- 16 hours ago
Talent? Coaching? Injuries? Trying to piece together who or what deserves most of the blame for the Heat not finishing with a top six seed again.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:0015 Minutes of Heat is brought to you by Darrell Kia,
00:02home of the Pricito, our lowest price.
00:04Visit them at DarrellKia or DarrellKia.com.
00:07How about this for a positive spin on the heat season
00:12from an emailer to Ira Winderman and the Sun Sentinel?
00:16All right?
00:17See if you buy this.
00:18And then I'll tell you what Ira Winderman responded.
00:20But see if you buy this.
00:22I have to say about the Miami Heat,
00:26they really have not slid backwards.
00:28If they win just two more of their final four games,
00:32they'll have a 43-win season,
00:34which is six games better than last year.
00:37So to me, that's improvement,
00:39especially with two of their young players
00:42really stepping up this year in Jaime Jaquez Jr.
00:45and Pella Larson.
00:47Do anything for you?
00:49If you have a better record than you did the previous season,
00:51that's improvement, no?
00:53That's Spoh being a great coach with less talent
00:56and beating teams he shouldn't beat.
00:57And, you know, losing to teams he shouldn't lose to.
01:00But Spoh can, Spoh can coach.
01:02Spoh can get a game plan together that can work.
01:05But 43 wins is not that impressive, Hawk.
01:09So Lana, do anything for you?
01:12I will say this.
01:13Coming into the year,
01:14fans had their own expectations.
01:17But Coach Spoh called this a developmental year.
01:20And when you look at the fact that Pella Larson
01:23has started the majority of the games this year
01:25and he looks like a quality NBA player right now for the Miami Heat,
01:28that's fine.
01:29Roll your eyes.
01:29But, like, he's been really good.
01:31Well, he looks good.
01:32And he's a second-round pick.
01:33He's a diamond in the rough.
01:34Would he get any burn on OKC?
01:38Would he get any burn on any other quality team?
01:43Listen to what I'm saying.
01:44He's not a superstar.
01:45I'm not saying Pella Larson is a difference between the Heat
01:48winning 43 games or winning 60 games.
01:50Don't get me wrong.
01:51But to win an NBA title, Oklahoma City,
01:54they have a guy like Alex Caruso,
01:56who's really important to their team.
01:58And Pella Larson has that type of upside.
02:00I'm not saying he's a superstar,
02:02but he's a quality and he's looking like...
02:05You need pieces.
02:05You're not going to have a team of five superstars,
02:08so you need some pieces.
02:10Guys who can carry their weight
02:12and do what's asked of them.
02:14He's done it this season.
02:15As a second-round pick, too.
02:17Like, you don't expect those guys to do anything.
02:19Jaime Hacquez Jr. this year
02:21went from last year looking like a bust in the first round
02:24or just like a whatever pick
02:26to all of a sudden revitalizing his career in his third year.
02:29Might win sixth man of the year.
02:31Kalil Ware, it's been rough at times,
02:33but he still has tremendous upside.
02:35So they've been winning games with their young guys
02:38that they drafted.
02:39Some people might call that successful,
02:41but ultimately, Hacquez,
02:44they're the ones that told us throughout the year,
02:46don't want to be a playing tournament team.
02:48Don't want to be a playing tournament team.
02:50Those are their words.
02:51And not only are they going to be a playing tournament team
02:53for the fourth straight year,
02:54they're the 10th seed.
02:55And at the most important part of the year,
02:57when Atlanta rattled off 17 of 18 wins
03:00after trading Trey Young and Charlotte
03:03turned their season around
03:04when they were a laughingstock,
03:06the Heat went 2-8.
03:08Over a 10-game stretch,
03:09that put them as the 10th seed
03:11in the Eastern Conference.
03:12To me, that is, without a doubt, a failure.
03:16Well, this is what Ira Winderman responds
03:18in the Sun-Sentinel.
03:20And in a normal season,
03:22your reasoning would be logical and cogent.
03:25But this was not a normal season.
03:27With five teams in the East
03:29ultimately playing for lottery balls,
03:32and with four in the West
03:34ultimately doing the same.
