David Ramiland Wes Goldberg here, the hosts of the daily Locked On Heat podcast, with your daily Locked On Heat newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Heat and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Tough Loss to Raptors With Challenging Week Ahead
Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayor (13) reacts to missing a shot against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena.
Hey there, Heat fans! Let’s break down the latest episode of Locked on Heat, where Wes Goldberg and David Ramil dive into Miami’s recent loss to the Toronto Raptors and what it means for the team moving forward. Here’s a quick rundown of the main points from the first part of the episode:
- Tough Loss in Toronto: Miami fell to the Raptors 119-116, despite a strong comeback in the fourth quarter. Tyler Herro scored 31 points but lacked support from his teammates. Jimmy Butler (17 points) and Terry Rozier (17 points as a reserve) added some much needed scoring but it wasn’t enough to make up for the team’s porous defense, where they struggled all night, allowing Toronto to score 68 points in the paint. RJ Barrett had a standout game with 37 points, exploiting Miami’s defense.
- Offensive Stagnation: Miami’s offense stalled, especially when they couldn’t force turnovers. Herro was the main offensive threat, with Butler stepping up briefly in the third quarter. But it was too inconsistent down the stretch, especially given Miami’s defensive issues, and the Heat were playing catchup for most of the second half.
- Bam Adebayo’s Role: The discussion touched on whether Bam Adebayo is becoming the new version of Draymond Green, focusing on his defensive prowess but needing more offensive output. While Bam is as solid a defender and playmaker as Green, he ultimately has a higher offensive ceiling than Green, which makes this season’s struggles all the more frustrating for Heat fans. Simply put, despite whatever challenges the new offense and his role present, Adebayo is capable of doing more and hasn’t.
- Upcoming Challenges: The Heat face a tough schedule ahead, with games against Boston, the Lakers, Phoenix, and Cleveland. These matchups will test Miami’s resilience and ability to bounce back. Will they ultimately define what this team is capable of? Probably not. Miami will struggle during the regular season and hope they can flip a switch in the playoffs, but that strategy seems less likely to work given their overall lack of superstar talent. Jimmy Butler’s knee soreness is a concern, potentially affecting his availability for upcoming games.
- Trade Speculations: The episode also hinted at potential trade targets, like Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls, to bolster the Heat’s roster. Is Vucevic the floor-spacing center that can allow Adebayo to slide to a more natural position? Or will he be a clunky fit that takes up more space in the paint?
Stay tuned for more insights and analysis as the Heat navigate this challenging stretch. Keep your spirits up, and let’s see how the team adapts and grows!
December 1, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada/Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
You’d be forgiven if, a quarter of the way through the season (yes), you haven’t given the following teams that much attention. Maybe your main rooting interest has been struggling, and it’s taken all your psychic energy to will them through the slump. Better yet, maybe your team is thriving and you’ve been enjoying the ride. Maybe you’re still looking for a team to get behind, in which case, the following three franchises would make great options.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks being on this list has not alleviated my general wariness of the Hawks as a whole, but they’ve been playing through some of the things that make me doubt them. First, the Hawks love to play up. That is, they tend to excel against technically better and markedly more skilled teams; teams farther along the competitive timeline that I always get they feeling Atlanta would rather emulate than put the work in to be at the same level with.
This season, the Hawks are still playing up — they’ve beat the best in conference Cavaliers twice — but they’re recognizing what should be easy wins, like against the Charlotte Hornets. With Trae Young injured and in and out of the lineup, Atlanta’s bench has provided some of the most needed and entertaining offensive bursts in the league, with De’Andre Hunter back with a vengeance after being out for 10 games with a knee injury. Hunter’s regularly putting up 20-plus points per night, and hounding the glass.
Atlanta has a string of high-low games this week, facing the Pelicans, Bucks, Lakers and Nuggets, which should be an ample test to whether they can play and stay consistent.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Analysis The Miami Heat’s recent loss highlighted both strengths and weaknesses. The good, bad, and ugly aspects of the game were dissected to understand the team’s current form. (All U Can Heat)
Odds Miami Heat’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors features intriguing prop bets, with Duncan Robinson aiming to stay hot. Key bets and predictions are outlined. (Sports Illustrated)
Preview The Heat will challenge the Celtics at TD Garden at 7:30 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Milestone Jimmy Butler misses shot so Bam Adebayo can record a triple-double in Heat win (Bleacher Report)
Wednesday, Dec. 04 | 7:30 PM | Kaseya Center (Miami, FL) | Get Tickets
Suns @ Heat
Saturday, Dec. 07 | 8:00 PM | Kaseya Center (Miami, FL) | Get Tickets
3peat (ICYMI)
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Heat podcasts.
How Jimmy Butler Is Fueling the Miami Heat’s Turnaround The Miami Heat are 4-2 in their last six games and Jimmy Butler is playing his best basketball in a long time. Is this turnaround real, and what can we expect from Butler going forward? Wes Goldberg and David Ramil break down what they’re seeing from the Heat and what Butler said that could signal a big change in his approach.
Jimmy Butler’s Impact on Miami Heat’s Overtime Win Can the Miami Heat’s overtime triumph against the Dallas Mavericks signal a turning point in their season? With Jimmy Butler’s standout 33-point performance leading the charge, the Heat showcased their resilience in a thrilling NBA matchup. Hosts Wes Goldberg and David Ramil explore the strategic decisions that shaped this game, including Erik Spoelstra’s intriguing rotation choices and the impact of Miami’s five-out offensive strategy on players like Bam Adebayo. The discussion also touches on the absence of Luka Doncic and how it influenced the dynamics on the court.
How the Miami Heat Broke the 76ers, Joel Embiid Wanted Jimmy Butler, All-Star Game Changes Did the Miami Heat end the process-era Philadelphia 76ers, and how much is Joel Embiid to blame? Wes Goldberg and David Ramil dive into the differences between the two organizations and whether Embiid preferred Jimmy Butler over Paul George before looking ahead to Heat-Mavericks on Sunday and changes to the All-Star game.
