Ira Winderman yesterday answering a reader’s question on the “Heat’s” inability to close out the Boston game:
I’ve mentioned this before, their approach on both ends requires so many multiple efforts that I’m not sure if sustaining isn’t draining. On offense, there are multiple actions in place in order to create shots, instead of giving it to one scorer and getting out of the way. Similarly, on defense, there is so much switching and recovering, that the energy tends to drain faster. Yes, conditioning has been a Heat byword, but this season has not exactly created opportunities for conditioning sessions.
And I have mentioned this before. Pat Riley once had his Showtime “Lakers,” you know, Kareem, Magic, James, practice IN THE BALLROOM OF THEIR HOTELLLL!!! Riley wore them out and wore out his welcome in L.A. The Culture go through players and lineups like disposable utensils. 2019/20 was a whole new team. And after only a season and a half Riley had to refresh the group with new players. The "Heat" are "raving" about Dewayne Dedmon now, and vice versa. Want to bring back a guy who was with six teams in eight years on a nice free agent contract. The "Heat" and Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, and Dion Waiters raved about each other in 2016/17, too. They all got big, fat contracts and Dion got big and fat. The Culture is not sustainable.
And others have asked the following before: Do the Culture’s demands make the most desirable free agents, those who you can "just give the ball to and get out of the way," skittish about taking their talents to Miami? They say at 601 Biscayne Blvd that “We’re not for everybody.”
