ASK IRA: Is slow and small any way for Heat to try to win a playoff series?
Q: We play small to get slower. It’ s not as if adding Max Strus or Duncan Robinson to the starting lineup in place of a lumbering big man necessarily makes the Heat any fleeter. And even other smaller options are sampled, it is with older players such as Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo, who clearly have lost a step over the years.
Q: We play small to get slower. That’s pathetic. – Rodney.
A: Such is the reality of a roster that is largely unathletic. It’s not as if adding Max Strus or Duncan Robinson to the starting lineup in place of a lumbering big man necessarily makes the Heat any fleeter. Just smaller. Small ball typically means a faster pace, an injection of quickness, steals, transition, scoring. That simply is not the case with the Heat, which tends to be a double whammy, while also playing small. And even other smaller options are sampled, it is with older players such as Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo, who clearly have lost a step over the years.
Q: Winning one game this series was our ceiling this season. – Kelly.
A: And it well might be, in light of Wednesday night’s thrashing. For now, the focus is on getting one more. The best bet likely will be emulating something close to what the Bucks accomplished in Game 2, and win it over the top, with over-the-top 3-point shooting. The Heat certainly are capable, although likely not to the degree displayed Wednesday by the Bucks. It could be favorable home rims or bust at this point.
Q: Good points in your recent article that while other teams were landing lots of bass during the last offseason, the Heat were off deep-sea whale fishing. But it was an unusual situation, where the whale was singing to them, “Come and get me, I want to play with you.” And I agree with the logic that the only chance over the next few years, for the Heat to be contending for a championship, is to trade for another star. But there’s got to be a cutoff to how long they hold out, and a Plan B to land a decent bass when the opportunity presents itself. They need to make every effort to at least get back to the level of New York and Cleveland. – Morgan, New Orleans.
A: Yes, the Kevin Durant situation certainly was unique. The ultimate trade decision is how wed the Heat are to Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. With Tyler, the playoff assessment has been lost. But it will be ongoing with Bam.
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