State of the Miami Heat Ep. 523

State of the Miami Heat Ep. 523

Feel like Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami welcome welcome welcome to the Heat beat podcast I’m your host Carlo Navas and with me today of the Miami Heat radio network of wqam and occasionally on the CBS 4 Sports desk Alex salana yes hi hey what’s up G the beacon alumni Heat beat alumni too man I don’t

Get enough credit for uh for the early days of uh of my heatbeat contributions Al says Al says you know where we’re star launchers you know you nas you know we’ll take credit for that I don’t know if I’m a star I wouldn’t put my myself in the same

Category as Le or uh you or definitely not the me I’m at home you’re at the games I I watch and I get on Twitch you’re you’re there brother I I I put on ESPN theas is on I’m like what the hell’s going on here this guy’s on ESPN

Talking Hoops with zacko what a what a journey what a journey for a guy and what a journey for the Miami Heat Alex they lost last night to the Washington Wizards chat is already saying last night never happened never someone’s taking polter go is taking blame because he went on a cruise

And they’re 0 and3 since the cruise I do believe their workout video is more to blame than the Cru we’ll get into that later Alex so yesterday you know for those of you who don’t know because I’m annoying about it on Twitter I am a Liverpool fan yesterday Liverpool

Football Club played a very big match against Manchester City yesterday and it was it was title deciding it was it was as big as a late playoff game uh for the two best teams in the Prem for the last eight years or so and Alex to watch A Match like that

And then to watch Heat Wizards after it it may be questioned what the NBA is doing because it’s like on one hand you have like these guys fighting for their lives right and it’s like that every game because every game matters in

In in a in a season like that then to go to Heat Wizards where clearly one team doesn’t give a and it it it’s a SLO Alex the regular season is such a slog and it manifests in weird ways like sometimes a team that is a mid-table team like Miami losing a

Home game to one of the worst teams in the league yeah and and it’s made worse by when it happens right because if the Heat lose a game to the wizards they played I think it was like November 3rd and the Heat beat them and then they

Played again earlier in 2024 I believe and it was a close one if the Heat lose one of those two games we’re upset at that time right but to lose in the fashion that they lost in the middle of a four game stretch where you play two in back-to-back nights against two Western

Conference teams and then the final leg of that four is against the Denver Nuggets we all know the challenges that that’s going to present on Wednesday like you got the one easy game in between that at home versus a team that has 10 wins um and and it just ended a

16 game losing skid versus the damn Charlotte Hornets at the stage of the Season that you’re in where there’s 18 games remaining to me like it all compiles and it becomes worse when you when you extrapolate it out like that right so um yesterday sucked there’s no

Other way to put it it sucked it was embarrassing it was miserable uh and you watched a Heat team that yeah I mean they’ve struggled All Season against the best teams but they’ve usually been able to hammer those out like they’ve been able to get over the hump against the

Bad teams and to lose to Kyle kosma um is is frustrating it really is especially because you know this Heat team I I think you and I were gonna find out on this pod G we have different maybe not expectations but we have different beliefs of how good this Heat

Team is because I I do believe that they’re better than they were last year and I know it’s hard for us to to for me to make that argument today of all days uh but yeah I mean yesterday sucked like Corey kissper killing the heat every single time they play them every time

Dude for for the defense to look as bad as it did in the fourth quarter and then you know the intensity level doesn’t ramp up until there’s a minute 50 seconds left and you’re down 10 points all those things are frustrating as hell but this is what this team is this is

Who this team is they’re going to have these games in the regular season versus a Wizards team and you’re going to say yeah they’re done there’s no way this team can compete at the highest level and year after year they seem to prove us wrong Alex when I tell you Miami is

25 and 24 against teams below 500 you say what well they’re worse against teams above 500 so that’s the first thing that pops up into my mind uh I think they’re and 10 this season against the teams entering yesterday with the top five records and they have a below

500 record against I believe they have one win and that’s against Milwaukee correct yeah you’re right that’s the one win that they have because they have not beaten Boston mil so long ago but yeah you’re right they did beat Milwaukee on the road and that was recently too because like Oklahoma

City 0 and2 Denver 0 And1 Minnesota 0 and2 the Clippers 0 and2 Boston 0 and3 Milwaukee I think it’s one and three I think or one and two one and two against milwauke one and two and then Cleveland I think they have one win the one on the

Road I don’t know if they have one or two but Cleveland is is just I guess Cleveland’s right there with Milwaukee yeah what they’re 14 and 20 this season against teams currently with a winning record um so when I hear that what was it 25 and 22 2 over 500 they’re 19 and

14 yeah I had I told you at the start of the Season though hey on what’s today March 11th we’re gonna be talking about a Heat team that’s in the middle of a three- game losing skid and they’re the eight seed battling for their lives in the

Playe tournament um would you have been surprised no I I just I’ve kind of just not felt that they’ve been good this year like I just and I I feel but I’m saying at the start of the season I I think those stats by the way are are

Wrong I I read off off clutch points the Math’s not mathing so ignore every all that all those numbers they don’t ignore them cuz it something’s not working Point let me asay they’re definitely 14 and 20 this season because I I did I did the the prep yesterday uh after the game

