Heat’s defense surging after slow start to the season. Also, NBA Cup and injury updates
The Miami Heat’s defense is surging.
After a shaky 3-5 start to the season that had the Heat ranked 19th in the NBA in defensive rating (allowing 114.6 points per 100 possessions) through its first eight games, the Heat’s defense has been among the best in the league since then.
The Heat has posted the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (allowing 106.7 points per 100 possessions) over the last six games. Miami has gone 4-2 during this stretch to get back to .500, improving to 7-7 this season after Sunday night’s 123-118 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks at Kaseya Center.
“It always ends up with being committed to doing really hard things,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked what’s behind the uptick in the team’s defensive metrics. “There’s no easy way about it. I don’t think anybody has figured out how to shortcut anything. It’s a mentality, no matter what the scheme is. There’s nothing that can mask just having to take a challenge as a group. You have to get connected with it.”
One of the biggest reasons for the Heat’s improved defensive numbers over the last two weeks is simple: The Heat is grabbing more defensive rebounds.
During its 3-5 start to the season, the Heat ranked 19th in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage (the percentage of available defensive rebounds a team grabs) at 69.8 percent.
But during the Heat’s last six games, it has posted the league’s fourth-best defensive rebounding percentage (73.5 percent).
That improvement has led to fewer second-chance points for opponents, cleaning up one of the biggest issues that plagued the Heat’s defense early this season.
“As you can imagine, it’s been a big point of emphasis,” Spoelstra said of the Heat’s defensive rebounding. “But it’s been a point of emphasis for a few weeks. We started out the season poorly in that department. I think it was really damaging, not just for your overall defense, but those can be deflating plays. You burn a bunch of calories, you do a bunch of things right and then you give up a second-chance opportunity. We take pride in finishing our defense.”
The Heat has also turned to its zone defense more often during this encouraging stretch, and it has been effective.
After averaging just 4.7 zone possessions per game and allowing 1.29 points per each of those possessions during its 3-5 start, according to Second Spectrum, the Heat has averaged 13.2 zone possessions per game and allowed just 0.96 points per each of those possessions in the last six games.
It also helps that perennial NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate Bam Adebayo is on the Heat’s roster. During the last six games, the Heat has produced an elite defensive rating of just 101.9 points allowed per 100 possessions with Adebayo on the court compared to allowing 116.4 points per 100 possessions when he hasn’t been on the court.
The defining trait of the Heat’s defense is its disruptiveness and it has been disruptive all season, entering Monday with the NBA’s seventh-highest opponent turnover percentage. But better defensive rebounding, more zone possessions and Adebayo’s excellence have the Heat’s defense trending in a positive direction recently.
The fact that the Heat is figuring it out on this end of the court shouldn’t be surprising, considering that Miami has finished with a top-10 defensive rating in eight of the last nine seasons. The Heat entered this week with the league’s 11th-best defensive rating this season despite its rough start.
“There are some things that I do like in terms of our activity,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat closing its homestand on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 p.m., TNT). “If we rebounded better earlier on, I would have liked to have seen what those metrics could have looked like. ... But we have an idea. There’s some clarity on the big things that we need to take care of and that’s what we’re working on right now.”
IN-SEASON STAKES
With the Heat holding a 1-1 record during the four-game group stage of the NBA’s in-season tournament, Tuesday’s matchup against the Bucks at Kaseya Center is essentially a must-win game for the Heat in terms of the NBA Cup.
The Bucks and Detroit Pistons lead the Heat’s group, with both teams standing at 2-0 in group play. The Heat is in third place at 1-1, and the Indiana Pacers and Raptors are the bottom two teams in the five-team group at 0-2.
The Heat’s two remaining group-play games will be played this week in Miami on Tuesday against the Bucks and Friday against the Toronto Raptors. A loss in either game would likely end the Heat’s hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds of the tournament.
The winner of each of the NBA’s six five-team groups and two wild cards (the team from each conference with the best record in group play that finished second in its group) will advance to the knockout quarterfinal round.
INJURY REPORT
Heat guard Terry Rozier is listed as probable for Tuesday’s matchup against the Bucks after missing the last two games with right foot discomfort, which is now being described on the injury report as “right foot neuroma.”
Heat guard Dru Smith is questionable to play on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s win over the Mavericks because of a bone bruise in his right knee.
The Heat listed forward Haywood Highsmith as available for Tuesday’s game despite him suffering a jaw contusion against the Mavericks. Highsmith left Sunday’s game in the second half and did not return.
The only Heat player ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup against the Mavericks is Josh Christopher, who remains in the G League as part of his two-way contract.
The Bucks will be without Khris Middleton (bilateral ankle surgery) against the Heat.
Bucks forward Taurean Prince (illness) is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game in Miami. Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain), MarJon Beauchamp (left hamstring tendinopathy) and AJ Johnson (left Achilles tendinitis) are probable to play.
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 1:04 PM.
