. Markets change, players get older, teams become less desperate. If there’s a strong market for Butler now, then the Heat need to strike while the iron is hot because that same market won’t be there in six months.
There are two choices: Make dramatic changes to the roster around Butler, or trade him. The Heat aren’t good enough, and the front office cannot sit idly by and watch as their rivals grow stronger. This plan doesn’t work anymore. It’s time for a new one.”
https://allucanheat.com/heat-historic-collapse-reveals-hard-truth-about-state-of-roster?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
Precisely what we have been saying! It is to do what’s right for the team AND Butler. I think some people are undervaluing what he is worth on the market. A trade should bring back younger players and a draft pick or two.
play ware bam together u have a diff team ez fix
Ware is young and inexperienced. Give him a year of building his body up and playing together with Bam, he will be much better and they together will be much better. Meanwhile, he’s going to make mistakes and probably cost a few games.
The team needs time to incorporate players like him, Larsson, Johnson and Stevens into the rotation. That is time Jimmy doesn’t have. He deserves a shot at winning a championship with a better team, this year. He ain’t getting any younger. The Heat needs to make changes and evolve to keep up with the younger NBA teams. Now is the time to so it! See my last post above.
*Oops. Now is the time to do it.
Well, I just wondered, when Herro and Bam will be pulled to the bench and we will see more of ware and our youngsters. Then they collapsed.
I saw a lot of comments, calling for trades, especially Jimmy, which, funny, was not playing this game.
Funny is, that such games happens to teams without veterans presence. And I think, with Jimmy in lineup, Heat would win this game.
So, the thing is, who is calling for trading Jimmy, is also calling for more of such games.
Otherwise, I like what I saw in first 36 minutes, and I hate what I saw in last 12. I hate seeing Jovic starting, because he is lethargic again, and I dont like to see JJJ and Highsmith even playing.
But, of course, the bright spot was Ware. Its time to see him play more.
And I think Jimmy should go.
Right. Wanting to trade Butler has nothing to do with this game or him in general. It is just the team is likely going nowhere with or without him, so let’s get what we can and get younger and, hopefully, more athletic.
keshad josh ware all hereprob better than lots of vets rc.i know ill get guys that can defend and athletic
This team is going downhill without him, as we saw yesterday, and likely nowhere with him, as you said.
Still, I wonder, if a downhill version is acceptable.
And who else have to go?
JJJ, for example. I cant recall the last good game he had. Jovic, terrible again?
Vets?
we could suk for a decade to rc.we have jim for next couple years y not add on .trade jim no guarantee us anything .could become det wash char
We could also become Cleveland, Houston, Orlando, OKC. And I absolutely don’t think we would be bad for a decade. maybe a year or 2 at the most. And then be really competitive for 5-7 years.
If your 2 best players are bam and ty u will be mediocre for as long as that takes place.Good young players hard to come by,
Don’t know. Seems a lot of teams have found them. And when we discussed SGA and Jalen Williams, we were both surprised that they were picks 11 and 12.
Since we drafted wade havent really found a diff makerUntil u get a ss your playing for second place.
Gotta be in lottery to get top player.