The opening games that I have followed, "Knicks"-Phila., Beanz-Z, have been excellent matchups. This one was supposed to be another. Miami was actually -1.5. Phila. showed out and showed off in Peoples Square Garden. Z had a tremendous rally in an excellent game. This "Heat" team doesn't work. It's Giannis and the Freaks. It's hard to conceive of a team with Giannis and Bam Adebayo getting crushed on the boards. Well, they did. It's hard to conceive a team winning when the opponent lets Giannis do all the heavy lifting knowing, KNOWING, that the rest of the team can't score. When the "Heat" space the floor with this lineup, they take either Giannis or Bam away from the rim. When no Heat guard can guard guards (Anthony Edwards is a superb player, he's not going to average 45 ppg though) do you put one or both of your bigs on the perimeter. Then you're going to eat glass.
Chris Finch, I think, is Ice's coach. Finch or whomever had the "Heat" all figured out long before gametime. When Finch saw Eric Spoelstra starting Klay Thompson, he must have giggled. Spo got shown up, Klay, already known to the Association as a has-been, got thoroughly exposed as maybe, maybe a good candidate to play in the Chinese league. Spo completely misjudged Klay, had completely the wrong gameplan. We're not going to be able to play some fucking wheel offense. We're not going to be able to play any offense if we have NO SHOT from beyond 10'. We're not going to win many games--John Hollinger, this is a clap out to you (but we were 43-39 last season, punkass). When you lose 131-106 on opening night, at home, when you're thought to be evenly matched, even the favorite, that is beginning a new era as poorly as you can.
This. "Heat". Team. Does. Not. Work.
