Spoelstras rotations lost us the game last night.

[Mundo]

I apologize for this thread being a tad late, but I wanted to point out that last night Eric Spoelstra's decision to substitute Joel Anthony into the game after Haslem's 5th foul lost us the game. During this period of time the heat's offense became really stagnant with UD and Wade on the floor. Even though it was stagnant it was okay. But when faced with the on how to counter Blatche's flurry of offense, Spo decided to bring in Joel Anthony. This would be the equivalent of bringing him in during the finals. There is no reason to bring him in. So Joel substituted in and he was totally incompetent of stopping the bigger Blatche on offense, or boxing him out, but he also destroyed all the offensive movement the heat had. It turned to a 4 on 5, and against the Nets this is something that should not have occurred. During this time in the 3rd the Heat lost control of the game. Spo realized that he had **** up and decided to bring in Shane Battier against the 6'11 Blatche who was on fire, which further lead to a deficit. The Net's then subbed in Reggie Evans, who utterly overpowered Shane Battier on the boards, and with how terrible Shane was playing he didn't need to really defend him. The correct move that Spoelstra should have done was to insert Micheal Beasley into the game when Udonis received his 5th personal foul. Beasley would have helped offensively, and is a way better rebounder than Battier. Additionally he would have made the Net power forwards work. It is honestly rather depressing seeing Spoelstra not being able to make the correct decision when a game is on the line. Spoelstra will figure this out eventually, but I hate how it takes him a whole season to figure out how to play his roster.

[Flash4thewin]

Basically Spo being Spo. You take the bad with the good.

[mopper8]

I got some bad news for you: Lewis is ahead of Beasley in the rotation right now.

[Gwynplaine]

You don't figure out rotations on the fly.. You need a bunch of games to do that..

[DefenseWins]

I'm sure Spo thinks it was the Heat being lazy that attributed to this loss than his rotations. I think that as part of the reason. But it's glaring at how bad UD is right now in the starting line up and he makes it worse by putting in Joel. I just don't get his reasoning behind that. I wonder if he thinks he can buy time doing those types of things.

The thing with Joel in the line up last night, it was 4vs5 on offense when we needed offense the most. Smart teams also know to not defend Joel at all, I'm sure KG or whoever didn't give a rat's ass Joel was out there and it makes it harder for our stars.

I won't say it ultimately lost us the game, because everyone played like ass until the last 3 minutes, including LeBron (yet he pulls out his usual stat line, this dude...).

We'll see how things are in the next 20 games. But Beasley is in the dog house so... I don't know if we'd see this dude soon. Lewis has been playing well but his defense sucks. Beasley's defense sucks I know too, but he is definitely a scoring threat from all cylinders atleast. I'd like to see how he does with our Big 3 out there, that'd be cool.

[dr3am]

man is it the playoffs already? did we lose a playoff game last night or just the "Third", "#3" "III" game of the regular season? On top of that I think we still have 79 more games remaining...The overreactions on this board

I'm really starting to question some of the users on here Basketball IQ and also questioning do some of you think before you type?

This garbage about our offense becoming stagnant with Wade & UD on the floor is comical...The whole Heat team as a whole was settling for jump shots instead of making committed efforts to attack the basket...But oh yea I forgot the logic on this board, When we lose a game with Wade not playing, "We needed Wade," "We lost because Wade didn't play tonight", etc. but when Wade does play and we lose "Oh Spo put him on the bench", "Wade is trash", "Stop taking stupid shots Wade"

Insert Michael Beasley into the game? How do you know that he would've been better than Battier? In our last Preseason game against the Nets, Beas shot selection was flat out terrible and his defense was non existent...If you actually watched Beas in the Preseason, you would see he has not yet committed to the defensive system we play

Our coaching staff along with the head coach is coming off two seasons with back to back championships, I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing...Spoiled brats man

[heatlespeatles]

we should try
CHalmers
wade
Beasley
Lebron
Bosh

UD against mobile bigs will kill us every time

No one is really spazzing out here but the issues with some rotations are real.

[EscapoTHB]

I don't think fans are qualified to speak on the rotation and whether it was the right or wrong move during a singular game. You really have no idea what condition each individual guy is in, nor do you have any idea what the long term plan is for each guy.

There is a reason Beasley isn't playing right now. It's part of a long term plan to turn him into a legit NBA pro. It has nothing to do with winning or losing a single basketball game. We're trying to save the guy's career. I mean you might as well have asked him to play Oden too.

