Heat having HUGE problems maintaining large leads

TRG · Post #1 » by **TRG** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:27 am

The wins are nice guys but we have to be realists here and figure out what our team needs to work on to improve. After last night's game against Boston, this is the ---> THIRD <--- game in a row where we've given up a huge lead. Here are the stats...

December 21st - preseason game against Orlando: Heat give up 23 point lead and end up losing 100-104.
December 25th- 1st game of the reg season against Dallas: Heat were up by a whopping 35 points just to have the lead shot all the way down to 11 by the end of the game.
December 27th- 2nd game of the reg season against Celtics: Heat were up by as much as 20 and allowed the Celtics to cut that lead down all the way to just a measly 3 points. We would have lost this game if it weren't for Norris Cole.

The evidence is all here guys... The Heat still can't maintain large leads. It's a bad habit that happened all throughout last year and it looks like these demons haven't gone away yet. Our team is too good to allow teams to CONSTANTLY come back on us like this.

What needs to change?

Tim_Hardawayy · Post #2 » by **Tim_Hardawayy** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:29 am

-1

2 games into the season. Let's breathe.

Mars · Post #3 » by **Mars** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:32 am

ByTimReynolds
Heat have trailed for 14 seconds in 2 games. And no one seems happy. Tough fan base.

TRG · Post #4 » by **TRG** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:33 am

Tim_Hardawayy wrote:-1

2 games into the season. Let's breathe.

I'm not panicking. The premature thing to do would be to ignore a major issue that has been plaguing this team since they first came together. An issue so dire, in fact, that it eventually led to our loss in the Finals last year.

narmerguy · Post #5 » by **narmerguy** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:36 am

Peeps are cautiously happy. Forgive us for not being the Knicks fanbase.

TRG · Post #6 » by **TRG** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:40 am

I know people are on their high horses thanks to the win but if we lost that game (which we nearly did) everyone would be singing a completely different tune.

I'm just trying to stay honest and critical of my team but if the rest of you think this is all just "early season rust" and see the issue as a non factor then so be it...

Post #7 » by **DefenseWins** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:41 am

Thank goodness this is a different team, especially Cole coming in.

If this was the same exact team from last season, Heat would have lost against the Celtics.

They have learned through experiences, and what happened today might have them learn even more.

I think people are overreacting because this is how we lost the Finals. It just brings bad memories, of course every die hard fan is going to want to stop this from happening.

It still annoyed me LBJ and Wade had no idea what to do. Luckily the defense was loading up on Wade and LBJ and Cole would get some good looks.

Also the 3 point line defense continues to suck. Or teams magically make 3 pointers when against us. That's how it seems anyway. 12 3's by the Celtics? Really? I understand Ray Allen getting hot, but DOOLING, REALLY?

Post #8 » by **Heat11114** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:41 am

Mars wrote:
ByTimReynolds
Heat have trailed for 14 seconds in 2 games. And no one seems happy. Tough fan base.

This

Pimpwerx · Post #9 » by **Pimpwerx** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:57 am

Yeah, people are getting paranoid due to the disappointment in the Finals. I'm not. The regular season means nothing, especially this shortened one. This team is built for championships, so it's all about the playoffs. Cole's development is on track. That's all I care about. PEACE.

TrueRain · Post #10 » by **TrueRain** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 7:22 am

OMG will you people chill with this. You guys act like we're immune to teams having runs against us. Guess what? It was the freaking Mavericks and Boston we just faced. They're gonna have runs. It's not the Nets we're facing here.

HeatFanSince87 · Post #11 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 7:34 am

narmerguy wrote:Peeps are cautiously happy. Forgive us for not being the Knicks fanbase.

Lol well said

icewill36 · Post #12 » by **icewill36** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:14 am

well they also lost a lot of leads last year

TRG · Post #13 » by **TRG** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:43 am

icewill36 wrote:well they also lost a lot of leads last year

Lol I guess everyone wants to pretend this issue is a non-factor.

Only time will tell I guess. :dontknow:

Imadogg · Post #14 » by **Imadogg** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:06 am

As long as you got the lead when the clock hits 0, it's all good.

Post #15 » by **infinite11285** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:10 pm

Chalmers gave the Celtics life in the beginning of the 4th with 4 or 5 straight turnovers on consecutive possessions. If the Heat want to learn how to maintain leads they have to first learn how to stop turning the ball over.

EscapoTHB · Post #16 » by **EscapoTHB** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:40 pm

It's not a problem if we are winning. And five straight turnovers to start the half by Chalmers on plays that were easy scores for us--that's a ten point swing and the difference between it being a 30 point blowout going into the 4th, and the 10 point game it became.

And then against Dallas we put in the end of our bench against solid NBA pros who were going hard.

Werefrog · Post #17 » by **Werefrog** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:53 pm

It is obviously a problem with the zone-defense.

Cakeman21 · Post #18 » by **Cakeman21** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:08 pm

TRG wrote:I know people are on their high horses thanks to the win but if we lost that game (which we nearly did) everyone would be singing a completely different tune.

I'm just trying to stay honest and critical of my team but if the rest of you think this is all just "early season rust" and see the issue as a non factor then so be it...

You're being a drama queen, seriously the all caps in the thread title? Give me a break :roll:

The "HUUUUGE" problem is simple. Look at the game yesterday, Boston went to a zone, and Spoelstra had no shooters on the floor. Defensively, when we'd get a stop, instead of pushing the tempo as we did in the first half, LeBron and Wade began walking the ball up floor (allowing boston to set up their zone). The solution to maintaining the leads? Keep the pedal to the metal, and hope guys knock down their open shots (UD missed a handful of good looks yesterday)

Dezmondballins3 · Post #19 » by **Dezmondballins3** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:48 pm

Tim_Hardawayy wrote:-1

2 games into the season. Let's breathe.

that's what we said last year

Dezmondballins3 · Post #20 » by **Dezmondballins3** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:50 pm

Cakeman21 wrote:
TRG wrote:I know people are on their high horses thanks to the win but if we lost that game (which we nearly did) everyone would be singing a completely different tune.

I'm just trying to stay honest and critical of my team but if the rest of you think this is all just "early season rust" and see the issue as a non factor then so be it...

You're being a drama queen, seriously the all caps in the thread title? Give me a break

The "HUUUUGE" problem is simple. Look at the game yesterday, Boston went to a zone, and Spoelstra had no shooters on the floor. Defensively, when we'd get a stop, instead of pushing the tempo as we did in the first half, LeBron and Wade began walking the ball up floor (allowing boston to set up their zone). The solution to maintaining the leads? Keep the pedal to the metal, and hope guys knock down their open shots (UD missed a handful of good looks yesterday)

Spo is famous for never finding that "simple" fix. I am sure he was the only one in america last year that didn't know we need to play up tempo.