Heat vs. Bulls 12/14/23 @ 730 PM EST

[IceColdCubano]

Here is the other thing people don't realize, starting level caliber centers are a dime a dozen in the NBA. Back up centers are terrible on every team. What makes it look so bad for us on this team, is that Bam is our best defender both on the block/paint and on the perimeter. Additionally he also scores a very efficient 25ppg while getting the team into sets, running the fast break, and taken the other teams best scorer at all times, while switching on everything. Thus anybody you bring in that is a back up level player will look abysmal in comparison. Miami continues to play the same way when those backup guys come in, and they will not perform 1/20 of the level that Bam can at any one thing.

25 PPG? What stats are you looking at? Bam's not even averaged 18 ppg in the playoff yet so let's just hold off on the offensive force part for now, he's getting there which is an incredible plus to go with his defense.

If centers are a dime a dozen, why is Miami just adding vet minimum offensive centers to backup Bam instead of defensive guys? With the whole defense designed around Bam you'd think it would be a priority to try to get a backup who somewhat mimicked his style (not level) of defense, so the rest of Miami's players didn't dramatically have to change how they defend based on if Bam is or isn't in the game. Miami DID try to do that drafting Precious, he had the tools to be a lite version of what Bam was at that time, yet they cut ties with him and traded him.

The 25ppg was when he played healthy those streaks of games he was averaging 25ppg, not saying he is some offensive savant I'm saying he can get 25ppg on good efficiency in the regular season if he plays the way he was during that streak. In the playoffs where his defensive intensity is higher I can understand his offense being less. I would like to see him this year in the playoffs, scoring however as his middy is much more improved and he looks a bit more comfortable scoring in isolation.

In regards to getting back up centers that are defensively lacking that a FO question, I agree that if there is a lack of skill at the back up level, why not just go for a defensive minded, high intensity, athletic, long wingspan, high vertical leap center that can at-least hold up those 10-12 minutes on the defensive side. Our front office loves those Old, washed vets, with slow foot speed, that have a terrible all around game, and do nothing great. I also believe its really rare to have find a center that can mimic Bam at-least on the defensive side. That's why they usually go zone so often when Bam isn't on the court.

Here some names that could be great back ups for us - Larry Nance Jr, Daniel Gafford, Kai Jones, Marvin Bagley III, Udoka Azubuike, Nerlens Noel, Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyombo, Gorgui Dieng are some that fit in our style of play.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Don’t fall down 30 to horrible teams and you win lol

Idk why you all act surprised with Jimmy, same **** different year. If we make the playoffs healthy playoff Jimmy will be the best player in the world again.

JJJ keeps up his great play.

Bam is everything to this team in terms of winning games.

[Daffy]

At some point y'all have to stop being surprised that Jimmy isn't going to consistently bring it every game on offense or even defense. That's not who he is. The same way a lot of people blame the Josh Hart injury instead of acknowledging he just got gassed. Not every player is the same. Just be glad when we get to the playoffs he has those elite games that's gives us a chance in any series. Especially at this age we shouldn't be counting on Jimmy every night to carry us. Do you guys rather him go all out now or have something left in the tank for the playoffs? Don't forget he came from playing heavy minutes with Thibbs throughout his career and he plays a very physical style of ball with us as well.

Thibs? WTF? This was a talking point/narrative created from the Chicago FO trying to smear Thibodeau to get the owner to fire him (the FO even tried to trade him to Memphis at one point and EVERYONE in Chicago knew Fred Hoiberg was the next Bull's coach over a year before they got rid of Thibodeau). When they got Thibodeau out of Chicago the FOs handpicked coach of Fred Hoiberg played Butler 37 minutes a night 2 straight years and not a peep was made about that. Anyone remember this talking point about Popovic when he played Tim Duncan just under 41 minutes a night all 82 games in his prime?

On Butler, he just plays a style of game that is more prone to injuries then most of the NBA plays, either you roll the dice and have him go mostly all out all the time with a much higher chance of injuries or you get terrible nights like tonight where on the 2nd night of a back to back he put up 20-7-7 on 15 shots which doesn't seem all that bad. Defense seemed to be the issue last night.

