The Miami Heat lost to the Celtics by eight in Boston after an offseason that did not go as planned. This was a hard-fought game that they didn’t come out on the right side of. Coming off of a win against the Detroit Pistons, Heat culture already looks like it is in full effect. Here are some takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 1-1 start.
Takeaways From The Miami Heat’s 1-1 Start
In game one, they played Pistons and sneaked out of their home opener with a win. In game two, they took their show on the road to Boston and fell short to the Celtics. The good thing for the South Beach natives is that both games have positive takeaways.
Home Opener Against the Pistons
On October 25th, Miami survived a late Pistons run to win 103-102. The Heat had a tough time guarding Detroit’s star, Cade Cunningham, who ended the game with 30 points and nine assists. Erik Spoelstra’s team was led in scoring by Bam Adebayo, who had 22, but this win was a team effort. Five players ended in double figures, including star Jimmy Butler with 19. Despite the team’s collective effort, they didn’t play their best basketball. They shot 40.2% from the field as a team, but they did limit themselves to just seven turnovers. Overall, it was a solid game to open the season.
The Return to TD Garden
On October 27th, Boston withstood Miami’s grit and got the 119-111 win. Derrick White ended with 28 points to lead Boston, Jaylen Brown added 27, and Jayson Tatum 22. Tyler Herro. After scoring just 16 points, shooting 29% from the field in game one, bounced back and gave the Heat 28 points, shooting 50%. Bam Adebayo scored 27 points and had nine rebounds. Kyle Lowry had 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, making up for his zero-point effort in game one. Even though they lost to the Celtics, most of the Heat’s key players were able to step up and play big minutes.
Heat Culture
The Heat currently have five players averaging double figures through two games. Miami is shooting 43.6% from the three-point line, which ranks sixth in the NBA, and 81.6% from the free-throw line, which ranks fourth. Those will be two key areas for the Heat nation this year. The bigs in Miami do not present a lot of size. No one on the roster is taller than six-foot-10, and when facing bigs like Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porzingis, that height deficiency will show through. Being able to spread the floor and hit open threes was one of the main catalysts for the Heat reaching the Finals last year. Pat Riley’s group must duplicate that this year if they cannot add another big.
Jimmy Butler’s Early Season Struggles
Butler, this season, has not been one of the Heat’s brightest spots. He ended the game versus Boston with 14 points on 3 of 11 shooting. This came after their season opener when he tallied an inefficient 19 points. For the Heat to return to the NBA Finals this season, Jimmy must step up in a major way. On the one hand, Miami has shown toughness, being able to compete in two games without the best efforts of Butler. On the other, this is not a sustainable method if they hope to return to the NBA’s final stage.
Solid Start to the Season
Overall, the Miami Heat have looked solid in these first two games. Herro must build off of his great game two. Adebayo must continue to be the glue that holds this team together, and the role players must continue to make big plays. Butler will come along and play like the star that he is. The Heat might not be the most talented team, but they are the best coached with the best basketball culture. Riley and Spoelstra have a lot of good things to pull from the first two games of the season.
