Why the Miami Heat Need Playoff Jimmy Butler Now, Not Later | Miami Heat Podcast

Why the Miami Heat Need Playoff Jimmy Butler Now, Not Later | Miami Heat Podcast

With just 13 games left in the regular season the heat will be back home for a crucial four game stretch that could very well Define their season is every game a must win who needs to step up and what challenge does each opponent present we’ll answer that and more on

Today’s episode of Locked on heat you are locked on heat your daily Miami Heat podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every Day all right welcome to locked on heat your daily podcast on the Miami Heat I’m West Goldberg editor at allou can heat.com joining me as always it’s longtime NBA reporter David R however you’re tuning in on YouTube Odyssey or your favorite podcast app thanks for making lock on

Heat your first listen every day today’s episode is brought to you by prize piic the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports go to prize.com locked on NBA use the code all lowercase locked on NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 before we get

To what will be the Heat’s most important stretch of the season and how the heat can escape the playing tournament I wanted to talk a little bit more about Jimmy Butler um we obviously talked about him quite a bit after last night’s recap uh he scores 30 points

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers that he go ahead and win that game um but Jimmy also posted a usage rate of over 30% in that Cleveland win meaning that he basically used 30% uh of Miami’s offensive possessions um the heat are now 7- one when he has a usage rate of over

30% look I think there’s a lot of things to sort of dig into what the Heat have to do we’re going to talk about what players have to step up later on during this this four game home stand that’s coming up um but I I think before we

Kind of get into anything else uh and how the heat can maximize the final 13 games of the Season it we have to talk about Jimmy and just the fact that when he plays like a star right like the heat suddenly transformed from a team that can lose to the

Washington Wizards to a team that I think can beat almost anybody in the league and his inconsistency this year has been probably the biggest reason why I think the Heat have been so inconsistent he has eight games in which he’s posted a usage rate of over 30% he

Hasn’t really been available for a lot of games because of nagging injuries and rest and and whatever else but but when he just plays like a star everything just falls into place for Miami and we could talk about like the development of Duncan Robinson’s off the dribble game

And Nika yovic becoming a starter and haime hakz being an impact rookie and all these things but if Jimmy Butler is not a star player this team does not have a chance uh and I’m not even talking about making the finals I’m not even talking about in the in a in a

Playoff series this team doesn’t have a chance to get out of the playing tournament and so when you look at or yeah to get out of the playing tournament just climb into the top six in the East standing so when we look ahead to these final 13 games I think

That is absolutely necessary that Jimmy Butler play like this he has to play like an all-nba player he has to play like a star and I don’t think that we can compromise that even though he might want to um I know it’s hard I guess the

Question then David is can he do it should he do it even if it’s worth maybe I don’t know running into a bit of a wall here if it means that you could get a break for a week and not be in the playing tournament my first response is no I

Don’t think he can do it I don’t think he’s at that point in his career where he’s capable of being a superstar for a 13 game stretch because it’s gonna pile up it’s gonna lead to something that’s going to be much more dangerous down the road when it actually matters like I

Understand that these games all matter it’s really important for them to win not just as many of the next 13 games as possible but to win all four of the next upcoming games at home they’re all crucial in their own way because it just gets a little bit more dangerous after

That if you don’t win out the next four games but I just don’t think that you can continue to ask Jimmy Butler to to carry the team single-handedly nor should he I understand that he’s the team’s best player highest paid player he’s a star Etc there are a lot of

Reasons why Jimmy is expected to do that but they’re also a little unrealistic and we see this all the time like Milwaukee right now going going through a stretch without Giannis he carried a heavy load and I think it’s safe to say that you should rest him before you go

Into the playoffs because if not that leads to injuries as we’ve seen without a DMO on a couple on occasions versus the Miami Heat so I think they’re playing it safely they sat Chris Middleton and now they’ve suddenly brought him back obviously it took some

Time for him to recover Etc so I don’t I don’t want to Heat or the front office or the coaching staff in particular to feel the need to put Jimmy out there and say guess what buddy we’re going to work you like a dog over the next 13 games

Because that’s our best chance to win not over the next 13 games first of all like even over the next four games at home one of them’s against the Portland Trailblazers does that mean that I think Jimmy should take that game off absolutely not but I also don’t think

You can have them out there with the 30% usage rate or higher in order for them to beat the Blazers you shouldn’t have to rely on Jimmy Butler for that does it make the path easier for the heat absolutely but there are other options bam is expected to return to the lineup