The fact of the matter is that Spo makes the decisions he makes in a single regular season game based upon long term goals of winning a title. Sometimes you do things which may cost you a game early in the season so you can teach and be better when the games matter.

Like leaving Lebron on the floor in the second half even though he was gassed was about how he needs to get in game shape--so those minutes help in the long term.

I just find it silly that fans think they know these kinds of things and can speak on them on a game to game basis.

Maybe after the season is over and we've not won the title you can question his rotation decisions. But so far, I'd say Spo knows exactly what to do with his rotations. We've been to the finals the last three years, and won it the last two. I think he's making the right decisions.

We lost the game because we didn't play with consistent defensive intensity--which was because it was a road game early in the season, which is part of us pacing ourselves for a long season--just like last year. We'll try and be .500 on the road, and then have a top home record--that's what you do if you are trying to repeat. It's not like Thibs and the Bulls where they burn every game into the ground and then wonder why half the roster is injured come playoff time.

Also Rashard Lewis is looking pretty good. I think it's very unlikely Beasley plays the first part of this season. He and Lewis are competing for minutes, and right now Lewis looks like the Lewis of old, which is better than the Beasley of now.

I trust once Beasley is placed in the game, he'll be a good player for us. But I'm fine with Spo taking his time with a guy who is almost on his way out of the league. Beasley has to earn trust, and then he can get on the court to try and earn some more. Right now he just needs to be a professional. And I trust that he will. This is the best thing for his career right now.

[Heat_Fan_87]

if you think you can do better, try and get his job

[Mundo]

:sleep2: man is it the playoffs already? did we lose a playoff game last night or just the "Third", "#3" "III" game of the regular season? On top of that I think we still have 79 more games remaining...The overreactions on this board

No one is panicking. Jesus H. Christ, can I offer an actual criticism of why we lost. If you lose a game, there is obviously a reason for it. Even if you win there is always a negative, there are always things to comment on. I'm not an OKC fan, I don't cheer at everything.d

I'm really starting to question some of the users on here Basketball IQ and also questioning do some of you think before you type?

Just like I will openly question your fanship. It took 2 ships before you decided to join?
But please why don't you just make your on forum and you can be keep replying to all of your own posts.

This garbage about our offense becoming stagnant with Wade & UD on the floor is comical...The whole Heat team as a whole was settling for jump shots instead of making committed efforts to attack the basket...But oh yea I forgot the logic on this board, When we lose a game with Wade not playing, "We needed Wade," "We lost didn't play tonight", etc. but when Wade does play and we lose "Oh Spo put him on the bench", "Wade is trash", "Stop taking stupid shots Wade"

I didn't say any of that. But are you really going to argue that UD wasn't stagnant that night. Additionally, are you going to argue that Joel wasn't hot garbage. Our offense is predicated on taking jump shots. Do you expect Shane Battier to drive. Also, When the big 3 combine for over 60 points, they obviously are not the problem. And when they combine for over 20 free throw attempts, their "aggressiveness" is in no way the problem.

Insert Michael Beasley into the game? How do you know that he would've been better than Battier? In our last Preseason game against the Nets, Beas shot selection was flat out terrible and his defense was non existent...If you actually watched Beas in the Preseason, you would see he has not yet committed to the defensive system we play

Because preseason games are as important as regular season games. And because we all know that Joel Anthony is an amazing shot creator and in no way a detriment to the team.

Our coaching staff along with the head coach is coming off two seasons with back to back championships, I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing...Spoiled brats man

If you watched the playoffs last year, you would have realized that Spo takes forever adjusting lineups. Specifically, I was wondering why it took Spoelstra until the last series to run a lineup of Lebron- 3 shooters - and 1 big. The lineup which the Heat used to go on big runs. But my main complaint is that I don't think you are actually adding anything to the conversation. I think you are attempting to take the stance of anything that questions the Miami Heat organization must be a childish and uninformed opinion which is honestly the easiest stance to take on every subject. Do some of these topics or reactions merit this response? Sure. But I don't think that you accurately read my post. I in no way used a panicky tone. Instead, what I was attempting to show was how Spoelstra lost the Heat the game. Do I think that he should be fire? No. But did he make a bad decision, yes. So do you believe that no matter what the Heat were going to lose this game? If so why even watch the game? Why even get on these boards if all you want to hear is that the Miami heat are awesome.

[Mundo]

if you think you can do better, try and get his job

Because I could obviously go get this job. Because my dad has connections to Pat Riley. I could just go the heat unemployment office and get this job. Great response.

