Team Defense Not Cutting It

[KnockDownTheJ]

Is the current defensive scheme a viable one for this Heat team, as currently constructed, now and specifically going into the playoffs? Should the team play a more traditional defense with less blitzing and flying around the court, and use the blitzing style situationally/in-spurts when the correct personnel are on the floor and they have the energy to do so?

Bottom line, what can the team do to get the defense on track? Is it simply a matter of effort (I don't think that's fully the case, though I think it's part of it), does there need to be a roster move, is the defensive style the problem (D. All of the above?). Please, discuss...

[HeatNation88]

It's basically effort, energy and style that's the bottom line if we can fix those 3 key things you'll see a better Defense I'm curious how we will play Defense in the playoffs that's my only concern right now this team is just bored and coasting.

[KnockDownTheJ]

I think it's party that they're coasting and definitely bored, however, that "switch" that they used to turn on...right now it's looking more like they're turning on one of those light dimmers. Those defensive highs are less bright, so to speak, and are few and far in between. Hopefully this will change once the playoffs come around, I'm sure it will to an extent, but how much I'm not sure. I just have this gut feeling that something needs to change, where as the last couple years it felt like they could truly turn on a switch at will; I never really worried too much big picture (playoffs) last year or the year before.

Edit: Not that I'm worried worried now but I have this feeling they need to shake some **** up for sure

[Slot Machine]

It's personnel, we have a ton of bad defenders and no rim protector. It's pretty impressive our D is even as good as it is.

LeBron - definite defensive slippage from past seasons
Wade - in and out of the lineup, knees hinder his D
Bosh - good P&R defender, not really a rim protector or true Center, can get bullied by bigger players
Battier - just average now, too small for most PFs, too slow for many athletic swingmen
Chalmers - generally good this season, prone to off nights though
Cole - generally good, stupid fouls sometimes
Allen - awful
Lewis - atrocious
Beasley - below average
Birdman - good shot blocker but not a defensive anchor, man to man D is just okay but he usually has to guard the opposing team's best bigman scorer since we have no one else to
Oden - too soon to say

[KnockDownTheJ]

@Slot: You think it was a **** up not getting say, an Andrew Bynum, given we had the opportunity?

Also, what do we need and what is realistically out there that you believe we can get to sure some things up? Or can we get nothing?

[King_John]

Besides the first quarter I thought our defense was pretty good last night. The Jazz just made a ton of contested late clock jumpers. The reason we lost last night was the lack of offensive rhythm. LeBron for some reason couldn t get anything to go as well as Bosh an Wade. Sometimes I wonder if some of you even pay attention to the games. You can t just say everytime we lose we played terrible defense. Maybe some of you should try to actually watch the game and not automatically assume every time we lost because of our defense

[Slot Machine]

@Slot: You think it was a **** up not getting say, an Andrew Bynum, given we had the opportunity?

Also, what do we need and what is realistically out there that you believe we can get to sure some things up? Or can we get nothing?

I personally would have preferred that we sign Bynum but he wouldn't solve the issues we have on D much, if at all.

We have few assets and our best hope is that someone good shakes loose, which I doubt. This is pretty much what we'll be rolling with in the playoffs, in my eyes. Increased effort in the playoffs will help but I'm pretty sure our defense can't turn it up the way we used to be able to.

[NBADraft2003]

Seems like our new defensive scheme is begging our opponents to shoot a lot of threes and we all know everybody makes the impossible shots against us.

[KnockDownTheJ]

Besides the first quarter I thought our defense was pretty good last night. The Jazz just made a ton of contested late clock jumpers. The reason we lost last night was the lack of offensive rhythm. LeBron for some reason couldn t get anything to go as well as Bosh an Wade. Sometimes I wonder if some of you even pay attention to the games. You can t just say everytime we lose we played terrible defense. Maybe some of you should try to actually watch the game and not automatically assume every time we lost because of our defense

I think you're paying too much attention to the one game where the big three underperformed and if you would look at the big picture , which I know is difficult for you considering your knee jerk reactions in threads , you would see the defense is not at the same level that it was and we cannot "turn it on" I'm the same way we used to.