At some point if not Friday night versus the Pelicans I think you might see The Return of some other players Duncan who knows what’s going on with that sudden back injury you know I think Kevin Love could possibly make his way back to the rotation again all pretty uh up in the

Air at this point but I don’t think you want to rely on Jimmy in order to carry this team over the next 13 games and I know a lot of people are already saying well that’s what you should do that’s a star player well yes when he’s out there

He can’t carry the team for the most part at the same time I think you also have to be framing this with the idea that these games as important as they are can lead to a much more severe injury and you don’t want him hobbling into the playoffs because that’s when

Those games are going to matter more and they’re going to be much more heavily relying on Jimmy Butler to take them home everything you said is absolutely true I mean the more that you put on Jimmy Butler here’s the butt right but um you made the comparison to Milwaukee

And I get it the difference between Miami and Milwaukee is the Bucks are the number two seed in the East they can afford to rest dianis over the next few games and it’s not going to matter they’re not going to be in the playin tournament maybe they dropped a three or

Something like that but that’s that’s a team that did the work earlier in the year that’s the team that like Giannis made an MVP case he’s not going to win it but he’s going to be on a whole lot of ballots in the top five of basically

Every ballot because he played like an MVP and got them in that position this year Jimmy Butler hasn’t even been close to an MVP level he he’s barely played at all NBA level but for maybe a week and a half all season and and that’s why Miami

Is so behind the eightball here and it’s why they might have to say okay you know what you’ve gotten four months of rest basically I hope you’re ready to go like it you’ve played eight games where you have played like a star player All Season all season eight games not to

Mention that he’s not even going to make the 65 game minimum to to be eligible for end of season awards which he wouldn’t be winning anyway because he hasn’t played like that all regular season and this is not an anti- Jimmy thing I understand that this is what he

Has to do with 34 years old and all these things and I agree with you that if you put all this on his plate now it furthers the risk uh of of him not being available in the playoffs but I guess the counter is like okay like I don’t know what the

Other option is for the heat right like we’re talking about okay do you put him through the ringer now and risk him getting hurt for the playoffs or don’t do it and risk missing the Playoffs altogether and at that point doing anything other than not playing like a

Star player seems pretty pointless over these next 13 games if you end up in the playing tournament and you lose to a hot shooting Atlanta or or Chicago team in the second game of the of the playing tournament you know and so um I think you’re right also like it doesn’t have

To be every game like it’s a good point like they play Portland again they play Washington again there’s there’s cupcakes on the schedule but it has to be more frequent than what it has been this season I guess is my point oh no I

I totally get that I I just you know my my point has been for most of the Season that these games are vitally important but the expectation going to the season was never that Jimmy was gonna have to carry this team that was why Tyler was

Going to step up to be an All-Star level candidate that’s why J bam was at the very beginning of the Season playing like one of the top 10 players in the NBA and both of those players have you know their production has dropped jimy has been pretty consistent throughout

The season for however available he’s been I mean he’s Miami’s leading score he’s their leading assist man like there are a lot of he’s he’s been as productive of as you could expect him to be knowing full well you think he could have been more productive he’s averaging like 21 points

A game in 2024 that’s nothing like a 20 point per game score isn’t what it used to be there’s 70 guys averaging 20 G 20 points a game in the NBA this year he’s not playing even close to what I think this has been his worst regular season

As a Miami Heat player I mean I it’s not it’s not close and so and I I hear you like the expectation wasn’t this going into the year but this is where we’re at now with 13 games in in in left in this season like we’re not

At the beginning of the Season Tyler hero is hurt right like I don’t know how much you can rely on Terry Rosier as good as he’s been over these last eight games averaging almost 19 points a game shooting 49% overall like he’s been good but he’s not a star like Bam’s out with

This back injury we don’t know how nagging of an issue that is like it’s kind of just on Jimmy now and it sucks like I’m not saying that this is ideal but but it just sort of feels like that’s that’s where they’re at um last

Word on this and then uh and then we’ll get to the home stand I I think I think they’ll have to take it on a Case by case basis and know that you’re going to have to probably give him rest at some point over the next 13 games and you

Just hope that things break right and I think and you hope that everybody else steps up because I I just think that’s you have to you’re gonna you need Jimmy if you find yourself in the playing tournament and it’s could be you could bust his ass over the next 13 games and