I don't know what people expect when Bam is out and there isn't a defensive big on the roster to replace some of what he brings on the defensive end. Butler, Herro, Robinson, Jaquez Jr, Martin all have better replacements on the roster then Miami has at the backup center position, Miami getting production out of Dedmon made them think backup center could be a rotation spot they go cheap with and have... and boy does it bite Miami in the *** when you replace Bam with an offensive only center or worse yet, a PF or SF playing center. I just don't understand the roster construction decisions that this franchise sometimes makes.

I think most of us know what to expect from Butler, he isn't going to go all out for 82 games in a long season, he would be broken come playoff time. Also understand he will pick and choose those games he will come in running on all cylinders, unfortunately we have injuries to key guys like Herro and Bam. He isn't going to go ramp up on games their missing either because well that will get him hurt just the same, so he is playing his cards regardless whether Bam/Herro are playing or not. Once those guys come back, he will still play his cards just the same, its a rhythm thing, were if his body hurts that week, he won't go hard, if it doesn't then he will regardless of what team mates are available game to game.

Our front office is aware and look to be ok with it, they know he can elevate his game come playoffs, but he is 34 going on to 35. He is already at the age where he should be a vet playing limited minutes. Right now you have, JJJ, Caleb, Herro, Bam, Duncan all a bunch of young dudes who can ball, and should be able to pick up the slack or hold the fort until the playoffs come around. JJJ has been balling, Herro was balling before he got hurt, Bam elevated his game once again and was killing it, Duncan has regained his form and even playing a way better all around game, Hell Highsmith before getting hurt was playing his best minutes as our starting PF. We have pieces unfortunately when two major keys like Herro and Bam are injured, and our second best defender in Highsmith is hurt, your going to struggle a bit. Specially when you have zero point of attack defense with an old vet starter and no backup point guard on the team. There are only so many holes our coaching staff can plug, using third stringers and out of position wings.

Here is the other thing people don't realize, starting level caliber centers are a dime a dozen in the NBA. Back up centers are terrible on every team. What makes it look so bad for us on this team, is that Bam is our best defender both on the block/paint and on the perimeter. Additionally he also scores a very efficient 25ppg while getting the team into sets, running the fast break, and taken the other teams best scorer at all times, while switching on everything. Thus anybody you bring in that is a back up level player will look abysmal in comparison. Miami continues to play the same way when those backup guys come in, and they will not perform 1/20 of the level that Bam can at any one thing.

Well said. All of it.

[AirP.]

Right now you have, JJJ, Caleb, Herro, Bam, Duncan all a bunch of young dudes who can ball, and should be able to pick up the slack or hold the fort until the playoffs come around. JJJ has been balling, Herro was balling before he got hurt, Bam elevated his game once again and was killing it, Duncan has regained his form and even playing a way better all around game, Hell Highsmith before getting hurt was playing his best minutes as our starting PF.

I agree with most you posted except the above... a bunch of young dudes who can ball. Martin is already 28 and his game is mostly based on his athletic ability so I would be cautious on counting on him for 3 more good years of ball(he'd be 31 at the end of those 3 extra years) and Robinson turns 30 this season but his game should translate into his early 30s and his shooting should be good to his middle 30s.

I'm still not on the Herro bandwagon, I don't really care about points unless their efficient points and right now Herro is tied for 13th highest TS% on the team with J.Rich so his high-volume attempts bring down the team's offensive efficiency (since there's 12 other players on the roster shooting more efficient, some are just role-players so they can somewhat be ignored) and 13th highest calculated ORTG at 107. Currently the NBA average for calculated ORTG is 114.9, so he's below it but Miami has 8 players above the league average.. Jaquez Jr, Bam, Dru, both Robinsons, Love, Lowry and Butler. We can expect a few of those names (Lowry, Love) to drop during the season but I'd expect most will stay over the league average.