They’re 14 and 20 this season in games against teams currently with a winning record and you’re right they are one- 10 against the NBA’s top five teams record wise uh with that one loan win being the improbable dismantling of the buck and then beating the Sixers the night

Before right before the NBA All-Star break so and that doesn’t count because like Philly Philly had no embiid for both those for both those games yeah but he had no Jimmy in that game I think they had no roier in that game also well the Christmas game for sure they had

Nobody well not nobody but they didn’t have embiid and I think Miami didn’t have Jimmy also that game yeah um rier wasn’t here yet Kyle got hurt that game I remember um yeah man it’s just just shout out to leges commissioner shout out for the tier one sub 25 months look

At that you’ve been here a minute wow they just don’t Alex they don’t Inspire confidence in me and I’ve been kind of like I watch them and kind of go blle everybody tells me that they’re better than they were last year they’re deeper I gotta be honest man I don’t really see

It I think that their rotation has a lot more question marks I think they play Too Many ant Defenders they play Rosier ant Defender they play Tyler ant Defender they play Duncan love both and Defenders it’s just too many guys when it used to be like you know you used to

In the last Playoff round they only played really one or one and a half ant Defenders because Kevin Love was like not always on the court they would just go super super small and it’s it’s just become like a different vibe they have too many holes on defense bam is I don’t

Know what the hell’s going on with him I don’t know if he’s breaking down if he’s just on on empty if he’s playing injured if he’s there’s so many things that could be at the cause of what’s going on but like bro he looks awful he he

Doesn’t look good and to me the most concerning part isn’t that he’s missing jumpers because I think part of that is hey he is being defended differently he’s seeing different coverages right G like remember um when he put that spin move on John Collins last week and he

Faked right spun back over his left shoulder and he just he left John Collins in the dust and it was a beautiful finish after the game he said something to me that really stood out which was his response to how you know why’ that move work what where’ that

Move come from he said that’s the respect of me constantly going Fade Away over my right shoulder so if Bam’s acknowledging hey teams know where I like to go when I work out of the post um yeah I mean there’s got to be a bunch

Of film on him right and I think um over the past two games prior to the the loss yesterday you’re seeing that teams are realizing if we can keep bam at of box from having a big scoring night for Miami and make him be inefficient the

Heat are going to struggle to score down low the heat are going to struggle to be a good team at The Rim they can pack the paint they can force Jimmy Butler to try to have to uh pass the ball more to his teammates and force these other guys to

Knock down shots and when you’re missing Tyler hero who can take over spurts of the game um you’re you’re in a situation where you’re relying on Duncan Robinson Terry roier you’re relying on Caleb Martin haime hakz Jr to score a lot of points and to be a well-balanced scoring

Effort from everybody not named Jimmy Butler and Bam atab bio and to me that’s that’s not a good formula for the Miami Heat to win you want those guys obviously contributing consistently but you don’t want have to rely on them to carry you throughout the game you want

Jimmy and Bam being able to get to the free throw line the score at the r this Heat team has to be able to get downhill attack the B basket get to the free throw line convert from the free throw line that’s been a big issue and just

Look at these last three losses G they’re what averaging 17 or 18 free throws in these three games they’ve missed at least five or more it was five versus Oklahoma City it was six against Dallas which they lost by six and it was six last night again um the turnover

Issues yesterday were rough but looking at the bigger picture aside from these three losses you mentioned the rotation and I’m with you there’s there there there’s a serious issue when it comes to the rotation overall right now because we know the conversations of Duncan versus hero are are going to be there no

Matter what happens and to me it’s not a a question of could they have made it work with roier hero Jimmy uh whether it’s Nico or Caleb whatever uh and Bam on the floor together right like could they have made it work as far as long-term success as far as that being

One of the best starting fives in the NBA that’s that no matter if they were healthy for the past two uh the last two months of the Season that was never going to be better than the Boston Celtics starting five that wasn’t going to be better than the buck starting it

Just wasn’t right but could they have maximized those guys with enough playing time together I do believe they could have the issue that’s what it’s about though though but but but to to me the issue becomes you don’t have the time anymore to make it work look how bad it

Looked don’t when they traded for roier and they tried to just make it work on the Fly they’re not a better team since that move and that was supposed to he was supposed to be the ingredient to fix it yeah and I mean I I would I would

Argue if they’re a better team or not um and and by the way this is not to sign the trade they had to make the trade I’m not saying that they no right yeah I’m not saying that I don’t want to get accused of def’s not here anymore I’m

Well I’m not I’m not a I’m not a Kyle Lowry hater either I’m just saying that like problems are like so like what you’re saying like they have so many ISS and I I think they missg Vincent a lot I think they mixed Mass a lot I see I I

Don’t fall for any of that to me I’m not saying that those guys weren’t important and obviously in the playoff run last year they were important but if you go back and look at the numbers during that playoff run there were a lot of games where yes Gabe Vincent hit big shots

It’s not the offense Alex it’s the defense because I think that this team has to like win with defense I just think that there’s no there’s no available player that they can add that’s going to fix the offense it’s like going to be it’s diminishing returns almost and it’s like you’re

Going to get an offensive player that’s going to be worse here because of the way that teams defend them because of their spacing issues and their their issues and and and they just have problems because they play they play in a foone booth they have too many guys