Still wind up in a play tournament and there will you be you’re going to be relying on him during that game whatever it might be possibly even two games you could be an eighth seed anyway and then all of a sudden let’s say you get into

The playing tournament you get out of it and you win those games and now you’re an a seed going up against the Boston Celtics in the first round and Jimmy’s hobbled because of you know the fact that you have to push him for 15 games

As opposed to I don’t know eight of the next 13 I look everybody needs to step up Jimmy included but I don’t think that Jimmy can carry the load for 133 games straight at this point in his career this four game home stand stand Pelicans Cavs Warriors Trailblazers one thing we

Do know is Jimmy Butler is going to have to step up at least during this stretch we’re going to talk about what’s at stake what the heat need to do and what they need to accomplish over this home stand to make sure that they do avoid that playing tournament we’re going to

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Favorite podcast app are you watching Fox Sports or ESPN on your TV all day have to turn down the volume with all that shouting make the switch to locked on sports today a free 247 sports streaming Channel programmed for you every day to bring you the biggest stories without all that screaming lock

On sports today brings you can’t miss analysis opinions and news streaming 24/7 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day I love David this new directive that we’re getting from the network going right for

Fox Sports and ESPN’s throats here in our in our copy we do coming out the second break the first just like the Miami Heat you can’t afford to take any Chan you got to go for the J don’t don’t overlook us ESPN we’re coming for you we’re coming for you dangerously looming

Network here and Fox Sports I guess yeah um all right the home stand so it starts Friday night against the Pelicans we get the fun rematch um oh sideline bra 2.0 question mark go ahead Public Public Service Announcement uh Ultra Music Fest taking place this weekend also don’t be daunted don’t let

Those ravers don’t let them scare you go to the C center it’s just on a little Molly it’s okay I don’t even know what the designer drug I don’t know what’s yeah that’s probably you’ll he be hearing a lot of don’t let them frighten you they’re just the dilated pupils

Don’t mean anything it’s okay they’re harmless they’re goingon to wig out but you just stay away from them and they’re fine let them sweat it off they’ll be fine give him a glass of orange juice and let him chill everything’s gonna be cool yeah is that what works yeah I I

Don’t know why are you asking me brought up orange the one that brought the vitamin C into the conversation I don’t know what you’re talking about leave me alone anyway um uh this is how we challenge ESPN yeah yeah with public servant announcements about Ultra we need to support out there

The heat needs your support out there so make sure you make it out there get those uh wigging out Molly Ultra folks to uh to attend this Pelicans game so that the Heat have some reinforcements in case there’s another sideline brawl we’ll go for it um so uh yeah that’s

What’s happening uh Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday the warriors uh and and Trailblazers next week also for this four game home stand the Heat 37 and 31 what’s interesting is after that Cavaliers loss Miami’s chances of escaping the playing tournament and getting a number uh a top six seed in

The East went from a 23% chance before the win to a 33.6% chance after the win that’s according to basketball reference also another one playoff status another one of those probability sites uh that does a pretty good job they have Miami now with a 31% chance to get the number

Six seed so best chances B basically behind the the Indiana Pacers uh for that six seed so just that one win against Cleveland changed Miami’s Outlook now again we’re talking about less than you know about a third of a chance here 33% chance 31% chance depending um on

Actually getting that number six seed so still overwhelmingly in the playing tournament according to these trackers but um as you could see and this is not this is how math works I suppose even though it’s not my specialty if you win more games your chances get high

So what do they he have to do basically to how many wins do they need to not end up in the playing tournament and according to these trackers it’s about 46 wins right if they get about 46 wins and win the tie and and win a game on

April 7th against the Pacers I feel pretty good about the heat they’ll get the tiebreaker over the Pacers in that scenario and then they’d probably end up with the number six seed I feel pretty good about that so 46 wins is the number and one of those wins has to be that

April seventh game against the Pacers so that means that the Heat have to go eight and5 over these next 13 games with one of those wins against Indiana and I and I think and that’s basically the formula if you do that you’re you’re in pretty good control I

Think for that six seed so if they have to go eight and five over the next 13 what do they have to do in this four game home stand against good competition for the most part these are tough teams the Warriors have been playing well lately the Cavs should play better they

They played well on on uh Wednesday night the heat just beat them I thought that Cavs played really well in that game for the most part the Pelicans have been on a roll lately but they’re one of those teams too that are a little bit trick- or treat so you never really know