03:36So that pumped up records
03:38in the middle of the East,
03:40essentially to the degree
03:41the emailer mentioned.
03:43Yes, wins matter, Ira says.
03:45And yes, a winning season matters.
03:47But all you needed to do
03:49was listen to the returning players
03:51to know that this season
03:53was all about,
03:54which is what Solana just said,
03:57finishing ahead of the play-in.
03:59Or bust.
04:00While there's still time
04:02for a top-six seed,
04:03that remains highly unlikely.
04:06Thus, the thought of
04:07somewhat of a bust season.
04:10Additionally, much of last season's decline
04:12was attributed to the
04:13Jimmy Butler distraction.
04:15This season, no such distraction.
04:18So Ira's not buying it.
04:20And it was nice from the emailer
04:22to hear a positive spin on the season.
04:25But I'm with Solana on this one and Ira.
04:27They told you over and over again,
04:29we don't want to be a play-in team.
04:30That really was the goal.
04:32That was it.
04:33I mean, it was a six.
04:34Seems like a pretty reachable goal.
04:37And again, they could still finish
04:38anywhere from five to ten.
04:40It's very unlikely
04:41that they're going to move much
04:42from where they are.
04:43They could ultimately achieve their goal.
04:46But they were really clear about it.
04:49Before the season,
04:50during the season,
04:52and after the All-Star break,
04:54Bam was adamant about it.
04:56I'm tired of this bleep.
04:59And it seems like
05:00they're going to fall short of that goal.
05:03And they were in position for it.
05:04That's the worst part.
05:05They were in position.
05:06They had to succeed.
05:07Yeah.
05:08Three weeks ago.
05:09You have a Hall of Fame coach.
05:12You don't have the guns
05:13to get to the succeed.
05:16Yeah.
05:16That's what it is.
05:17It's a roster.
05:18You pull O'Reilly,
05:19put on whoever you want to.
05:21We don't have the guns
05:22to be in the top five.
05:23I do think that the Heat
05:25have a roster
05:26that's good enough
05:27to be in as a six seed
05:28in the Eastern Conference.
05:29Especially when you've got
05:30the number of teams tanking,
05:31as Ira points out.
05:33Like, you're talking about
05:35how many teams are in the East?
05:3715.
05:3815.
05:39Five of them are actively tanking.
05:41So now you're talking about
05:4310 teams
05:44that you're fighting
05:45to jockey one through six.
05:48I mean, it's a smaller field
05:50and they've just been unable to do so.
05:52But I will say this, though, Hawk.
05:54The East this year
05:55is significantly better
05:57than it was a season ago.
05:59Like, significantly better.
06:01The good teams.
06:02The good teams
06:03are significantly better.
06:04But there's more teams
06:05actively trying to lose.
06:08Yeah.
06:09I think there's...
06:10That was Ira's point.
06:11You have five teams
06:13that are actively trying to lose.
06:15And so it inflates your wins
06:17when you're trying to win.
06:19It inflates your win total.
06:21Pistons, the Celtics,
06:22we know who's on top of the East.
06:25But last year,
06:27last year,
06:28the teams that were from 7 to 10
06:30in that playing tournament
06:32were not good teams.
06:34Like, they just weren't.
06:35They were just
06:36whatever teams
06:37that lucked into the playing tournament.
06:39Like, the Heat
06:39with 36, 37 wins.
06:42Like, the Heat
06:42weren't a good team last year.
06:43This year,
06:44the Hornets,
06:45who are the 8th seed,
06:46are a good basketball team.
06:48The Sixers,
06:49who are the 6th seed.
06:50The Hawks,
06:50who are the 5th seed.
06:51The Raptors,
06:52who are the 7th seed.
06:52I'm not saying
06:53these are NBA title winners.
06:54They're not OKC.
06:55But they're quality teams
06:56with quality direction.
06:59They're building something
07:01meaningful in those places.
07:02And that's the frustrating part
07:04with the Heat.
07:05It's not just that,
07:07again,
07:08you're a playing tournament team.
