<\/p>\n
Three observations from the Miami Heat\u2019s Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but we\u2019re going to look for positives that the Heat can carry into Saturday’s Game 3.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an example of how Tyler Herro was used down the stretch of the Heat\u2019s Game 1 loss to the Cavaliers.<\/p>\n
Herro is stuck in the corner, trying to space the floor from the weakside to create more room for the primary action on the opposite side of the court.<\/p>\n
Among Erik Spoelstra\u2019s adjustments going into Game 2 was to utilize Herro\u2019s spacing earlier in the shot clock. Often, this was by using Herro as a screener. But sometimes it was just Herro\u2019s movement that forced Cleveland\u2019s defense to react.<\/p>\n
It was this adjustment and Herro\u2019s movement that set up the biggest moment of the game. The Heat had cut the 19-point deficit to single digits late. They were down five with 39.4 seconds left. The Heat had won the jump ball at center court and Jarrett Allen had fallen down among the scrum. Davion Mitchell brought the ball up. Herro started on the left elbow and flashed toward the ball to draw help away from Nikola Jovic in the corner.<\/p>\n
Mitchell drove and kicked it out to Jovic, who missed the wide-open 3 and a chance to cut it to one possession.<\/p>\n
It was a tough miss for Jovic, who went 1 for 8 from deep in his first live minutes since injuring his hand in late February. But the process was good, and Herro deserves a lot of credit for recognizing how he can impact the game without the ball in his hands.<\/p>\n
Lost in the shuffle of Davion Mitchell\u2019s journey through three teams in his first four seasons is that he was the No. 9 pick in the 2021 draft. This is not a typical undrafted find for the Heat. Mitchell is a top-10 pick with bundles of athleticism.<\/p>\n
This is never more evident than when Mitchell is barrelling into defenses. He isn\u2019t the best passer or table-setter, but he has a strong first step and a wide body that forces defenses to react. His aggressiveness helped carry the Heat during Herro\u2019s rest period at the start of the fourth quarter. He scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, when he was a main character in Miami\u2019s 25-8 run to cut the deficit to two points. He also had two assists.<\/p>\n
Mitchell\u2019s assist to Bam Adebayo\u2019s dunk punctuated that run and highlighted what Mitchell has added to the closing lineup since coming over at the trade deadline.<\/p>\n
Mitchell gets a brush screen from Herro and is isolated on Darius Garland on the right wing. He puts his head down and blows by Garland, forcing Jarrett Allen to step deeper into the paint. Adebayo sees Allen occupied and cuts along the baseline for the lob that set the Heat up to potentially tie the game on the next possession.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t possible without Mitchell\u2019s ability to blow by his defender and make plays from the paint.<\/p>\n
Among Spoelstra\u2019s adjustments was finding a role for Nikola Jovic, who knocked off some cobwebs with garbage-time reps at the end of Game 1. Spoelstra said Jovic looked good in practice between Sunday and Wednesday and decided to reinsert him into the rotation.<\/p>\n
Jovic\u2019s size, skill, and quick decision-making made him a missing puzzle piece for Miami. He played the entire fourth quarter (over Andrew Wiggins) and his activity level helped jolt the game-changing run. Jovic has a knack for putting energy into the basketball. He pushes off rebounds, shoots when open, and doesn\u2019t doddle in the endless flowchart of basketball decisions.<\/p>\n
When Jovic runs the floor, things tend to happen. Watch as he creates a drive-and-kick opportunity for the Heat\u2019s best shooter just by going fast.<\/p>\n
Jovic has great feel for the game and endless confidence that helps connect Miami\u2019s offense. His quick decision-making is key. A determines to shoot, dribble or pass in a split second and keeps things moving. It\u2019s not a coincidence that he was tied for the team-high in secondary assists in Game 2.<\/p>\n
One of them came off a late offensive rebound.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s beauty in the simplicity of Jovic\u2019s game. He sees the smaller Max Strus in front of him, so when the shot goes up, he attacks the offensive glass. When he grabs the rebound, he passes it to the nearest teammate. That leads to a wide-open 3 for Mitchell.<\/p>\n
Some players would have grabbed the rebound, then gotten trapped by two Cavs defenders in the corner. Instead, Jovic\u2019s size and readiness result in a scoring opportunity.<\/p>\n
But sometimes Jovic\u2019s quick-twitch decision-making cascades into recklessness. His two turnovers in the final 2:45 cost the Heat late. On both occasions, he failed to see the roaming Cavs defender and threw an interception.<\/p>\n
This is the learning curve for a young player. While those mistakes were loud, there was more good than bad.<\/p>\n Three observations from the Miami Heat\u2019s Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but we\u2019re going to look for positives that the Heat can carry into Gane 3.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":55972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n