What to expect from them but the game uh last month was still pretty competitive between those two teams sideline brawl notwithstanding so yeah what do when you just look at the next four games what do you think they have to do is it is does

It do they have to go four and0 like what do you what do you look at that and think in my opinion I think they have to win them all I think they have to win all these four teams and of course that Pacers game looming the Sixers game

Beyond that the Knicks game I think is a powerful statement game it’s at home against the New York Knicks and therefore you’re going to have a lot of obnoxious Nicks fans up in the ca Center stands and and you want to be able to you know you want to be able to beat

Them at at at your home because it’s gonna feel like a road game it’s the one I guess you could count some Boston appearances maybe but it’s gonna be the one game where it really feels more like it might be a little bit of a road game

Or at least a slight Advantage for the opposing team there while you’re at say a center um but yeah I think those four game crucial because they’re winnable because the Pelicans are coming off a back toback they’re playing even as we’re recording this Thursday Thursday night they’re gonna be in Orlando they

Leave uh whatever it’s called the Kia Center and they fly down that night so it’s you know they’re going to be playing the night before no shoot around for them they go right into CA they have to get ready in less than 24 hours then

You know you you’ve got the Cavs at home on Sunday they’re going to be on the road they’re going to be without Donovan Mitchell they’re going to be without Evan Mo so the same beat up team that you just faced a couple nights ago now you’re at home it’s a good opportunity

Interestingly enough I think every time this team has faced the Cavs it’s the road team that has won so this is another opportunity for you to change course on that beat them at home that’s crucial the Warriors I mean again they’re going to be on the road as well

This is a team that’s going to be going on their East Coast r as much as we and Heat fans hate when the heat are on their six game seven game West Coast road trip it’s the opposite end of the spectrum right now they’re facing Orlando they’re going to Washington

They’re going and facing all these teams that they rarely face and and one of those teams is Miami so it’s going to be crucial for them to beat them and then of course you’ve got the home game against the Portland Trail blazes also on a long road trip for them they’re not

A particularly good team but all the I think they’re a little bit more dangerous a little bit healthier right now you can’t afford to take any steps off any days off it’s really important I think for them to win them all yeah they’re the heat are 1-0 against the

Pelicans this year two- one against Cleveland 1-0 against the Warriors one against Portland so they are 5- one against those teams and that’s rare that they he’ enter a stretch where they’re 5- one against a subset of teams right like this is a especially teams that have winning records like the Pelicans

And the Cavs and and the Warriors um because this is not a team as we’ve established that they don’t really beat teams with winning records very much this season so they have had success against these teams I think part of it is that they played the Warriors and the

Pelicans and the Trailblazers during like basically their best stretch of the season season and uh or a couple of their best stretches of the season so look I I think that they can certainly go Forno I look at it and I say you got to go three in one minimum I I’ll temper

My own expectations if you go three in one that means that after that and if i’ we’ve already established you got to go eight and five the rest of the way basically since we’re recording this you go three and one then that means that you have to go five and four four over

The final nine games which is you know a hair over 500 I think I definitely considering this is the last hard stretch of the season for Miami because after that you already mentioned some of the the teams yeah the Knicks are going to be a difficult but it’s Washington

It’s Philly who’s injured and not very good you got uh Houston on the second night of a back toback so you could schedule that as a they right on the cusp if Golden State loses out they’re this road trip yeah well if Golden State’s on the cusp right now and and

And you know loses games during this road trip of theirs Houston could find themselves in that spot for being a playing Team you know I actually have that markdown as a loss because Miami will be on the road they play Philly at home and then they go on the road to

Houston for the second night of a back toback and like you mentioned the Rockets are playing well and they’re motivated I have that marked down as a loss I have the Dallas game after Atlanta later in the year also marked down as a loss just a scheduled loss

Because well and it’s a second night of a back toback so I just basically took the two night I’m just going to go ahead and assume that we lose those two second night of back-to-back games scheduled losses all right so just mark them down

As L’s so if you go if you go three and one on this trip and then lose those two kns on the back back to backs that’s three of your five losses that you’re allowed for the rest of let’s hope that Houston game is a win because we’re

Planning a watch party for that night so I I’d like to see them win it out I good point yeah um so there we go that’s basically I think what the Heat have to do I think um easier said than done obviously all right we’re going to dive in a little

Bit more in detail what’s at stake during this home stand how can the heat go 3 and one or 4-0 during this home stand and which players need to step up we’re going to talk about that next year on lockedown heat today’s episode is brought to you by eBay’s guaranteed fit passion drive