That aren’t good shooters or that are okay Shooters but you would agree you would agree that they’re playing style seems Seems more fit for a a playoff type series rather than regular season basketball where for example for example last night you know they’re playing a Wizards team the Wizards are trash we

Know that but the Wizards still have a lot of guys who can hit threes if they get hot right so the heat get caught in this situation where they’re playing an uptempo style of game uh bam called it pickup basketball or Jimmy called it pickup basketball yesterday well they’re

Just running up and down the floor not even at times going through their sets and they’re just taking quick shots that that won’t that that situation won’t happen in the playoffs in my opinion I mean the game’s going to slow down and they’re going to be forced to

Go out the basket and they’re going to be forced to have the ball in Jimmy Butler’s hands who’s GNA play 38 to 42 minutes per game the same goes for bamama Bio so to me when I look at some of you know the deeper issues that that

Are plaguing them in the regular season right now I also see it as well when they get to the playoffs if they can avoid a Boston in the first round or a Milwaukee in the first round and they can get whether it’s Cleveland or whether it’s New York or Orlando um if

They can get one of those teams their offense is is much better situated in a slower type of of of game slower type of pace where yeah I mean these guys have to be physical they have to lay their body on the line and by Jimmy and Bam

Constantly being in the paint those opportunities open up on on the edges and we saw that last year man we saw that which is why it led to you know Duncan being revitalized in the playoffs it led to gate Vincent shooting the lights out Max dreu other than his 0 for

11 performance in game one of the finals like being revitalized in the playoffs did he go over for 11 I think he went 0 for 11 in game one that’s crazy yeah I or maybe game three yeah it was bad he wasn’t good in the finals I I I I

Remember that but jeez yeah nobody shot well in the finals for the Miami Heat but but it’s just just going back to kind of finish out my point I I really believe that had hero been healthy this this starting five would have been healthy I’m not telling you that they’re going on

Another NBA Finals run I’m not telling you that you know it it it was it was the answer long term I just I I genuinely believe that SPO would have been able to figure out some sort of way to make it look better than what it’s

Going to look like because when he wrot and healthy that’s my thing with that lineup probably not probably not but it doesn’t mean that you have to you have to ride that lineup for 48 minutes right like you can still bring in Caleb Martin you can still bring in Haywood heith you can

Still you know implement the zone that we saw a ton of during that stretch where they won what 11 of 13 11 of 14 games um like there’s so many things spoke can do throughout a playoff series man they they weren’t better than the Bucks last year they weren’t better than

The Celtics last year but they had a better coach and they figured out a way to maximize themselves and they had the best player in the series and I still think they’re capable of that I think haime is better off the bench than pretty much anybody outside of Caleb

Martin last season that the heat had um you could argue Duncan Robinson as well Duncan’s playing better this season I think Haywood heith has taken a step up not on the offensive end uh but on the defensive end I just think he’s a better player overall right now and the big

Question is are are bam and Jimmy going to be healthy when that time comes to me and if they are I give this team a chance pretty much against anybody in a seven game series I agree with you that I think their offense is just going to

Work better in the playoffs because it’s going to force Jimmy to have the ball more and have a little bit more urgency I worry about them defensively because they’re just going to be able they’re going to have to play too many guys that are going to get hunted I

Think their Saving Grace is that like Tatum doesn’t like go find you and put you in the blender Giannis doesn’t really do that Dame will which might be a problem but I think that’s more concerning with bigs or whatever they might they might get by I also don’t

Know what Jimmy’s highest ceiling is gonna look like this season right he’s not he’s good it’s not you know before Jimmy’s before Jimmy’s Friends start getting mad on Twitter they getting mad at these small British kids making Twitter threads it’s ridiculous but it’s not saying that he’s not that

Guy anymore but like if he was Michael Jordan last season bro if he’s just Charles Barkley that might not be enough you know what I’m saying and like if they lose game five to Milwaukee Milwaukee could win the series who you know what I mean it’s like it

Was close bro and and they you know they they can’t to to to wish upon Miracles and expect for them to happen over and over I think it’s a little bit foolish they they had I like their Pro more last season I think this season their offense

Looks better I just think last season guys were getting better shots I think the corners were more filled for them last season gab and Max missed a ton of looks I think this season it’s a lot more disorganized I think a lot of that is a lineup continuity that is all over

The place Miami takes the second most mid-range shots and they’re just like okay at them they’re like 15th or 14th in the league at mid-range jumpers and they take so many of them but part of that part of that is Bam right now struggling I mean he he can’t hit him in

Bam Bam’s been Bam’s been like like so the short jumper 5 to n feet he’s at 56% since the All-Star break but he’s he he’s shooting 49% uh of of shots in the paint that aren’t in the restricted area I mean that that’s that’s not like great

Efficiency pain you know he’s not even that good at The Rim he’s shooting 65% at The Rim this season which is um you you know it’s not he saw that last year too it’s just a little concerning how his finishing isn’t great Jimmy’s finishing and I’ve harped on this all

Season is just bad bro he’s at 58% it’s the lowest Mark of his career uh since his rookie year there’s a lot of things about them Jimmy doesn’t defend with the same ferocity now it’s picked up a ton for him but Jimmy Jimmy’s not like changing games on defense like the way