[EscapoTHB]

If coaches adjusted their lineups like fans suggest they'd be out of a job in a month. Everytime you adjust the lineup you are dealing with a grown man's ego, and telling him he's not good enough at what he's spent his whole life doing, and what he's won titles for you doing. To think a coach would ever do such a thing is farcical. Building up chemistry, and teaching from mistakes is a huge part of what coaching actually is. It isn't playing this guy in stead of that guy in the third quarter.

I actually am fine with playing UD. He's looked a lot better than last year in preseason and in the first game. I trust him more than I would Beasley, right now. And I'm not even a coach with my job on the line.

[Mundo]

Insert Michael Beasley into the game? How do you know that he would've been better than Battier? In our last Preseason game against the Nets, Beas shot selection was flat out terrible and his defense was non existent...If you actually watched Beas in the Preseason, you would see he has not yet committed to the defensive system we play

Sorry, last thing I need to bring up. I also watched the last preseason game that featured Micheal Beasley. In that game the Nets were pretty much running there main lineup. And well in that game Beasley played mostly against some lineups that he would have faced if he had played. Additionally, Joel Anthony also played in that game. But nonetheless. If you look at the plus minus Beasley had a positive plus minus of 1 even while everyone around him was also playing like crap. Did Beasley take some bad shots, sure but it seemed as if though Beasley was pressured to take those shots because of who was playing around him. But overall his sub-par game was still a positive for the Heat. Joel Anthony also played, and well he had a terrible plus minus. In fact, him being in the game also brought down the plus minus of others because he was a liability. So I just wanted to show that your argument is nonsensical when you talk about "your" evidence. What is even more nonsensical is that Spoelstra coached this game. Saw how awful Anthony played. And yet still decided to play him over Beasley.

http://www.nba.com/games/20131025/BKNMIA/gameinfo.html

[Vertical Limit]

I think us bricking shot after shot lost us the game, and I also think Brooklyn trapping our lanes making us settle for jump shots lost us the game as well. We have to run better sets to start games. If we lose tonight I can see another "players only meeting" coming up soon.

[Heat_Fan_87]

It was the same **** we saw for a stretch last season, where they would give minimal effort until the end of the game, combine that with the fact lebron is not in peak shape yet and the results are going to look like last night.

[heatlespeatles]

say whatever you want, but use your eyes, Haslem and Joel aren't good against mobile, talented bigs. Spo can do whatever he wants, but that much is obvious

[Rock Hardy]

It's a long season. We're going to lose games. The coaching staff knows what it's doing. They've had the boys ready to roll every postseason. I'm not worried about losing Game3 of the season. We got shelled badly by the Knicks in Game2 last year. It wasn't the end of the world. Blaming the coach after every loss is lazy analysis.

[Sorkoram]

Only rotation issue I saw was that he stuck with his 2 1-guard lineup a little too long, outside of that I can see playing Joel. You gotta play him if you're going to at least try and move him by the deadline.

[mopper8]

Good article about the Clips highlights ways & reasons that coaches will stick with something that's not necessarily working that game

"We told [Jordan] before the game, 'Youre on an island,'" Rivers said.

Rivers conceded that playing Howard straight up without defensive help might not have been his preferred strategy had the stakes been greater, but the early portion of a season often serves as an extended clinic. Single coverage down low strengthens the principles of a team's base defense -- even if it takes a few lumps on a single night in November.

Asked to cite other examples of tactics he'd employed while giving up 118 points to Houston, he quickly pointed to the team's approach to James Harden, who finished with 15 points in 33 minutes. The Clippers opted to deny Harden in elbow pick-and-roll calls, realizing that a few rollers would squirt through the defense and hurt them. Again, not necessarily a plan the Clippers would pursue in Game 1 of a playoff series, but something Rivers wanted to toy with Monday.

The rollers hurt the Clippers, particularly in the first half, and at a certain point, Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue wanted to switch up the coverage. But Rivers chose to stick with it, even though his team was absorbing blows.

For now on the defensive end, the Clippers will settle for process over results. Viewers take note!

Coaches like Spo, Doc, Pop, et al, have to think big picture. And sometimes that means playing guys who are struggling or sticking with schemes that aren't working in a particular game.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page ... daily-dime

[EscapoTHB]

Great post. I wish analysts made more of an effort to try and extrapolate the big picture when they analyze the mechanics of coaching decisions, than simply looking at such small sample sizes and short sighted goals.