We are one day away from the Miami Heat’s play-in game against the Chicago Bulls. Miami is looking to make history, hoping to become the first-ever team to win two play-in games away from home.
They won’t be able to do that without several players stepping up in hostile environments. We know Erik Spoelstra will go 8-9 deep in the rotation, so I listed the Heat’s six most important players ahead of Wednesday’s matchup.
Who are they? Let’s examine!
6. Alec Burks
This may be a surprise to you, but hear me out. Burks was a mainstay in the Heat rotation over his last 10 games, in part due to injury. The 33-year-old wing was quite impactful, averaging 11.7 points on 45.6 percent shooting from 3-point range on 6.8 triple tries over that span. He likely won’t give the Heat more than 20-25 minutes, but he’s been one of the team’s most reliable floor spacers over the last month–which the Heat will need with Duncan Robinson’s back injury ailing him.
5. Davion Mitchell
I was very high on Mitchell when he arrived. Yet, he’s exceeded my expectations. He’s the Heat’s best point-of-attack defender and will be tasked with trying to slow down Josh Giddey and Coby White on Wednesday–which is no small task. Mitchell’s also been one of the Heat’s facilitators–averaging 6.0 assists to 1.7 turnovers over the last month–while shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range (albeit on 3.1 3PA) over his last 30 games. If he can continue to generate paint touches and make defenses pay, Miami’s floor raises.
4. Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins struggled to find his footing upon his return after missing six games with a hamstring injury. Perhaps this extra rest will help him unlock the gear the Heat will need, given how malleable he his on both ends of the floor. We’ve seen brief glimpses of strong play both offensively and defensively. And I believe his size and creation capabilities could pose a problem for the Bulls, which is why I have him where he is on this list.
3. Kel’el Ware
The Bulls aren’t big, but they are going to play with pace and put strain on the Heat’s defense. How will Ware fare against that? We’ve seen glimpses of good with Ware this season, but it hasn’t been super consistent. We’ve seen the tale of two Ware’s in the three meetings against the Bulls as well. He ended the season on a positive note, but can he parlay that into being one of the most dominant bigs on the floor (outside of Adebayo) when Miami needs him to be?
2. Tyler Herro
You could argue that the first time All-Star was the Heat’s best player throughout the entirety of the season. However, Herro has struggled mightily in clutch situations–where Chicago’s thrived–and his defense, while improved, has been a bit of a roller coaster. He’s will get hunted and the Bulls will throw the kitchen sink at him defensively. How will he respond? That may decide the fate of Wednesday’s game.
1. Bam Adebayo
While Miami sometimes runs on Duncan (Robinson), they also run on Bam Adebayo. He was also quiet in their most recent meeting against Chicago, scoring just 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with six rebounds in 35 minutes. When he’s aggressive, the complexion of the Heat offense changes. Adebayo has been their best player since the All-Star break and I’m expecting a more aggressive version against Vucevic, a league-average defender (at best). They need him to play well if they want to survive another day.
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96 96 wata game
who needs ja ja we got baine
butler 6 missed fts more please
steph might be greatest shooter i say bird #2
ja ja gabor out dam put ava in
come on thug your ok please beat gsw
jas hurt dam 82 80
pippen or pelle pat prefers pelle i guess
There s nothing wrong with Pelle. Pippin played 79 games, Pelle 55. Pippin played 50% more minutes. Jury is still out.
pippins better player ask his dad
desmond baine looking great
how to impact a game watch quitter .tys a good scorer his impact on winning becuase of his d turnovers volume shooting is minimal,hes very tradeable
In the NBA, a good assist-to-turnover ratio is generally considered to be above 2:1. Guards typically aim for ratios above 2:1, while forwards and centers may have lower expectations. The ideal ratio can also depend on the player’s role and position on the team.
