As NBA Finals rematch arrives, Heat not focused on what was. A look at what has changed
It has been just four months since the Miami Heat’s memorable and unexpected playoff run as the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed ended in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
But a lot has changed since the Lakers won the NBA championship on Oct. 11 in the Walt Disney World quarantine bubble amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s why when the Heat and Lakers face off in a nationally televised Finals rematch at Staples Center on Saturday (8:30 p.m., ABC), it will feel familiar but also very different. It marks the teams’ first matchup since the last season’s championship series.
“It does and it doesn’t,” Heat center Kelly Olynyk said when asked whether the four months that have passed since the NBA Finals have made it feel like a long time ago. “It feels kind of like a blur. Some days it feels like yesterday you were in the Finals and then other days you’re like, ‘Man, I don’t even remember the Finals.’ It’s such a crazy time and it has been such a crazy year.”
The Lakers enter Saturday’s game with the second-best record in the NBA at 22-8 and with a different mix of players, but they’re still led by the superstar duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The Lakers will look pretty different Saturday than the team the Heat lost to in the Finals, with Davis expected to miss the next month because of a right calf strain and starting guard Dennis Schroder’s availability in question after he missed Thursday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Schroder is one of Los Angeles’ new additions, as the Lakers’ swapped out Avery Bradley, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters for Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews and Schroder.
“I don’t think nobody is worried about what last year had and what happened,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said, downplaying the Finals rematch. “Yeah, we wanted to win. Yeah, they got a championship out of it. But this is a new year. Both teams got a different team. We’re going to be locked in on just that day and who can get that win.”
At this point, the Heat is less worried about story lines and more worried about getting back to the consistent level of play that took them to the Finals last season. Miami entered Friday with the 11th-best record in the Eastern Conference at 12-17 despite returning 13 players from last season’s team, including its All-Star duo of Bam Adebayo and Butler.
But injuries and protocol-related absences have hurt the Heat this season, with Bradley (right calf strain), Goran Dragic (left ankle sprain), Meyers Leonard (season-ending left shoulder surgery) and Chris Silva (left hip flexor strain) currently away from the team.
The four Heat players who did not return this season are Kyle Alexander, Jae Crowder, Derrick Jones Jr. and Solomon Hill. In their place, Miami brought in Precious Achiuwa, Bradley, Moe Harkless and Max Strus.
“I think it’s just another game for us,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said of Saturday’s matchup against the Lakers. “Obviously, we need to come out with a lot of energy and be able to compete with them. I don’t think they have AD. So we just need to take advantage of our opportunity and try to finish this road trip up strong.”
The Heat enters Saturday’s game against the Lakers with a 2-3 record on its seven-game trip following Thursday’s 118-110 win over the Sacramento Kings.
“They’re a great team,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Lakers. “If you’re a competitor, you want to take on that challenge against the world champions. We’ve been so wrapped up in each one of these games on the road trip, I literally haven’t even given it a second of thought to this point. But yeah, I’m sure the guys will be looking forward to it.”
Finding ways to improve its struggling offensive has been a focus for Miami during the past month. The Heat used elite three-point shooting, impressive ball movement and a lot of free throws to finish last regular season with the NBA’s seventh-best offensive rating (111.9 points scored per 100 possessions) and eventually get to the Finals.
Miami hasn’t been able to consistently find the right offensive formula yet this season, entering Friday with the league’s fifth-worst offensive rating (106.8 points scored per 100 possessions).
But recently the Heat’s offense has been trending in the right direction, as it makes adjustments to the heightened attention its three-point shooters are receiving on a regular basis this season. After finishing last regular season with the NBA’s second-best three-point percentage at 37.9, the Heat’s three-point percentage of 35.2 ranks 24th this season.
In response to teams crowding its dribble handoffs and finding different ways to disrupt its off-ball movement that generated a lot of three-point looks last season, the Heat has begun taking advantage of the space that gives them in the paint. Miami tied a season-high with 70 paint points in Thursday’s win over the Kings, including 16 points off of cuts to the basket.
“Obviously, shooters coming off, they’re trying to stay attached and they switch out,” Olynyk said. “Those are the kind of things to me that you need to cut, move without the ball and get easy stuff. Because if you don’t, then now you’re making it really tough on yourselves. Obviously, we have some willing great passers and knowing our guys can really make those plays. It’s just about finishing at the rim.”
It’s worth noting that the Kings have the worst defensive rating and allow the most paint points per game in the NBA this season. But Thursday wasn’t the first time that the Heat has used this attacking style, as it has averaged 65.3 paint points in the past three games.
Miami has also recorded two of its four best single-game offensive ratings of the season during this three-game stretch.
“I think they’re really playing our shooters for the three-point shot,” Herro said. “A lot of our shooters are more than just shooters. So they’re able to get into the lane and make plays and finish inside the paint. Teams always adjust to how they guard us and we just have to adjust to how they guard us game in and game out.”
The Heat’s focus has been on finding solutions after a slow start to the season, but Saturday’s Finals rematch gives Miami a chance to reflect on what was just a few months ago and how much it needs to improve to get back to that championship series.
“I think we’re a ways away from being a good team right now, I’m not gonna lie,” Butler said. “We just gotta keep taking steps in the right direction. And with those steps in the right direction, just find a way to win games.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 12:36 PM.
