Heat has brutally blunt film session: Players heard what ‘needed to be said’
Heat players and coaches emerged from a brutally blunt film session and conversation Tuesday hopeful that they will snap out of an ongoing malaise — and seven-game losing streak, the club’s longest since 2008 — and begin to more closely resemble the high-effort, high-energy teams that were more representative of “Heat Culture.”
“We heard the communication loud and clear; it provided a lot of clarity for all of us,” Bam Adebayo said after the team watched film but did not practice in advance of Wednesday’s home game against Sacramento (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “We walked out with a lot of clarity and a lot of confidence.”
Adebayo spoke of players “being vulnerable” during the film session.
“Things were said that needed to be said,” Caleb Martin said. “I really do think we’re on the same page.”
Guard Terry Rozier said Tuesday’s session “was super helpful with the video, talking to one another.”
Meanwhile, coach Erik Spoelstra indicated he isn’t planning any starting lineup changes and believes a Tyler Herro/Rozier starting backcourt should and can work.
Highlights of what Spoelstra and players told reporters afterward:
Asked if he wants to give the starting lineup more time, Spoelstra said: “Yeah. Right now this is about our house. We have got to get our structure right and live up to our standards, which we set at the beginning of the year. …. We have a group fully committed to getting this back on the right track. Everybody is extremely frustrated, angry, despondent.”
The Heat has started
Jimmy Butler, Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Herro and Rozier during the past three losses.
Asked about the solutions needed, Spoelstra told the media: “Toughness — mental, physical, emotional competitive toughness. The schematics are second, third, fourth, fifth [behind that]. … That’s what we worked on today, finding solutions that are really none of your business, and I say that respectfully.”
Asked if he still sees a fit with Herro and Rozier as starters, Spoelstra said: “Yes I do.”
Prodded about whether that can be a successful backcourt defensively, Spoelstra said: “We have enough where our guys can all be plus-defenders in our system, including those two. They bring great speed and quickness at their positions.”
Adebayo — who has taken much of the leadership mantle from the retired Udonis Haslem — was asked if he’s comfortable angrily confronting teammates if the effort is unacceptable.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “That’s part of my growth … UD just loses his mind sometimes. I focus in when everybody is in the huddle to show my frustration.”
Rozier noted: “I’ve never been told in a full week this many times to play my game or how to play my game. I know how to play my game. I’ve got so much respect for those guys in here I don’t want to just come in and take pull-up threes.”
Rozier can push pace, and Rozier said Spoelstra has told players “this is how we want to play. If we can start 21, 22 seconds on the shot clock, it’s super helpful. I like to push and that’s not going to change and I’m pretty sure everyone will get adjusted pretty fast [to give] ourselves options before the defense can get set.”
ROBINSON OUT
Duncan Robinson, who missed the second half of Monday’s loss to Phoenix because he wasn’t feeling well, has entered concussion protocol and is out for Wednesday’s game.
He took a hard fall and his head snapped back and hit the court Saturday in the New York Knicks game. Delayed symptoms kicked in when he started playing Monday night. Sharpshooting wing Cole Swider is flying in from his G League assignment in South Dakota to join the team.
Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. was named to the NBA’s Rising Stars competition Feb. 16 in Indianapolis, an event that helps kick off All-Star weekend. The event — featuring four teams and three games — will air at 9 p.m. on TNT.
NBA assistant coaches selected the 11 NBA rookies (including Jaquez) and 10 second-year players who will participate. The league office selected seven G League players.
WEDNESDAY
Sacramento at Miami, 7:30
Chicago at Charlotte, 7
Detroit at Cleveland, 7
L.A. Clippers at Washington, 7
New Orleans at Houston, 8
Dallas at Minnesota, 8
Orlando at San Antonio, 8
Denver at Oklahoma City, 8
Phoenix at Brooklyn, 8:30 Milwaukee at Portland, 10
TUESDAY
L.A. Lakers at Atlanta
Indiana at Boston
Utah at New York
Toronto at Chicago
Philadelphia at Golden State
MONDAY
Phoenix 118, Miami 105
New York 113, Charlotte 92 Cleveland 118, L.A. Clippers 108 Boston 118, New Orleans 112 Brooklyn 147, Utah 114
Houston 135, L.A. Lakers 119 Sacramento 103, Memphis 94 Minnesota 107, Oklahoma City 101 Washington 118, San Antonio 113 Dallas 131, Orlando 129
Denver 113, Milwaukee 107 Portland 130, Philadelphia 104
Phoenix Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt G.Allen 13 0-2 3-4 2 1 0 3 Durant 42 8-15 2-2 8 7 0 20 Nurkic 27 3-5 0-1 8 2 6 6 Beal 39 8-21 1-1 5 7 3 19 Booker 41 9-23 2-3 8 7 2 22 Bates-Diop 6 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 3 Eubanks 21 5-5 1-1 5 1 2 11 E.Gordon 34 8-17 2-2 4 5 2 23 Okogie 18 4-5 1-3 7 0 1 11
Totals 240 46-94 12-17 47 30 16 118
Percentages: FG .489, FT .706. 3-Point Goals: 14-40, .350 (E.Gordon 5-12, Okogie 2-2, Durant 2-5, Beal 2-9, Booker 2-10, Bates-Diop 1-1, Nurkic 0-1). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: 8. Blocked Shots: 8 (Durant 2, E.Gordon 2, BatesDiop, Booker, Eubanks, Okogie). Turnovers: 7 (E.Gordon 3, G.Allen, Beal, Durant, Nurkic). Steals: 8 (Beal 2, Nurkic 2, Booker, Durant, E.Gordon, Okogie).
Miami Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt Ji.Butler 37 7-12 10-10 8 4 1 26 Highsmith 15 1-3 1-1 2 0 3 3 Adebayo 35 3-9 2-2 11 5 2 8 Herro 34 5-18 2-2 6 4 1 17 Rozier 27 8-14 1-1 2 3 2 21 Jaquez Jr 25 0-6 2-2 3 1 1 2 Love 13 0-4 4-4 2 0 2 4 Ca.Martin 25 5-9 1-1 6 1 3 12 Richardson 24 4-8 2-2 4 2 1 12 D.Robinson 4 0-1 0-0 0 0 2 0
Totals 240 33-84 25-25 44 20 18 105
Percentages: FG .393, FT 1.000. 3-Point Goals: 14-36, .389 (Herro 5-12, Rozier
4-6, Ji.Butler 2-2, Richardson 2-4, Ca.Martin 1-1, D.Robinson 0-1, Highsmith 0-2, Jaquez Jr 0-4, Love 0-4). Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 13. Blocked Shots: 5 (Adebayo 3, Love, Rozier).
Turnovers: 11 (Adebayo 4, Jaquez Jr 2, Ca.Martin 2, Love, Richardson, Rozier).
Steals: 5 (Richardson 2, Adebayo, Ji.Butler, Jaquez Jr).