Q: Ira, there have been so many complaints about the offense not working. Whose fault is it? – Sand.
A: It was interesting to see that the speech after Friday night’s loss to the Pelicans included discussions about the 3-point game as well as not getting the ball where it should have gone. To me, this takes the Heat back to the 2021 offseason, when the decision was made to go for a true point guard and trade for Kyle Lowry. Granted, it didn’t end well for the Heat with Kyle, but there was at least recognition of the need for a classic distributor. Now, with Terry Rozier more of a goaltender than a passing guard, the Heat are once again trying to play the point guard role by committee. They certainly have a lot of capable ball handlers. But when it comes to meeting deadlines and deadlines, such guarantees no longer exist. “The Heat traded for Terry Rozier”. . . and might still need a leader.
Q: Does this game show that Duncan Robinson is the Heat’s true MVP? -Michael.
A: No, it shows that when you play without the shooting of Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Kevin Love, your margin for error is slim. Or, in the Heat’s case Friday night, the margin of error was 13 out of 47. It’ll take more than Patty Mills to make things right.
Q: Hey Jimmy Butler, more predictions please. –Edwin.
A: No, Jimmy Butler is not going to stop, even if the results prove disappointing. But what the Heat need is a Jimmy Butler who can back up the bravado, something closer to the Jimmy Butler we saw in the first three rounds of last season’s playoffs. If you make a guarantee, it must be backed by more than 17 points on 5 out of 12 shots.