The Miami Heat expected a far better outcome for their return home on Monday. Jimmy Butler returned to action and the Heat faced a shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies team. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Memphis was in control throughout the entire game, as the Grizzlies outworked Miami on both ends of the floor. This was not the performance the Heat were looking for. With the loss, they fall to 14-11 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Monday’s loss.
Check out past editions of “Heating Up” here.
Butler Re-Injury
After missing the last four games, Butler was back in action. However, things got worse. In the first quarter, Butler fell right on the same spot on his tailbone, which left him in pain. He tried playing through the injury, but was not the same, looking uncomfortable at times and often grimacing up and down the court. Butler showed a lot of heart to continue to play through the injury, but he left midway through the third quarter and never returned. While it’s great Butler showed heart, the best move would have been to sit out. He ended the night with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Turnovers
Miami played a sloppy game on the offensive end, turning the ball over 15 times in the first half. Some of those turnovers came from lazy passes, stepping out of bounds, and miscommunication. The Heat looked like a team that was playing their first game together. To make matters worse, every time the ball was turned over, Memphis immediately scored on the other end. With injuries to their top players, Miami has to do a better job of taking care of the ball. They cannot afford to give the opposing team easy baskets. The home team finished the game with 23 turnovers.
Tyler Herro Back in Usual Role
With Butler back, Tyler Herro was moved back into his sixth man role. This is the role Miami is comfortable in putting him in, as Herro provides scoring relief off the bench. Trailing by double-digits early, Miami immediately went to Herro. The guard went to his mid-range game early, mixing in a couple of drives to the hoop, as well. Throughout the game, it felt like the Milwaukee native was on an island by himself when it came to scoring. Butler was trying to stay in the game and Kyle Lowry was quiet, offensively. Herro finished the night with 24 points. The unusual part of the game was the minutes he received. After three quarters, the former Kentucky Wildcat was seventh in minutes on the team, and that should never happen. When Miami is struggling offensively, Herro’s usage should be higher.
Unusual Minutes Distribution
As mentioned, the Herro minutes should have been higher. There’s no reason why the best player on the floor for Miami is seventh in team minutes after three periods, especially with Butler limping up and down the floor. Another unusual move was Max Strus’ minutes. Strus played three minutes before being brought back for garbage time. On a night where the team was struggling offensively, Miami should have tried Strus more. Duncan Robinson has been up and down on the offensive end. It could not hurt to try Strus.
Next up: At the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Tipoff at 7:30pm EST.
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