Spray-and-pay fails to cash in
In opening game Heat hit just 8-of-30 on 3-pointers vs. Magic
MIAMI — The goal since last season’s revival by the Miami Heat has been along the lines of spray and pay.
Basically, attack the rim, draw in the defense, then pass the ball to an open shooter.
It is an approach that works when the opposition swarms the slasher, when the long ball is dropping.
But with the Heat 8 of 30 on 3-pointers in Wednesday’s 116-109 season-opening loss to the Orlando Magic, not only were the 3-pointers not dropping, but the Magic seemingly was daring the Heat to try to finish at the rim.
“I thought some of the kick outs were the right play,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Heat passing from point-blank range, “and if you knock down those open threes, those are big, momentumchanging plays. And sometimes we get stuck at the rim and get it blocked, it probably means there was someone open.”
Among the issues for the Heat was that while there were 30 3-point attempts at the Amway Center, there were only 17 free-throw attempts, with the Heat converting 13.
Instead of slowing the Magic’s pace, the Heat often allowed Orlando to get off to the races.
“That’s a good question,” guard Goran Dragic said. “I feel like [Wednesday] we missed a couple of easy layups and maybe because of that we spread the ball more. But we got good shots, we feel like. We just couldn’t connect.
“Maybe if we penetrate more, we get more points at the free throw line. That’s not an excuse.”
Dion Waiters, for example, attacked consistently, but never got to the foul line, closing with four assists and three turnovers. Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson also failed to get to the line.
Justise Winslow, who often ran the offense Wednesday when Dragic was out, said an extra pass should never set up as a bad pass.
“Our mentality is you want to go from a good shot to a great shot and if you can finish around the basket try to finish,” he said. “You don’t want to try to finish or try to do too much, and that is when you spray it, when the guys collapse and you man.” have the open