He used to and again he is going to turn it up right and we’re going to get to a point that he’s going to be the unquestionably one of the two best players on the floor in a series but he has to get to that highest level and I

Just question listen I question Tyler surviving on defense I question Rosier surviving Duncan you know yic all these guys that you know yic might not even be in the rotation he’s a starter right now he might not be in a playoff rotation if when rubber hits the road Eric sper

Starts Caleb Martin which is what I ultimately expect to be the the the the counter solution to whenever they play a series I think yovic could get time against a bigger team like like Milwaukee and just kind of throw size early or he might just go Kevin Love off

The rip and just play too bigs the whole series that wouldn’t surprise me either he he did it last year he he did it last year at times where he just started Kevin Love and then he made the switch to Caleb he went back to Kevin Love for

A couple games in the finals as well I just they don’t inspire a ton of confidence in me because I don’t see when I look at their offense I don’t see like how this gets better in the playoffs by hot shooting because I don’t like the looks that they’re getting

They’re under duress I think they use too much clock I think that they should play faster they don’t play faster they play too I think they play too slow I think a lot of these guys are just bad free throw shooters which they it’s funny because they started the year like

As the best free throw shooting team and now I I wonder if it’s just they’re getting law of averaged and we’re here like they’re losing to Washington they have no urgency and I know they’re they’re they’re a they’re a switch team right like they’re they’re going to flip a

Switch they’re going to be better I they haven’t played a ton of switch defense also which kind of I wonder are they just G to run the drop the whole playoff series if so I think a team like Milwaukee becomes very interesting because they have guys that are pullup

Artists like Middleton like Lillard you know those guys are going to you know should you drop against those guys you know do you Los an advantage you know I don’t know against Boston that’s always been their bread and butter you know you kind of are you going to go back to that

Because when they went to that earlier in the season Alex they looked they looked like they were not comfortable running it anymore and I have I just I have some questions and I don’t feel good about them and I haven’t felt good about them all season and granted I

Didn’t feel great about them last season but I saw the vision at times I’m I’m my my doubt is wavering so so here here’s what I’ll say first of all as far as you seeing the vision for them last season I I would argue against

That and here’s why you brought me on at around the same time last year and I remember this because our disaster correspondent yes I remember this well it was it was kind of like a state of the heat like what’s the pulse of the fan base I’m at all the the home games

Uh I’m doing local radio every day in Miami so um what’s the fan VI right and and you brought on and this was remember Kyle Lowry missed a ton of time last season not to bring it back to Lowry but here’s why I remember Kyle Lowry missed

A ton of time last season and after the allar break right he came back and I remember having this conversation where you know try trying to open it up because so much of what Miami Heat be and and a lot of the podcast which by the way I’m huge fans of right like

Obviously I love you guys but I I do consume a lot of um you know five reasons and and all that stuff that you guys are friends with I feel like a lot of the talking points and a lot of the uh I guess what i’ call like what’s on

The agenda for every pod comes from heat Twitter and what you know some random account on Twitter is saying and what the conversation is on heat Twitter every day and I’m not saying that that’s not important I’m not trying to diminish the importance of fans on social media

But I remember I remember telling you last year you would have thought that in Kyle L’s first home game back last season after all that time from personal reasons when he checked into the game Off the Bench you would have thought based on the animosity towards Lowry on

Heat Twitter you would have thought this dude was gonna get booed right Ju Just based on the way people were talking about Lowry and what ended up happening he got a standing ovation from the crowd uh not like uh Dwayne Wade standing OV I organized he he was cheered as he came

On the court Mike B announced C welcome back Kyle Lowry he comes on the court big time Applause and I was surprised and I remember having this that conversation followed by what changes do the heat need to make in the offseason because clearly this season is done so

We I mean we we had that conversation last year what changes do they need to do and I listened to most of your podcasts and at least five to 10 minutes of each pod and each postgame show is dedicated to do x x player needs to to

To be approached by Riley you know and and so I would disagree I’d push back on what you’re saying that you saw the vision last year because I don’t think anybody saw the vision we were in the exact same situation last year a Heat team fighting for their lives

Underachieving in the regular season and nobody thought Jimmy Butler because of the way he played for most of the regular season the amount of games he missed from the regular season could turn it on to the level that he did is that a good situation to be in again

This year no you were hoping and you were banking on the fact that Jimmy Butler will raise his level to be the best player in any series at the Heat play and if he’s not that this Heat team is not going to have a chance to get to

The past the first or the second or the third round back to the NBA finals and yes that’s not a good situation to be in but I mean that’s just our reality right when you don’t land Damen Lillard you realize this roster is not as talented

As some of the other rosters in the East that got better so we knew this coming into the season so that’s why I don’t sit here today on a three-game losing skid uh perhap could be a four-game losing skid I have the guts but it could

Be a four-game losing skid at the most important Time of the Season where this cannot happen a loss to the Wizards and say yeah this team is done this team has no opportunity because they set that precedent last year that hey there is a formula to get back to winning

Basketball in the postseason um the question is can they do it and I I’m I’m with you I have a lot of questions about it as well the fact that bam is struggling the way he’s struggling right now you’re not winning any Series against anybody I don’t care who you