07:09There doesn't appear
07:10to be a concrete direction
07:12with this team
07:13other than
07:14Giannis or Bust
07:15in the offseason,
07:16which has burned
07:17this organization
07:18several times.
07:19That, to me,
07:20is the more concerning part.
07:23All right.
07:23Let's do headlines here
07:25for the 4 o'clock hour
07:26with Solana,
07:27brought to you by
07:28Daryl Hyundai.
07:28You always pay less
07:30with your pricito
07:31at Daryl Hyundai.
07:32Visit them at
07:33Daryl Hyundai
07:33or DarylHyundai.com.
07:35Cade Cunningham,
07:36Jalen Brunson,
07:39Jalen Tatum.
07:40I mean,
07:41Jalen Brown
07:41and Jason Tatum.
07:42The Jalen Tatum
07:43can, like,
07:44we don't have that,
07:45Solana.
07:46No, but I don't understand.
07:47Right, but nobody's
07:48arguing that.
07:49How many times
07:49do we have to have
07:50this argument, Crowder?
07:51That's the thing
07:51is that we're not
07:52talented enough
07:53to be with those teams.
07:55But being a top three seed
07:57is different
07:58than being a top six seed.
07:59The Heat
07:59are talented enough
08:01to be a top six seed
08:02in the East.
08:02Like, they're only
08:03two games out
08:04of the six seed.
08:05Whose fault is that?
08:06Spoh?
08:06Spoh has enough talent
08:07to be there.
08:07Tyler Hero needs
08:08to be on the court more.
08:09Norman Powell
08:10needs to be on the court more.
08:13Kalel Ware
08:13needs to do more
08:15when he's got minutes
08:16on the court.
08:17Like, there's...
08:18See, I'm kind
08:19with Solana.
08:20They do have a roster
08:21that's top six
08:22in the East.
08:23They do.
08:24For sure.
08:25Who?
08:25Who?
08:26For sure.
08:27I just told you.
08:28Roman Powell.
08:29Yeah, he was an all-star.
08:31But Norman Powell, Tyler,
08:34you can't put them
08:35against those rosters
08:36that are top three
08:36in the East.
08:37But we're not talking
08:38top three.
08:38I keep saying top six.
08:40I'm talking about
08:40just not being
08:42a play-in team.
08:43They have the roster
08:44to be not a play-in team.
08:46So is it on injury
08:47or is it on Spoh's coaching?
08:49I just said
08:49Tyler needs to be
08:50out there more
08:51than he was out there
08:52this season.
08:53Norman Powell
08:54needs to be out there
08:55more than he was
08:56out there this season.
08:57Kalel Ware
08:59needs to be playing
09:00at a level
09:01that gets him
09:02more minutes.
09:03But I would say
09:04a lot of it
09:04is injury-based.
09:05I think when you have
09:06Tyler and Norman
09:07missing the number
09:07of games that they missed,
09:09you're missing
09:10the core three
09:11unless you're calling
09:12Andrew Wiggins
09:13one of the core three.
09:14But you're missing
09:14two key guys.
09:16Again,
09:17we're talking about
09:18a low barometer here
09:20of making the playoffs.
09:22To be a top six team
09:24in the East
09:25is not the hardest
09:26thing in the world.
09:27But you put
09:29Tyler out there.
09:30I mean,
09:30you've seen
09:30what he's done
09:31sometimes when he's back.
09:34He can give you 25.
09:36It's the difference
09:37between some wins
09:37and losses.
09:38Crowder,
09:39this team is two games
09:40out of the six seed.
09:42They've lost
09:43several games.
09:44Sacramento Kings
09:45earlier in the year
09:46who were trying to tank
09:47two to the Indiana Pacers.
09:49They lost a home game
09:49to Utah.
09:50Just those games
09:51right there.
09:52That's four games
09:53that they should have won
09:54against teams
09:55that were tanking
09:56that were not trying
09:57to win
09:57that they blew.
09:59And by the way,
09:59the talent thing
10:00to suggest
10:01the Heat aren't talented
10:02to be a top six seed,
10:03I'm with you
10:04at top three.
10:05Name me a single player
10:07and I'm not trying
10:08to dupe you here.
