Category: Miami Heat Blog

Miami Heat lineup analysis

The Miami Heat, who played roughly half the season without star Chris Bosh, finished with a 37-45 record, failing to qualify for the NBA playoffs. Here’s the Palm Beach Post with a look at some of their lineups:

The lineup everyone wanted to see heading into last season (Norris Cole, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts and Chris Bosh) was on the court a total of 34 minutes over four games. That group had a plus-26.1 efficiency rating (points scored per 100 possessions minus points allowed per 100 possessions).

The lineup everyone wanted to see in February and going into next season (Goran Dragic, Wade, Deng, Bosh and Hassan Whiteside) played zero minutes together. Bosh exited due to blood clots in his lungs just as Dragic arrived in the trade.

The most prevalent lineup was Dragic, Wade, Deng, Udonis Haslem and Whiteside. That group worked together for 179 minutes. For context, Golden State’s primary unit logged 813 minutes, and the Warriors had two other groups play at least 180 minutes.

Crucial game for Miami Heat tonight

Here’s the Miami Herald blog with some insight on the Heat, whose time is running out if they hope to grab a spot in the postseason:

With three games left in the regular season, the Heat desperately needs a victory on Saturday night. The Heat has three games left in the regular season and now trails the Nets and Celtics by two games in the loss column after both teams won in convincing fashion on Friday night. The Pacers are earned an important victory, which further complicated the Eastern Conference playoff race. It’s not a true must-win scenario for the Heat, but another loss could doom the Heat’s playoff chances all the same.

While the Nets and Celtics enjoyed games on Friday against teams resting players or preparing for the playoffs, the Heat has no such luck on Saturday against the Raptors. Toronto can secure home-court advantage in the playoffs with a victory against the Heat.

Josh McRoberts travels with Heat for first time since surgery

The Miami Heat are 32-36, on a three-game winning streak, winners of seven of their last 10 games, and playing without Chris Bosh for the rest the season. Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel with an update on Heat forward Josh McRoberts:

For the first-time since undergoing knee surgery in December, forward Josh McRoberts has joined the Miami Heat on a road trip.

McRoberts, who, according to coach Erik Spoelstra, has yet to resume on-court work with the coaching staff, left Saturday with the team for the four-game trip that opens Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

McRoberts, one of Pat Riley’s prime offseason additions last summer in free agency, has been limited to 17 games this season due to a variety of ailments. He has been sidelined since Dec. 10 since a torn right meniscus. He began the season on the team’s inactive list do to an offseason toe issue and later missed time due to a blister on his left foot.

Unlike other teammates who have been sidelined, McRoberts has not joined the Heat on the bench at home games, nor had he traveled with the team until this trip that also includes games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Heat sign Michael Beasley for remainder of season

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed forward Michael Beasley for the remainder of the season.

Beasley has appeared in 10 games with the HEAT this season averaging 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 22.9 minutes while shooting 42.4 percent from the field. He has scored in double-figures five times, including a season-high 18 points vs. Sacramento on March 7, and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds at Toronto on March 13.

Beasley, who was signed to a 10-day contract by the HEAT on February 26 and then re-signed to a second 10-day contract on March 8, was originally drafted by Miami in the first round (second overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft. The six-year NBA veteran has appeared in 419 career NBA games (199 starts) averaging 13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 24.8 minutes while shooting 45 percent from the field.

Hassan Whiteside racking up lots of NBA fines

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on talented Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who is having a breakout season but must tone a couple things down on the floor:

This time the financial penalty for Hassan Whiteside was not as severe, but the impact to the Miami Heat is more extreme.

With Whiteside suspended for Wednesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at AmericanAirlines Arena for his Monday blow to the back of the neck of Boston Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk, the Heat will be reduced to Chris Andersen as their lone available center in the key matchup for playoff seeding.

The loss of salary for the suspension equates to $7,000 for Whiteside, less than half of the $15,000 he was fined for last week’s skirmish with Phoenix Suns center Alex Len, with no suspension accompanying that NBA sanction.

Miami Heat assign Zoran Dragic to D-League

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have assigned guard Zoran Dragic to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Zoran has appeared in eight NBA games this season, including two with the HEAT since being acquired in a three-team trade on February 19, totaling six points, three rebounds and an assist in eight minutes of action. He spent last season with Unicaja Malaga in Spain, appearing in 22 Euroleague games and averaged 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 22.5 minutes while shooting 41.3 percent from the field.