Play right if they get up to the four or the five seed somehow you’re not winning any Series in the playoffs if bamama Deo is not playing Elite on both ends of the floor I have some questions about his defense over the past couple games as

Well he got blown by yesterday by kozman there was no help on the weak side or on the backside but bam bio getting blown by on the perimeter G is is more probably more concerning to me than him missing a couple jump he looks cooked bro he looks tired he looks tired he

Looks tired and I I wonder you know if he’s playing through some sort of injury I I don’t know uh but you you need those two guys playing at the highest level and then the question becomes you know what are those contributions from everybody else going to look like I

Agree with you as far as Caleb Martin getting back in that starting rotation I expect that to be the case um but but I I still wouldn’t diminish the rules that haime hakz Jr play in a playoff series I think this dude is built for that kind

Of basketball I know he doesn’t have that experience per se but I think he’s built for this kind of series or or for for that kind of basketball I think Caleb loves that type of competition um and I I think you know as as Limited at times the heat offense has looked since

The Rosier trade I think there are reasons to to be hopeful that there’s going to be stretches where roier can take over and get those those relief points yeah the mid-range jumper going which is something the heat need right they can’t go four five minutes in a playoff series Without scoring the

Basketball so um the free throw attempts right now are down I I don’t expect that to be the case if Jimmy Butler and Bam are healthy come playoff time and if if the three-point shooting can be better and you hope with Heroes return that’s the case like there there’s a path here

G there is a path because we saw last season I think the path is that the East is bad I think that like I look at the Knicks and I was like eh the Knicks are just kind of like whatever I know that people are scared of them and I know

That once anobi comes back they’re going to be a lot better I I just I’m just not there with Brunson and I’m not there with but that’s but but the same reason I have my trepidations with this Heat roster this Heat starting five where there just hasn’t been enough time on

The floor I know it’s kind of a cliche to say but to like build those habits and and to to develop that chemistry and continuity on the floor I know we kind of just brush that off a lot as like sports cliches things that the players

Say and and the coaches say in the press conferences but there is some validity to that is there not where you you need you need playing time on the floor right now the Knicks don’t have it and you’re expecting Julius Randle to come back from a major injury Jay Rich had the exact

Injury I think that helps him maybe yeah I’m not even that’s not even like me being a hater I just straight up I just don’t yeah just I have my I have my feelings maybe so and I want to clarify last season you’re right in everything that you said you’re

100% right and last season I’m very famously after they lost to Dallas and Dallas I came on our Airwaves and I said season over one serious team you have you win that you’re playing well you have a little bit of momentum you go into an MVP candidate’s building and

You’re supposed to win that game because they’re not they’re like they were like the same record as you they were peers in terms of your record you go in there and you win that game when you’re on a rooll what you need to build that and

And they they got their ass kicked on ESPN it was it was that Dallas was dancing I came on and I was like this season is over unserious team so I’m I’m owning I I was I was so wrong but what I meant was and I and we talked about this

A lot last year you look at any shot quality metric they were like near the top of the league right they were just missing yeah out of the corner oh and good Shooters because we know that Max is a good shooter we know Gabe’s a good shooter we know Duncan’s a good shooter

We know that these guys are good Shooters funny because Caleb was like one of the better Shooters of the that they had last season and I don’t think he’s a great shooter so this season I do think they’re getting a lot of the shooting production I don’t think

They’re getting the the the I just don’t think they’re forcing as many rotations I think that guys are totally okay with some of these guys taking threes it is not bothering them because they are shutting off Miami’s water at the ri at The Rim they are overh helping they are

Overloading and it’s just I mean Oklahoma City did it and they turned the water off on Miami’s offense and it’s partly why they take so many mid-range jumpers they just come off the screen Alex I talk about this all the time I play Super Smash Brothers Melee competitively and uh there’s one player

His name is fiction Shephard Lima and he says a lot he goes when you play the best melee you never want the game to end like you never want the actual like like set like game that you’re playing with somebody else to end and when you’re playing bad you try to end the

Game as fast as possible and I think Miami at times tries to end possessions as fast as possible like I’m off the screen it I’m pulling up I don’t know if we’re going to get a better look than this right and I I think it’s like when you’re when

You’re a team that is humming and comfortable on offense you’re you’re cutting you’re moving you’re flashing you know you want The Possession to go on forever because you’re you’re shoving and they don’t play that way ever and I just I don’t know I’m just kind of like uninspired by everything

That they do you’re not wrong the East I mean I’m not scared of Milwaukee I’m scared of Boston kind of because they’re really good and I I wonder I wonder how they’re going to be able to overcome that but at the end of the day we’ve

Seen them beat him you know Boston has a lot has their own problems they take way too many mid-range jumpers Tatum does not go to the basket enough Jaylen Brown has not really addressed some of the issues that we have seen in the past I do wonder if Miami has the Defenders to

Bother him because you know throwing Lowry and Vincent to kind of hound his ball handling that’s gone because because you know Rosier and hero areen going to do that so you know you lose some of that but well well but you don’t expect those guys to be on like I don’t

