The Miami Heat (2-2) have headed west as they seek to move back over .500. In this season’s NBA Mexico City game, Miami will face the Washington Wizards (2-2) mere days after a second-half collapse against another division rival, the New York Knicks (2-2).
The season remains young, so it’s hardly time to pull any fire alarms, but the Heat are still seeking to put together their first cohesive effort of the season, which can actually be a good sign. Miami’s early peaks and valleys can be divided into halves. Thus far, the Heat (plus-10.7) sport the league’s fifth-best first-half net rating but fall to 27th after halftime (minus-17.4), according to NBA.com.
Miami is averaging 118.4 points per 100 possessions in a game’s first two periods, which would’ve finished sixth among all teams last season. For some reason, though, things have fallen apart following intermission, but Tyler Herro’s hot hand has kept the Heat afloat. The Heat have the NBA’s worst second-half offense (101.1). That figure — and their true shooting percentage of 51.7 percent — ranks among all teams in the last two quarters.
“It was disjointed, but at the beginning of last season, he was off to a great start,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Herro Wednesday. “And the year before that, he had a great offensive year. I think the biggest difference now is he has more physicality defensively, and he’s making a lot of [the] right plays offensively. It’s not just about scoring. He’s been able to do that for the last couple years. No one’s just been paying attention to that. But he’s becoming much more of a complete basketball player.”
Tyler put on a show with his best game early on this season
🔥 34 points
🔥 8 3s
🔥 7 assists
🔥 5 rebounds pic.twitter.com/j0KtzF4t8K— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 31, 2024
During Wednesday’s 116-107 loss against the Knicks, Herro contributed season-highs in points (34) and assists (seven), but Heat All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for fewer points (26) and shot attempts (16) than Herro. On the season, Miami’s net rating plummets to minus-31.4 when Butler, Adebayo and Herro share the court. What was that mark last season, you ask? A very respectable plus-3.2, so there is time for the Heat’s star trio to warm up. Matching up against the NBA’s 27th-ranked defense could be the perfect time to find a sustainable rhythm.
Through four games, Herro is averaging a team-high 22.3 points and sporting a true shooting percentage of 62.4. His 5.3 assists per game would be a career-high over an entire season. His 238 touches trail only Terry Rozier III for the team lead. Herro is shooting 45.8 (11 of 24) percent on catch-and-shoot 3s, per NBA.com
“The coaching staff and my teammates have made it easy on me,” Herro said. “Just being able to play off the catch. Obviously, I still have the ball in my hands a little bit, where I can create and make plays. But it’s been an easy and smooth transition, just because of my teammates. We have so many guys who can get in the paint, so even though I am off the catch, I can still play aggressive basketball.
UPDATE: Kevin Love (personal reasons) and Duncan Robinson (personal reasons) are not traveling to Mexico City for Saturday’s game vs the Wizards.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 31, 2024
Jaime showing love to his hometown team ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/xgPMVuFFeb
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 31, 2024
Heat (2-2) at Wizards (2-2), 9:30 p.m. (ET) on NBA TV
- Head-to-head in last 10 meetings vs. Wizards: MIA (7-3)
- Last meeting: 119-107 win at Wizards on March 31, 2024
Key injuries/absences:
- Heat: Kevin Love (personal reasons), Duncan Robinson (personal reasons)
Two Heat players to watchÂ
- Bam Adebayo: The Heat will need Adebayo to be aggressive early and often. Through four games, the three-time All-Star ranks just seventh on the team in usage rate (17.9). His four straight games under 20 points are one shy of tying his longest such streak in the last four seasons. The team acknowledges the value of getting Adebayo involved more often and remains confident in what he will contribute. “Obviously, he’s one of our best players, and we have to get him the ball,” Herro said about Adebayo after Wednesday’s loss. “Continuing to find advantages where he can get the ball and expose mismatches. I’d like to continue seeing him be aggressive. He’ll get it going. It’s early on in the season. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with Bam. He puts the work in. He always figures it out.”
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.: The second-year Heat reserve has been rebounding well (seven boards per game) and shown an early touch from deep (66.7 percent on 3s), but Miami will need him to improve on his touch within the 3-point line (29.2 percent on 2s) to raise the floor of the NBA’s 22nd-highest scoring bench.
Two Wizards players to watchÂ
- Bilal Coulibaly: The seventh pick in last year’s NBA Draft is quickly blossoming into one of the best two-way players in the league. Entering this game, Coulibaly is tied for third among all Wizards in deflections (10) while ranking second on Washington in shots contested (19). On offense, he’s second on the team in scoring average (18.8 points per game) and trails only center Jonas Valančiūnas in shooting percentage (59.1).
- Kyle Kuzma: The 29-year-old Kuzma will find his scoring touch in time. He enters this matchup shooting only 32.7 percent on the young season, but most of that can be attributed to lacking rhythm with his jumper so far (19.4 percent, per NBA.com). He has four 20-point games in his last five appearances against the Heat, including a 32-point, nine-rebound, four-assist outing the last time he played Miami.
Why Miami can win
Through four games, Washington is allowing opponents to shoot 38 percent from deep. Only two teams are allowing more made 3s on a per-game basis this season, and the Heat enter Friday ranked 10th in 3-point percentage (36.8).Â
Reasons for concern
No matter how strong a start Miami enjoys against Washington, the Heat must maintain cohesion and rhythm to overcome their second-half struggles. Remember there being only two teams allowing more made 3s on a per-game basis Washington? Miami is one of them. Defensive rebounding will also be key. Only the winless Utah Jazz (21.8) are allowing more second-chance opportunities than the Heat (19.5), per NBA.com.
(Top photos: Issac Baldizon / Getty Images )
