Cheryl from Fort Lauderdale asks my main man Ira a question that tacks on the most salient points of “Heat”-ness:
Ira, I love their hustle and their grit, but in this league, talent beats hustle on most nights. Counting on Victor Oladipo to return to form was obviously a mistake. We need another All-Star and return Tyler Herro to the bench. I sense (I know it’s early) this is going to be a frustrating season. – Cheryl, Fort Lauderdale.
A: On almost a nightly basis the Heat find themselves at talent and athleticism deficits. The skill and guile of Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry can take you places when the games slow down in the playoffs, but as the Heat’s hideous transition defense shows, opponents know they can run it down the Heat’s throats and in the halfcourt can blow by them. The issue is real, and has nothing to do with the loss of P.J. Tucker. It’s almost as if the Heat know that Tyler Herro is their lone athletic player on the wing, which is why the perimeter game all too often turns into Tyler or bust.
The title given this Q and A session is “Are Heat too old and too slow” and yes they are.