I wouldn’t expect hero no but I just saying that like the strategy was we’re going to go a little smaller on Brown we’re going to put more size Elsewhere on the floor and we’re going to bother his dribble and it worked it was a really effective strategy and they

Really took him out of of his game I I I I think also when you look back at at that series G and I I apologize I didn’t mean to cut you off but I mean he also just missed a lot of shots like this

Dude was in his own head he he he missed a lot of shots he normally makes he he got they put him out of his head because when you’re not in a rhythm when now you can’t you can’t dribble now now you’re like okay well I I there’s the only way

I can make an impact is by hitting this shot now you know there is pressure added on to you that wasn’t there before because you got taken out of your game they’re disrespecting me they’re they’re not guarding me because they weren’t guarding him right and that you know and

If I line drive this you know off the corner off that second swing and I think the most success they had in that series Miami was doubling Tatum they put Horford at the wing early in the offense so Horford would screen and pop to the

Wing not to shoot but as a release fou because Miami was sending two at Tatum to kind of give Jay Jason that easy pass because Miami was execution testing uh Jason Tatum be like I want to see you beat this double with your passing and credit to uh credit to second row Joe

Put him put Horford and gave him that little outlet and then that was a swing to Jaylen in the corner who was able to kind of Drive Baseline Miami did adjust they kind of sent early help off the strong side of the ball to kind of meet

Jaylen and kind of you know disrupt that movement and they stopped doubling Tatum as well they did it on occasion so totally agree with you I yeah I’m just that’s kind of where I am with them though and I I like your perspective because I think sometimes Alex we get in

We I think a lot of us here at Heat beat we have a little bit of hive mind right now we just talk to each other too much we’re in a group chat we talk all day you see us and I think it’s nice to have somebody who’s not you’re not as online

As we are you touch grass you know you’re on the radio you’re in the building and I think it helps that you’re just not in like the Molasses of this I don’t know what to call it like this just Twitter basketball community and and by the way I would

Like to add since you uh you reminisced about saying it’s a rap after the uh the Maverick shout out to a yeah after the Dallas game here’s where I was at last year I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this so obviously I I work all the games

Right and when the heat lost the playing tournament to uh the playing Tournament game to Atlanta right they lost that playing Tournament game to Atlanta that night I went home and with my girlfriend who’s not my fiance booked a eight day vacation to Mexico we’re were gonna go to Mexico City you’re the

Goat you’re the goat and I said I booked it for the first week of June I said he even if they beat the Bulls are gonna play the Bucks in the first round yeah I mean it’s just it doesn’t it wasn’t lack of trust in in the heat but it was just

Like this doesn’t happen in the NBA the best regular season team record-wise with Giannis h the kmo is is going to lose to an AC like it just doesn’t it’s not about the heat it that just doesn’t happen well guess what I ended up canceling my vacation uh luckily I I

Paid for whatever it’s called like the security yeah flight Insurance brother me too I had a trip to the cap plan we rented the the beach house and everything and then I’m like after game three of Boston I was like uh guys yeah no I I literally had to after after we

We went up 2 against Boston I had to call and start canceling everything and hope that I get my money back must have been pissed bro oh my God man bro she must have been the world’s biggest Boston fan well the best part is is that we we booked it with two other

Friends who are very close friends of mine who I grew up with like I’ve known them since I was five years old and it’s a guy and a girl but they’re not a couple so this was just supposed to be like a friends trip but we backed out me

And my fiance backed out so now it’s like another group of friends going a guy and a girl who aren’t a couple together to Mexico City by themselves for eight days because they just the trip right it was it was it was hilarious um are they also

Engaged now they are not they are not engaged uh yeah so that I mean that that’s where I was at last year so here’s where I’m at this year I’m not booking all right I’m not I’m not booking anything because no yeah you have to we we both have to as unlikely

So it’s the reverse c yeah no we have to we we have we have a job to do Alex and and and if not Mexico City Guatemala I hear is a hot travel destination right now I’m down you’re you’re 100% right whatever it takes Whatever Whatever It

Takes I did I was to do the cape I’ll do the Hampton this year I’ll figure some Northeast vacation out and you do some Central American I don’t know don’t go to the Hampton I gotta go somewhere I got I’ve never my sister lives in Long Island so go to the

Poconos or something it the Poconos I’m going to the Poconos you’re going you tell your fiance babe we’re going to Guatemala I hear Guatemala is beautiful no it is it’s supposed to be it’s supposed to be amazing it is like the the travel Place yeah Anie that’s the

Thing yeah it’s a it’s a new tum yeah it’s super trendy right now but that’s where that that’s where I’m at man like I I I realize all the issues standing in the Heat’s way but I feel better about this team this season going into the

Playoffs and also how much of that we gotta go to how much of that is himim is good part of it probably honestly I mean it it probably has a bit to do with it but does concern you that he’s Tak a little bit of a step

Back well well he was injured Hae was injured yeah and and since that injury I think he’s been playing much better um but ay G had you and I done this pod one week ago we’d be having very different conversations I I really believe that that this win streak didn’t do anything

For me because they haven’t been any team of consequence and and that has been my thing this whole time I was like I don’t care what you do to Sacramento I don’t care what you do to Chicago and Brooklyn and Portland and San Antonio and Indiana and Utah I I