[KnockDownTheJ]

The most disturbing thing that I saw in the Jazz game and throughout the year has been very calculated and quick counter moves to our blitzing the pick and roll. This led to all sorts of problems ie easy layups and three pointers. I would love to see traditional defense be played even with a bosh/Birdman or bosh/Oden frountcourt and then if we choose to go small, let's try blitzing but go ALL OUT since they should have the energy .

[King_John]

Besides the first quarter I thought our defense was pretty good last night. The Jazz just made a ton of contested late clock jumpers. The reason we lost last night was the lack of offensive rhythm. LeBron for some reason couldn t get anything to go as well as Bosh an Wade. Sometimes I wonder if some of you even pay attention to the games. You can t just say everytime we lose we played terrible defense. Maybe some of you should try to actually watch the game and not automatically assume every time we lost because of our defense

I think you're paying too much attention to the one game where the big three underperformed and if you would look at the big picture , which I know is difficult for you considering your knee jerk reactions in threads , you would see the defense is not at the same level that it was and we cannot "turn it on" I'm the same way we used to.

I am pretty aware of the fact that our defense has been subpar for most of this season...nevertheless that wasn t the case last night (besides the first quarter). I was just saying people tend to blame it every time on the defense when we lose a game when clearly against Utah it was our poor offensive execution that lost us the game.

[Slot Machine]

The most disturbing thing that I saw in the Jazz game and throughout the year has been very calculated and quick counter moves to our blitzing the pick and roll. This led to all sorts of problems ie easy layups and three pointers. I would love to see traditional defense be played even with a bosh/Birdman or bosh/Oden frountcourt and then if we choose to go small, let's try blitzing but go ALL OUT since they should have the energy .

Agree with this. I feel like Boston was the first team to figure out which passes need to be made to compromise our D which is why we always had trouble with them. Like the 201 playoffs where their terrible offense lit up our defense. Indiana has figured it out a lot too, though they're prone to turnovers. It seems like as time has gone on, our defense has been picked apart a little bit more. You don't see opposing ballhandlers get as flustered as they used to.

[heatlespeatles]

It wasn't hard to figure out. It's textbook, you have a team that pressures the ball handler with two guys, you have to swing the ball.

The thing is, guys like Rose get nervous try to go through two guys instead of swinging the ball. Low iq point guards will always have problems with it. Teams that are selfish will have issues with that kind of defense.

[heatlespeatles]

All of defensive issues are predicated on lack of a big and now age

[KnockDownTheJ]

@Slot: exactly, the ball handlers more and more are keeping their cool and in fact are starting to look confident against our scheme. It's like any scheme in my eyes ie zone defenses . Eventually u Lear how to break a zone. Now a zone played well can still be effective in the NBA ala 2011 mavs but they didn't play zone all the time nor should we use the same scheme all the time. We have to play teams straight up and mix and match different looks. I hope and pray this is Spos plan come the playoffs cuz they will need some tricks up their sleeves.

[KnockDownTheJ]

All of defensive issues are predicated on lack of a big and now age

I agree our age ie Battier, Allen and health with players like Wade have effected things. The big man issue is real and you can see such a difference when G.O. is in there but even still they have players running around and switching things more than they probably need to. They probably should have thrown down a little more money on Bynum to get that option for a traditional defensive look but who knows how that would have worked out.

If a defensive wing slips lose perhaps the blitzing style can work better again just by virtue of overwhelming athleticism. Who knows haha.

[nbhadja]

All of defensive issues are predicated on lack of a big and now age

+1000

[heatlespeatles]

All of defensive issues are predicated on lack of a big and now age

I agree our age ie Battier, Allen and health with players like Wade have effected things. The big man issue is real and you can see such a difference when G.O. is in there but even still they have players running around and switching things more than they probably need to. They probably should have thrown down a little more money on Bynum to get that option for a traditional defensive look but who knows how that would have worked out.

If a defensive wing slips lose perhaps the blitzing style can work better again just by virtue of overwhelming athleticism. Who knows haha.

I really hope they are looking at finding another big for defense. I know they like how Oden looks but that can't be trusted. And they have to find another defensive wing. It's imperative. If we get another traditional big who can defend I think Spo would consider switching our defense up

[heater4life]

Panic thread 14.0 ...theres one for every loss.

[heatlespeatles]

Panic thread 14.0 ...theres one for every loss.

every thread isn't a panic thread, this one is actually relevant ..sheesh,