In case you may have missed it, the Miami Heat dropped to five games below .500 Saturday after a 114-109 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
To make matters worse, Miami blew a 17-point second-half advantage–and maintaining such leads over the final 24 has been a huge issue for this team throughout this season, specifically over the last three months.
They have also had huge difficulties closing games when they are tight. Miami has played the sixth-most clutch games–defined as situations with a point differential of five points or fewer in the final five minutes–this season, going 13-20. It those situations, the Heat are tied for last in offensive rating (96.9; Bucks) with the league’s second-worst NET Rating (minus-14.0).
While there’s more than just one player to blame, you can point to one player who’s struggled the most with generating offense conducive to success.
Heat guard Tyler Herro has been very poor in clutch situations this season:
Tyler Herro’s career season has been a byproduct of his modified shot diet.
The 6-foot-5 is averaging 23.8 points on 45.7 percent shooting, including 37.2 percent from 3-point range and 86.3 percent from the free-throw line. His true-shooting percentage (59.5) would be the best mark of his career by 2.9 percentage points, while his effective field goal percentage (55.6) is the best by 2.5 points.
It was always difficult to envision Herro sustaining his then-career-high 41.0 percent from deep (through 30 games) for a full season given his creation responsibilities–especially after Jimmy Butler’s continued absences. But that has tailed off since the New Year–shooting just 33.0 percent on 9.6 triple tries per game over that span.
His poor efficiency has reared its ugly head late in games, too.
In fourth quarters since the turn of the calendar, he’s shooting just 40.4 percent from the floor and 25.4 percent (16-63) from 3-point range. Of 88 players who have taken at least 30 long-range attempts in those situations since Jan. 1, his 3-point percentage is the seventh-worst; of 71 players who have taken at least 75 shots, his 47.0 effective field goal percentage is the 13th-worst.
To compound the struggles, he’s shooting just 24.0 percent (12-50) and 5-of-31 from beyond the arc in clutch situations. Of 62 players who have taken at least 25 shots in those situations, he owns the fifth-worst effective field goal percentage (29.0), which is untenable for the team’s primary creator outside of Bam Adebayo, who’s been one of the NBA’s best late in games.
You want to trust your best players in tight situations. There’s no doubt that, early in the season, Herro helped the team win games way more often than not. He’s continued to make strides with his playmaking, processing and physicality defensively.
He’s far from perfect, but his decision-making falls apart when Miami needs it most.
These clips above are just a few recent examples.
Tyler Herro is not the only reason why the Heat have consistently fallen on their faces in the second half. Though there’s also something to be said about asking more from an All-Star who’s been remarkably inefficient over the last two months despite leading the team in usage in clutch situations (30.2 percent). The 25-year-old has climbed up the pedestal and has not lived up to the requisite expectations.
Miami doesn’t have much flow offensively when these situations arise; far too often, there’s too much stagnation–both with player- and ball-movement. Herro’s at the forefront.
In all fairness, this is the first time that the first-time All-Star has had this kind of creation burden for this long. Defenses have game-planned against him and done their best to force him to make decisions.
But Miami’s Herro Ball will have to be more efficient and thorough to close games because it ditches their best player (Adebayo) far too often for a team that doesn’t have much of any identity elsewhere.
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Why in TF does Spo allow desperation 3 point shots in the closing minutes rather than having players work for two point shots and draw fouls??? For some reason, Herro thinks it’s his job to save the Heat by chucking up long range shots. He knows how to drive, draw fouls, pass and take mid range shots. Same with Rozier, Robinson and others. That is not working. Playoff Jimmy” was a master at slowing game down in 4th quarter and working for a good shot or drawing a foul before he quiet quit on the team.
Heat sure could use someone like DeMar DeRozen at this time. He is scoring 22,2 ppg for Sacto and hitting 35.8 of his 3 pointers (the highest % of his career). Nothing fancy, just a hard nosed, consistent, blue collar worker with a killer mid-range shot. Sacto got him for cheap this past summer. Oh well.
Anybody notice Josh Giddey’s game Saturday night? Triple double. He (or Coby White) sure would help the team.
The problem is more of a coaching strategy than a player’s problem. One player can not be held reasonable for a team consistently loosing a double digital lead instead of building on it to close up. Credit has to go to the other team who has figured out why they are double digits down and come back to win. It is upto Heat to counter the other team’s strategy again, to close down. If the coaches think it is a personnel issue then they need to work on making the necessary adjustment. I think the problem lies in defense.
Summary:
It shows that the Heat cannot figure out the defensive and offensive adjustments the opponents make in the 2nd half of a game.
well said spobot doesnt have wade and co
hes not that guy to sight of build hes a complimentary player not a ss.