Just don’t care I want to see you do it at at least play well you know what I mean like show cuz you know we’re and at the end of the day like that’s not even good enough because we’ve done the moral Victory show I thought they played

Oklahoma City pretty good you know what I mean I thought they played they played Boston pretty good you know without Jimmy you know laying that game all that stuff I need to see them chats like New Orleans is pretty good I guess no yeah I’m with you I

Wasn’t like extremely impressed by that impress me bro do it against somebody that mad and and maybe that’s one of the more concerning issues for me is that when they have played well they haven’t been able to close out games against those good teams and that’s something that

Last season this Heat team was at least doing they were playing those teams have closers bro right they were doing a stupid amount of they were playing a stupid amount of clutch games so maybe their averages weren’t great but um the the Heat this season I mean just look at

The last three three games they get into a situation where they’re up 15 all right you blow the lead I don’t care about blowing 15-point leads in the NBA in the first half anymore I’m not as upset about it as a lot of other people

Are but to me when it’s a especially on the road it’s a five-point game or a three-point game or a onepoint game or it’s tied with six minutes to go and you haven’t been able to win those games against good teams that is is probably uh you know a definite red flag for

Miami Alex I’m going to tell you something that I haven’t told anybody publicly yet for the first time in my life I watched them play that game and it was I think they were down 10 I don’t remember how much time was left I didn’t

Care if they came back in one yeah two minutes and 5 Seconds down 10 you’re sonant I remember I I remember thinking I’m like you know what if they trade Jimmy I think I’m okay with it at this point no and that’s for the first time I

Swear to God and I and I you don’t believe that you don’t believe that because I I just that’s stupid that’s stupid I don’t I don’t know I don’t know if they can do it again and I I mean I’d be mad cuz I I I I want to go down for

The record I want to go down with the ship but I think it’s over I personally think it’s over I think we’re done yeah I mean you says I need 60 Minutes of yoga stat yeah you can you can you can feel that way brother but um you know

They they win one more playoff series in a month from now and your boy Jimmy Butler has another 50-point game like you’re you’re just not GNA feel that way this dude this dude’s on the Mount Rushmore of Heat players bro he’s a top four Heat player of all time don’t let

Them hear you they’ll get mad he’s a top four Heat player of all time what are you doing and he’s not four I I mean you you want to throw that away because of some regular season games they proved to you last year I I mean dwade won ud’s probably there Zo

LeBron no zo’s not Jimmy over zo oh for sure I mean to me he’s a top four Heat player so it’s it’s really the question if you’re putting Jimmy over yodanis yeah and I don’t I I don’t want to be the I don’t want to be me neither Mr UD

He’s there Mr UD I didn’t say that um but yeah yeah I I I I just think you’re you’re allowing regular season basketball right now and it’s sloppy regular season basketball it’s not fun losing the wizard sucks like it’s frustrating as hell I’m with you and I’m

I’m I’m there 100% with you it’s killing me inside and It’s a Grind It’s a Grind for for what we do right have to cover this team have to watch every single minute of every single game and there aren’t many exhilarating moments but the idea that because of this season you’re

Like uh I’d be fine with them trading Jimmy Butler which by the way they’re not going to do they’re never gonna do that they’re just not gonna never um it to me is you’re just you’re you’re prisoner of the moment right now and you’re letting that uh Cloud your vision because this dude

Is he’s a heat lifer bro he’s a heat lifer people in chat are G me we had nothing bro we had nothing after Dwayne Wade retired nothing we had Dion Waiters it’s Justice Winsor nothing to you you had nothing after dwade retired and they turned Hassan Whiteside and

Dion Waiters into Jimmy Butler and he’s giving you the best four-year stretch that none of us could have ever imagined after Chris Bosch’s medic situation forc him to retire Bri stret Brian and I said at the time that trading for Jimmy Butler was stupid because you can’t win

A title with Jimmy Butler you need a player with with Jimmy Butler that’s better than him we were very wrong schan smck in chat also says salon’s hairline is eroding faster than Sunny Isles my hair bro from a year ago you look good you look great don’t let them say that

To you no my my my go look at our pod from last year I had I had a perfect hairline bro I could have I could have gone with the straight Pablo clip this and then edit go find the other one my my hairline I I’ve got I’m G to I’m I am

Jewish but I’m secular I mean I’m gonna have to start rocking a yamama just because my I I’ve got the Manu Jin oi going on back here like it’s crazy what one year will do to somebody I’m not even 30 yet bro I’m not even 30 yet I’m

Losing my hairir my hair thinning I I look like a like like I’m 44 years old yeah man it’s bad bro I’m very self-conscious about this I I’m it’s so bad Alex that I some somebody took a picture from me like and it’s from the back I edited Heron I went and

I got the Clone stamp tool no I had to I’ll s I’ll text you I’ll text you it was bad I’ll text you both pictures it was bad it was bad I was like maybe because like I’m I’m I’m tied down you know so maybe if I was out in the world

Fighting for my life if I if I was single maybe I would I would care more about that but I’m so I’m so like dejected from appear like whatever man you know I just I’m I’m yeah I’m losing my hair it is what it is hey hey SMI and

