So too is Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra dipping into their bag of wild-cards again. Ever heard of Haywood Highsmith? How about Aric Holman? Nik Stauskas? Those are new additions to the roster. They join Kyle Guy and the famed M. Garrett called back up to the big club. Chris Silva is also back. 601 Biscayne sees what we all see--and more--that the nucleus of this team cannot win a championship and that the roster has hit a wall and is leveling off. They have had temporary success grabbing unknowns and letting them rip until the rest of the Association learns about their games. They are hoping that Highsmith and Holman and Stauskas, and, and, and can reignite the fire. I wondered in print last night if this is the "Heat" reverting to its .530 mean of the last seven and one-half years. I would not be surprised in the least if they play .500 ball from Friday night to the end of the season. They lost their top seeding last night and only two games separate them from sixth place. Among those teams in the third through sixth slots are Philadelphia with MVP favorite Joel Embiid, the reigning champions Milwaukee, and the kryptonite Brooklyn "Nets."
Duncan Robinson has reverted to his mean mean. Last night he was 2/8 (2/8) on top of Friday night's 0-for-5. He got yanked having played only 27'. His four game stretch of excellence is now once again obscured by the new normal of 2/13. Nobody except Max Strus could shoot last night for Miami as nobody except now-you-see-him, now-you-don't Jimmy Butler could shoot for the team Friday night. The Duncan Robinson Issue is unique on this team. When he doesn't have his stroke he contributes little to nothing in other facets of the game: defense, play-making, rebounding, passing. He is purely a spot-up three shooter who cannot even create his own shot. When those don't fall he is not an NBA player, much less a starter. Caleb Martin has active, sticky hands and is an asset on defense even when he can't shoot. Tyler Herro has had two horrific shooting games also but nobody worries about Tyler. He doesn't start and he can do more when the shots aren't falling, he can create off the dribble, he can pass, indeed when he comes off the bench it is at the point guard position, and he is fast. With Duncan, you have him run around the three-point arc until he gets open. How hard is that to defend?
Last night was the first of a brutal road trip, six games in eleven nights. They're going to need all of their core guys playing at their peak and then voodoo from the grab bag additions. They got off to a brutal start in Boston.