10:09I'm just trying
10:10to prove a point.
10:11Name me a single player
10:12on the Atlanta Hawks
10:14roster right now.
10:15Risha Shea.
10:17Zachary Risha Shea
10:18who isn't starting
10:19for them.
10:21He's playing
10:22eight minutes a game
10:23for the Atlanta Hawks
10:24right now.
10:25He's just like
10:26end of the bench guy
10:27for Atlanta.
10:29No, no, no.
10:30But, but, and,
10:31and, and, and
10:32they're five seed
10:33in the East
10:33and at the,
10:34and at the,
10:35why are we,
10:36why are we losing?
10:38Why are we behind?
10:39Why are we in the ninth
10:40and the eighth
10:41and the tenth?
10:42Because I think
10:42it's injury based.
10:44Well, I think it's,
10:45it's that
10:45and it's,
10:46it's, you know,
10:47the fact that the guys
10:48out in the floor
10:50aren't winning games
10:52like it's that simple,
10:54you know?
10:55I mean,
10:55Well, no,
10:55but, but Crowder's point
10:56is why aren't they
10:57winning games?
10:58Is it Spoh's fault?
11:00We have better talent
11:02than those teams.
11:05Why can't Spoh
11:06coach them to wins?
11:07Hawk said it's injury
11:09and I understand
11:10that Tyler had
11:11a six toes.
11:12I understand injury.
11:13I understand Norm
11:14has not been on the court.
11:15I understand
11:16that Spoh
11:17doesn't want to play
11:17where?
11:18Why can we not
11:20beat those teams
11:21and have a better record
11:22than those teams?
11:23That's the question.
11:24Yeah.
11:25I, you know,
11:25it's, it's fair.
11:26I think Hawk
11:27hit it on the head.
11:28Part of it is injury based,
11:29but the funny part
11:31is Hawk
11:31when Norm and Tyler
11:32have been together.
11:33I know they don't
11:34play well together.
11:34Yeah.
11:35And also no matter
11:36how injured you are,
11:37like you shouldn't
11:38go an entire season
11:39without being able
11:40to beat Orlando.
11:41And I don't care
11:42how much better
11:42they are than you.
11:44When you play a team
11:45that many times,
11:46you can't get swept
11:48for the season.
11:49You just can't.
11:50So, but I don't know
11:51if that's on Spoh.
11:53I like, I don't know
11:54what that is.
11:54I'd have to go back
11:55and look at the rosters
11:56that were available
11:57for the, all the Orlando games
11:59to see if there's a,
12:00an overarching reason.
12:02They were all close games.
12:03Like those were close games.
12:04And at the end,
12:05the heat just didn't win them.
12:07Um, but I know
12:09what the answer is.
12:10Desmond Bain
12:11and Blancho Ranchero.
12:13No, but what I'm saying
12:14is you can't,
12:15they're a better roster
12:16without question.
12:17There's no question.
12:18You can't lose
12:19to a division rival
12:20five times out of five.
12:22You can't.
12:23They always say it
12:24in the NFL.
12:24Like if you're going
12:25to play the same team
12:26twice and then
12:27maybe a third time,
12:28like that's really tough
12:30to beat the same team
12:31three times
12:31in an NFL season.
12:32In, in the NBA,
12:34like you can't get swept
12:36by a team in the East
12:37for the season.
12:40Yeah.
12:40I mean, I, I just think
12:41there's no definitive answer.
12:43Does Spoh deserve
12:45a little bit of,
12:45of blame for sure?
12:47Like, I don't,
12:47I don't think that's a question,
12:48but it doesn't mean
12:49he's a, he's a bad coach
12:51or that he,
12:52no, no, no, but he definitely
12:53gets some of the blame
12:54for sure.
12:55I, for sure.
12:56And you credit him
12:57for, for changing
12:58the offense
12:58and trying to do something
13:00right.
13:00But it also came
13:02at a cost
13:02of Niko Jovic,
13:05who the heat paid
13:05a lot of money to.
13:06He's a non-factor
13:07Kalel wear as well.
13:10As much as I hate
13:11how heat fans just think
13:12more Kalel wear
13:13automatically means
13:14more wins.