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Heat your first listen every day make sure you’re subscribed on on YouTube and on your favorite podcast app if you’re watching us on YouTube hit the like button comment let us know what you think does Jimmy Butler have to play like a star the rest of the way how many

Games do the Heat have to win and do you anticipate Miami avoiding the playing tournament cuz man there’s been a lot of talk about what the Western Conference playing tournament is going to be and and you know no bones about it that’s going to be the tougher one that’s the

That’s the group of of death there I mean right now it’s Dallas Phoenix Lakers Warriors I mean to imagine not all four of those teams even being in the playoffs in the west is it’s pretty crazy when you think about how loaded the western conference is but you look

At Miami’s Miami’s side right now if the playing tournament were to start today it would be the Miami Heat the Sixers the Bulls and the Hawks now the Bulls and the Hawks they stink like but they’re dangerous in terms of being able to you know catch a breeze and and shoot

And hit a bunch of three-pointers and and eliminate the loser of the heat Sixers game which would be the 78 game right now and you don’t want to be in that position and if the pace just fall into the playing tournament and that’s a really dangerous team cuz nobody wants

To play Halton and SE yakum in that group um so and we know how they perform in tournaments so that there’s that um there that that one tournament sample says yeah as much as we got well they’re dangerous I mean you’re right they’re they’re they’re explosive or at least

Theoretically they are like obviously always plays Miami well he scores 40 points every time he plays him he’s been hurt man he’s he’s he’s a shade of himself and so like if there’s any hope for Miami it’s you know that when they face that Pacers team on April 7th it’s

Going to be a a completely different version of the team that they face earlier in the season I mean and and they can be defended at this point especially if you’re just going to let him shoot if he’s just G to shoot 28% the way he has from three over the last

Couple weeks since his return from injury so it’s just um things are breaking right for a little healthier but if you do you really think that things are I mean they have an easy schedule compared to teams like Indiana and like Philadelphia uh but let’s look let’s look at these four

Games let’s look at the Pelicans game Friday night six game six of the Knicks seven at home tough games against the Knicks Etc but I mean winnable game like there’s no game in the future that isn’t winnable for Miami and as much as those two back-to-back games are potentially

Scheduled losses it’s not like we haven’t seen surprises from the Miami Heat before when these games matter you know so who knows maybe by that point Tyler will be back in full swing and popping 30 points a game is it possible certainly I I don’t know and it’s a bad

Place to be in as a reporter as somebody who covers the team and at the same time it’s just it gives you a a little bit of optimism and hope that maybe they can pull it off can they go 13 over the next yeah I I don’t want it to sound like I’m

A doubter or some sort of hater just saying like they’re gonna lose those back-to-back games I’m just saying if you got to go ha and five yeah you’re allowed a couple losses here and those would be the ones that would pencil in and if you beat those if you win those

Games that you otherwise thought might could be a scheduled loss because you have a rest disadvantage then it bolsters your case to climb even further eight and five seems much more realistic for this te the next 13 gam yeah it does that’s it that’s all you have to

Do eight and five L out have to win that Pacers game you it it starts it starts tonight with the Pelicans game let’s talk about the Pelicans game um you mentioned second night of back toback it’s a great Point coming from Orlando can we call that like the they have the

Kia Center we have the ca Center can we call it the kiaa stretch for Road teams like what could we there’s something there we can work like the Kia Center stretch the K the K Channel yeah you know you know they have the Texas twister right when

You go up there Dallas San Antonio uh you know they had one more uh no never mind I gonna say if they had one more arena in Jacksonville then which starts with a K that’s a little too close to home for Northern Florida you don’t want you don’t want to go on

The you don’t want to go on the KK cycle yeah you don’t want to on a trail somewhere um Trail’s never good uh Zion that’s the big that’s that that the swing Factor here U bam andab bio primarily guarded him the last time these teams played the anticipation at

Least is that he will be available for this Friday night game um and that he’ll get that Zion Williamson assignment again Zion is basically they’re they’re running Point Zion right now in New Orleans I don’t know how many of our fans have been watching Pelicans games but they’ve been wildly entertaining he

Has been awesome um guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones are are Jones has been ridiculous I should I think he shoot like 50% from three over the last few months even like I mean yeah he’s been really really good I mean he was dangerous against Miami they have a lot