Schmolck settled down during Tobin and Leroy all right settle down get Chad saying it’s because I wear hats I only wear hats on stream because my hair my hair was bad but remember remember I had the man bun phase I love the man bun phas that was my favorite you look the

Best I think that’s when you first started dating your fiance right yeah total that’s how you got her had the man bun but you’re you’re literally just with the man bun you’re just slicking your hair back jelling the out of it all the way back so I was constantly

Tugging on it is that why so that’s why now I mean look worth it though worth it you look you looked so good I you know I want to make fun of you and be like Oh but like I can’t even do that you and you and your fiance probably top five

Most aesthetic couples I’ve ever seen it’s it’s it’s remarkable congratulations thank you thank you that’s the first time we talk since congratulations on on your engagement thank you thank you know that you got engaged at the place that I got my heartbroken that exact place

I FL yes in Florence I flew to Italy because I was in love with somebody that I knew and and we went together there and that was the place that I realized oh no I have made a horrible mistake and it was it was there and I’ll

Never forget it was a beautiful sunset it was a beautiful tuskin sunset and I was like oh oh oh dear lord and then you you’re your greatest love Triumph comes at the pits of my life had I known that I would have uh I I I would have let you

Know what was going on like don’t look at my Instagram for the next no no it was so funny I sent it to all my friends and they were dying laughing they said this is this is quite literally the funniest place that somebody can get

Engaged and you see it is like I can’t think of a fictitious place that’s funnier well uh I wish I could say I’m sorry but I’m not no congratulations funny I I feel like I I pulled a baller move doing it over overlooking Florence so I’ve been waiting for you to

Do it forever I think I stopped asking you at some point I was like every time you book a trip I’d be like so this this time you’re like no not yet the one time I didn’t ask the one time I didn’t ask yeah so back baby congrats man I love

You happy for your success and and personally professionally thank you very much yeah people probably don’t know like I’ve known you now what 12 years it’s crazy a long years long time um I I do want to say one one thing no matter how this season ends I want to come back

On Heat beat during the summer and I just want to talk about like classic heat moments oh let’s do that bro ju like Jamal M glore like what we did when I used to come on prior right during during our FIU uh uh Sports Talk live

Run that that’s what I want to do I just want to talk heat moments let’s do it let’s do it let’s let’s get let’s get the gang back together let’s get some let’s get some old heads and let’s have some fun after after there’s a parade because you know we’re

Going to be covering the team into June even though you and I are both going to book vacations Guatemala where am I going again uh the Poconos the Poconos I gotta Google where that is my jerk is not very good Alex thank you so much for

Giving us I told you 35 minutes I kept you 50 I love you brother where can people find you plug some of your stuff where can they listen to you the stuff you produce and everything yeah so I work every day two to six with Haw and

Crowder uh you will not get any in-depth Sports knowledge if you want to get Dumber but you want to laugh Hawk and Crowder every day 2 to 6 PM but I do uh I do work every single Heat game uh if you’re in the car driving to the game

And you’re not listening to the pre- or postgame show because your internet’s not working and you can’t listen to Miami Heat beat then you can listen to me on the radio um and uh every Sunday night at 11:35 I’m on cbs4 Sports Des with Mike coo Samantha Rivera talking

About the he as well TV PM every Sunday night I know it’s late but we’re all lame and stay up and play video games I know News ran that late yeah like every local news station in Miami local 10 uh wsvn 7 Channel 6 NBC and cbs4 all have

Their like late night Sunday sports wrap-up show and CBS fours is sports desk and you should watch that one because I’m on are you competing with Will manso yes they have at the exact same time support Alex Bro let’s Barry manso baby and and Barry Barry manso and Barry

Clay Ferrero on local 10 don’t don’t listen they got Barry and Clay not not I’m sorry I was I’m trying to say bur bur I thought they Barry Jackson no no no no I’m not taking shots at Barry that’s a ringer bro that’s a ringer I’m taking shots at clay Ferrero and will

Man who I happen I love those guys I’m just joking but yeah watch watch me and Muno and Samantha Rivera and Trish instead on cbs4 yeah well support Alex on cbs4 if you don’t know that’s Channel 4 for you kids that don’t or or don’t yeah no nobody watching right now

Watches TV they all watch the Dolphins on YouTube TV it’s C I’m sorry I’m sorry Dolphins fans I’m I’m a jack fan yikes so the heat the heat are very lucky that Chris Greer fumbled the bag today because if not we’d be ripping oh yeah dude Pat Riley’s like ah can always

Count on them baby can always count on them Alex love appreciate you man thank you for for joining us chat schedule for the week got you post game tomorrow I’m off load management we got heat coverage for the game against Denver Thursday I’m going to yoga because chat says I need

To be more positive and then uh maybe we’ll be with you for heat Pistons that is a TBD uh I will not be here but maybe Siobhan Tiff and Pablo will be here that is a TBD but really so what you got for us next week is this week is is just

Wednesday so uh it’s all I got for you appreciate y’all appreciate Alex and we’ll see you on two days

Giancarlo Navas is joined by Alex Solana of Heat Radio Network & WQAM

• Heat loss to Wizards
• Is this team better than last season?
• Can the Heat defense survive the playoffs
• Do any eastern teams scare Miami?

And more!