13:14I think it's just
13:15an easy thing to do,
13:16but clearly like
13:17he hasn't developed
13:18the way that the
13:19heat front office
13:20wants him to.
13:21And on top of that,
13:23while the offense
13:23is leading the NBA
13:25in pace,
13:25and they're going
13:26to end up with,
13:26with the second most
13:27points per game.
13:28Look at what happened
13:29with the defense
13:30at the end of the year.
13:31The defense,
13:32it's over the past
13:3312 games
13:34is the second worst
13:36in the NBA.
13:37I mean,
13:38you know,
13:39that matters.
13:40I love it.
13:41Because the heat won,
13:42they beat the Wizards,
13:43but the Wizards
13:43had 136.
13:45The Celtics
13:46had 147
13:48when they lost.
13:49Even with the heat
13:50beat the 76ers,
13:51they had 109.
13:52The Pacers
13:53beat them
13:53with 135.
13:55The Cavs
13:55beat them
13:55with 149.
13:57What happened
13:58to Spoh
13:58being a defensive
13:59coach?
14:00That to me
14:00was the most
14:01shocking thing
14:01of the entire season
14:02is looking
14:03at the point
14:04totals
14:05that were put
14:05up on them
14:06this season.
14:08149?
14:09Yeah.
14:10And by the way,
14:10I hope that's
14:11the way the NBA
14:12is going.
14:13I can play the three.
14:13The NBA is changing
14:15and I hope
14:16it's changing
14:16that way.
14:17I want to see
14:17150 points
14:18put up
14:19every night
14:20by teams
14:20all across
14:21the NBA.
14:22I'm all for it,
14:23but it was shocking
14:24to me.
14:25That's the number
14:25that shocks me
14:26the most.
14:27But the point
14:27total.
14:28Jimmy and Solana
14:29and Bam
14:30could give up
14:31149.
14:33The point
14:34total though
14:34is a bit deceiving
14:35because the Heat
14:36are playing
14:37at a faster pace
14:38so they're
14:39taking more shots
14:40so you're bound
14:41to give up
14:41more attempts
14:42and more points.
14:43What matters
14:44is the defensive
14:44rating, right?
14:45That's where
14:46you can
14:46properly
14:47factor in
14:48efficiency
14:49from the other
14:49team
14:50and how
14:50your defense
14:51should be rated
14:52and that's
14:53been really bad.
14:54That to me
14:55is unacceptable.
14:57Fine.
14:58The Celtics
14:58dice you up
14:58one game,
14:59whatever, right?
15:00Cleveland doing it
15:01and over a 10-game
15:03sample size,
15:04the most important
15:0410 games of the season
15:05when you came in
15:06with the 6th seed
15:07that he had won
15:08seven straight games.
15:09It started with Orlando
15:10for the fifth time
15:11at the Kaseya Center
15:12and over a 10-game stretch
15:14you go 2-8
15:14over that stretch.
15:15You drop down
15:16to the 10th seed
15:17and you're averaging
15:18over 130 points
15:19per game against you.
15:21I don't know
15:22what changed
15:22but everybody's
15:24to blame.
15:24Everybody.
15:24But Solana,
15:25no, no, no, no.
15:26Because Wimby
15:26even said this
15:27when Wimby
15:27was making an argument
15:28for him being the MVP.
15:29I play on both sides
15:30of the court.
15:31At some point
15:32you score.
15:33The other team
15:34gives it to the big guy
15:35and he passes it
15:36to the point guard.
15:38On the other side
15:39of the court
15:40and I don't know
15:40the efficiency
15:41and percentage rating
15:42and the PERs
15:43and plus minuses.
15:45Solana,
15:46stop those guys
15:47from putting the bucket,
15:49getting a bucket.
15:50Stop them guys
15:50from putting that damn ball,
15:52what did you say,
15:52Hawk?
15:53In the net.
15:55Right through the net.
15:56Why can't you stop them
15:58from putting it
15:58through the net?
16:00That's the thing
16:01that Spoh always
16:02dwelled on.
16:03I was watching
16:04Along Comes Polly.