Of different weapons there less relying on guys like McCollum Brandon Ingram’s been playing well though too like I mean they’ve got a lot of they’ve been getting a lot of production there been winning a lot of games they small now with like Larry Nance down the stretch

As as like kind of quote unquote Center even if Zion kind of guards other centers sometimes like they’re really interesting and what Willie Green is doing there has been remarkable in terms of a coaching job but this is not going to be an easy game the Pelicans are

Tough they are physical they will fight you as we know um and the heat will fight back but um it’s not going to be easy seven of eight I didn’t even realize this eight last 10 seven of eight everybody expects them to kind of drop into that playin but they are they

Are now two and a half games up on Dallas in that fifth seed they’re two games up on Sacramento who are the sixth seed like it like everybody’s just sort of waiting for the Pelicans to collapse and it has not been happening this a good basketball team this is a very good

Basketball team what you think that he’d have to do to Win It limit uh limit Zion I think he’s explosive obviously and I don’t I don’t think it would work for him to just be able to generate the kind of offense he has been of late so you

Find a way to limit him where he they you know at least challenge him from getting those open lanes and and being able to finish at The Rim because he is so tough to stop because that second jump of his is so impossible uh and at

Least a lot of Second Chance points even if he doesn’t get that first opportunity to fall um have them sprayed out to Shooters and then just kind of find your way I mean find your way to be able to close out on them and and limit their their shot opportunities there might

Sound overly simplistic but you’ve got to be able to keep them from hitting you know over 40% from three and that’s easier said than done with the way they’ve been playing lately got to limit their transition opportunities when Zion rips those rebounds down and gets aead

Of steam in in in the full court it’s it’s game over man like there’s nobody bam included that’s stopping him so um but bam does the best job for my money guarding Giannis the Z the Zion in this role in New Orleans is kind of the

Closest thing to that uh it’s a little bit different obviously but it’s between the the speed the strength and the velocity that he moves and what he’s going to do in the open floor I I trust bam to at least handle that he did a

Good job uh sort of doing like I think Zion like 23 24 points in the last matchup um Z and Bam had primarily the assignment there I thought he did okay he just you can’t let Zion just go off you can’t let Zion look like an MVP like

He can sometimes look you know once a week so um that to me is the main thing if bam can sort of Corral Zion limit the transition opportunities and of course by limiting the transition opportunities what do you got to do you got to make your own shots that’s the thing the

Pelicans have so many guys who can rebound and push the tempo uh that you don’t want to give them that many opportunities you mentioned closing out on Shooters I thought they did a really good job of that over the last few games especially Nika yic who’s been really

Good defensively lately I shouldn’t say really good but as much improved since the beginning of the year um well against the Pelicans they held him to just 22% shooting in the previous matchup they held him to 39 38% overall from the floor to your point Miami shot

46% from the field and 45% from three so they were hitting all their shots keeping uh the Pelicans off the glass limiting their transition opportunity so uh that’s the recipe you know what to do you just have to do it the he have the number one defensive rating in the

League since February 1st that’s still the case the problem is that they haven’t had a hard time scoring points in a lot of those games but defensively you look at the teams coming up Pelicans Cavs have a very good offense the Warriors obviously have a very good

Offense their questions are all on the defensive end um but that defense is going to have if they could slow these games down then that’s that’s sort of the formula for Miami slow these games down take the ball out of Zion’s hand take the ball out of dariio gin’s hands

Take the ball out of Steph’s hands that that Portland game I mean infiny Simons has been on a heater lately Jeremy Grant has been steady for them like take the ball out of Simon scoot’s been playing a little bit better like um and so that’s that’s gonna be it was he was really

Dangerous against Miami in their previous match up until he got hurt too so like he’s another guy again if you if you can control the glass limited those opportunities because he was just finishing everything at the rim and you know that Miami is can’t be easily victimized by your more sizable players

That are at least even borderline effective around the rim we will be back Sunday night to recap that Cleveland game we’ll see what we do about this Pelicans game David we’re still talking about maybe recapping it or not we don’t know what we’re going to do with it yet

But we will be with you for the homeand and the rest of the way hopefully the heat can make the most out of this 4 game home standand for now thanks for making lockdown heat your first listen every day hit that subscribe button on YouTube and follow us on your podcast app

What do the Miami Heat need to do to avoid the play-in tournament, can Jimmy Butler play like a star and who else needs to step up over this important four-game homestand?

Wes Goldberg and David Ramil forecast the rest of the Heat’s season and what’s at stake.

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