Herro is slightly better than 2:1.
in order to get ss heat gonna need to trade ty or bam.id rather trade ty.he gives up lots pts ,still gets bullied way to much.just doesnt have the nba body youd like to see.pelle has a nice nba strong body
heat might want to look at their training staff maybe try some diff stretching techniques or get diff equipment.jimmys flying around like hes 20 years old
Again, he’s done this with every team he’s been with
It is called effort or lack thereof.
go grizz 76 72 a 2qbn run
instead of drafting pelle how bout a pippen pat
grizz better with aldama than mount edey
Trae got thrown out birdies lost now waiting for Heat err…Bulls 😁
edey was unstoppable in college .not the case in nba
And you wanted the Heat to draft him
in college he was dominant in the nba looks like a big white stiff
As opposed to big black stiffs like Anthony Bennett or Wiseman?
tony bennett great voice
It seems you have left your heart in San Francisco tonight
good one rc.my hearts in memphis tonight though
to big to slow
how did mark eaton have a good career he could hardly move
chicagos not that good of a team from 1 -32 i got them about 20.the great eight are all healthy if we cant beat a very mediocre team changes should be made.riley needs to call it a day .move spo to gm and bring another coach in
since feb 8 jimmy #1 steals and deflections
i hope pats watching the warrior game.at 80 prob sleeping
jimmy looks great the heat lol
the more i watch playoff jimmy the more i dislike pat.youve got to kiss ss ass.whatever they want give them.
Fk Butler! For weeks you’ve been calling him a pos quitter. Now that he’s in playoff Jimmy mode, you want to get back together with the girl who cheated on you. He quit on this team for 1 1/2 seasons.
yes he is a pos but watching him on the tube rc i wish he was still a heater playing like this .where did it go wrong wtf happened.the team now is better than any team he had
he single handedly won this game when steph was on bench
He quit when he didn’t get his extension before last season. That’s on him. He lied when he said it didn’t matter. He lied when he said I’ll go to any team but Miami. If he had played his butt off, the Heat would’ve been in good shape and they may have given him the extension. He didn’t do that. The Heat suffered as a result. With a motivated Butler, this would’ve been a different story.
why didnt pat want to extend him
Availability. Missed 25, then 18 games. Last season missed 22 more games and out for the playoffs. Injuries are not a players fault, but remember, Riley called out Herro too. Herro took it to heart and played his ass off. Butler quit even more than the previous season.
where did he get these fresh legs,im surprised the spring hes got in them didnt see that coming
He’s always played well with his new team. He’s motivated. You guaranteed the Warriors blog he’d be injured in his first month. Didn’t happen.
He has his joy back, I suppose.
maybe he wasnt injured just quit on us
I believe he definitely was injured going into the playoffs last season. But, yes, he quit on us for almost 2 seasons.
This is just lol
Jimmy just showing off in his new team. He could’ve done the same in south beach but chose to be a diva. You’re falling for this “show” of the quitter
He has done this with every team he’s been with.
sixers couldnt keep him and tobias they chose tobias
with chi minn he left because he thought he was worth more than what they were offering
You don’t remember his blowups in Minnesota?
And he demanded a trade because he was PO’d they paid Tobias instead of him. He was right to feel that way.
Hawks vs Magic refs dont want Orl touching Trae or they blow the whistle lol
The Heat will also need at least two of the following players to bring their “A” games, if healthy:
*Jovic has missed 27 straight games due to a fractured right hand. However, he has a chance to play in Wednesday’s game in the Play-In Tournament in Chicago, which would give Miami a much-needed boost off the bench.
I dont think Spo will play Jovic. But agree with Kyle and HH to do their thing. Or not. For picks sake. Get it? Pete’s to picks…. nevermind lol
If Miami can’t beat Chicago with their “A” team, they deserve to be in the lottery.
keep the guy that cant guard there much better off.tys d is pretty bad with him and 55 on ct bball suicide
pelle jjj keshad jovic will not play
Depends on how Anderson and Highsmith are doing.
anderson is so solid not worried about him.ware needs to gobble up some of hhs minutes.not impressed with hh,your playing 5 on 4 with him on the ct.ware ty bam wigg dav need to play 35-40 mins theres no tomorrow.burks could be a wild factor if hes hitting his 3s that will help immensely.go ja go grizzlies
wild card