The Miami Heat have entered a rough stretch of form over their last 10 games, losing their seventh in that span against the Boston Celtics (143-110). As the Heat fell to their biggest loss to the Celtics in history, frustrations were visible on the floor. Jimmy Butler looked visibly upset when Duncan Robinson missed him on a pass for an open three-pointer.
The Jimmy Butler body language here when Duncan misses him…
Rough night for everybody pic.twitter.com/vjRBSRJgtt
— Heat Culture (@HeatCulture13) January 26, 2024
Butler ended the night with 17 points while Robinson came off the bench for just five points. The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s 19-point performances, but they needed a lot more even to come close to contesting the Celtics scoring 143 points.
Fans think Butler’s body language communicated how upset he was as the Heat fell to an embarrassing loss. This is their second game since acquiring Terry Rozier for Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick, but the Heat have lost both encounters. Rozier has struggled to fully fit in, averaging 8.0 points on 28.5% shooting over the last two games.
As we’ve seen with the Clippers losing six games after trading for James Harden or Pascal Siakam going 0-3 before his first win with the Pacers last night, adjustments can take a while to get used to. The Heat are trying to find chemistry with their new roster, so facing the in-form and healthy Celtics would always be a tall test.
The Miami Heat Can Still Make More Upgrades
The Miami Heat are in a position where they need to go all-in on the Jimmy Butler era before the talented forward starts regressing. We know his regular-season performances will not be as good as his playoff performances, but the Heat need more insurance to compete in the East. They climbed through the play-in tournament to make the NBA Finals last year, so we know they are still capable of that.
The Rozier trade indicates the Heat recognizing the need to upgrade their guard play after Kyle Lowry was holding them back. But this move doesn’t make them title contenders, especially with exiting powers such as the Bucks, Celtics, and 76ers, along with rising contenders such as the Knicks and Pacers who made big trade acquisitions as well.
The Heat reportedly consider Duncan Robinson untouchable, despite the shooting specialist having spells of falling out of the rotation over the last two seasons. He solidified a spot after a solid run of form in the playoffs and is averaging 13.4 points this season. He’s shooting 40.3% from three this season and is making $18.1 million.
Robinson’s contract has been considered one of the worst in the NBA but the Heat still don’t seem intent on moving him. He’s arguably the best catch-and-shoot player in the league, but the Heat could use that for an upgrade in their frontcourt. Maybe Robinson, Nikola Jovic, and their remaining picks can be used to entice the Wizards to let go of Kyle Kuzma, solidifying the Heat’s status as contenders.
The team is currently 24-21 and is the seventh seed in the East.
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