16:05Does he have enough
16:07to stop them there?
16:08That Philip Seymour
16:09Hoffman scene
16:11because he goes,
16:12you know,
16:13he's doing rain man,
16:14rain dance,
16:15let it rain
16:15and then he yells,
16:17swish.
16:18You ever let him
16:19yell out,
16:20you know,
16:20and he airballs it,
16:21swish.
16:22I love that scene.
16:25And it banked
16:26off the back.
16:26That's a concern
16:27for me.
16:28So does Spoh
16:30not know how to
16:30coach defensive
16:31basketball anymore?
16:33Or does he not
16:34have the guns
16:35to do it?
16:36I don't think
16:36he has the guns
16:37to do it.
16:38I think it's so funny.
16:39Like, you know,
16:40it starts on the text
16:41line.
16:41Spoh must go.
16:42Spoh doesn't know
16:43what he's doing anymore.
16:44The guy was just
16:45named the head coach
16:47of the U.S.
16:48men's national
16:48basketball team.
16:49Like, there's a
16:50reason for that.
16:51Yeah, Crowder,
16:52I think part of it's
16:53the roster's gone stale.
16:54But that's what
16:55he fans were saying
16:56a year ago.
16:57And then that's
16:58what we were talking
16:58about at the deadline
16:59where my whole point
17:00was, hey, I love
17:01this roster.
17:02Like, I like the guys,
17:03right?
17:03But you're not going
17:04anywhere.
17:05We saw this team.
17:06So make some moves.
17:07Get some draft
17:08capital.
17:09Try to switch it up
17:09this summer.
17:10And they didn't do
17:11anything.
17:11They're the only team
17:12in the Eastern
17:13Conference that did
17:14not make a trade.
17:15The only team.
17:17And they're going to
17:18end up as a 10 seed,
17:19likely, and have to
17:20play two road games.
17:21It goes back to what
17:22Crowder was asking.
17:23Who's to blame?
17:24And I said injuries.
17:26You're going to
17:27essentially blame
17:27personnel, which is
17:29fine.
17:29There's somewhere.
17:30I mean, everybody's
17:31got a little piece of
17:32it, right?
17:32There's going to be a
17:33piece that is devoted
17:34to injuries, a piece
17:35that's devoted to
17:36personnel, a piece
17:37that's devoted to
17:39unlucky, whatever.
17:40Like, I mean, things
17:41happen, but personnel
17:43is a major problem.
17:44It is.
17:46They've stuck with
17:47rosters to their
17:49detriment over, I
17:51mean, certainly the
17:52last four seasons of
17:53play-ins, but they've
17:54stuck with players to
17:56their detriment because
17:58they've been unable to
17:59land a whale.
18:00Doesn't mean that
18:01they're not trying.
18:03They've been unable to
18:04do so.
18:05But it's like not a
18:06surprise that I'm
18:07listening to cool down,
18:09whatever the hell the
18:10post-game thing's called
18:11that Solana does.
18:12You're trying to sell me
18:13on Nikola Jokic and
18:14Davion Mitchell.
18:16They're not all-stars.
18:18Not Jokic this season.
18:20But I'm not trying to
18:22sell you on that.
18:24They have a lack of
18:24talent, Solana.
18:24Those are the guys who
18:25are playing.
18:27I know.
18:27What do you want me to
18:28do?
18:28Rip the team after every
18:29loss?
18:30Like, it's easy to do
18:31that.
18:31But, hey, yeah, Davion's
18:33got to play better.
18:34And Davion does have to
18:36be more consistent.
18:37If he's out there and
18:39he's going two of four
18:41from three, two of five
18:42from three, yeah, he's
18:43got to be better.
18:44Defensively, he's a
18:45major part of the
18:46defense.
18:46He's got to be better.
18:47What do you want me to
18:48do?
18:48Say, Davion stinks.
18:49Get him out of Miami?
18:50Like, that's not a good
18:51thing.
18:52That's not what I'm
18:52going to do.
18:53Just cool down.
18:56Let's just cool it
18:57down.
18:58Cool it down.
19:00Cool down.
19:01Let it cool.
Comments