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jueves, 17 de marzo de 2016

Charlotte Hornets at Miami HEAT Game Thread and Preview

1: How have Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow played such a major role in Miami’s recent success?

Couper Moorhead: It’s all about the defensive end for those two as they’ve become a pair of athletic, high-energy defenders who can each be a nightmare as they fight over screens in the pick-and-roll. The feel of the game changes whenever those two sub in.

But the reason that defense is translating so well is because they’ve both made significant strides on the other end of the floor. Erik Spoelstra moved Winslow around the floor a little bit, putting him on the baseline more so he could cut off the ball and finish around the rim while enabling Winslow to spot-up for jumpers in spots on the floor he is comfortable in. Richardson, meanwhile, has been a lights-out three-point shooter over the past couple of weeks and that added floor spacing has made for some fantastic stretches of offense. Add to all of it that both of them have had strong moments with the ball in their hands, especially in aiding Goran Dragic at pushing in the pace in the open floor.
Joe Beguiristain: What first got the two young guns on the court was their defense. From the start, Justise Winslow often found himself guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player due to his innate ability to defend at an elite level. As a result, that assured him plenty of minutes in crunch time.
With Richardson, we saw a glimpse of his great on-ball defense in Summer League. While he played sparingly up until the All-Star break, he’s thrived as the first guard off the bench with Beno Udrih no longer on the team and Tyler Johnson injured.
On the flip side of the ball, both rookies have made important strides to become offensive threats too. Much like Luol Deng, Winslow has moved well off the ball to get some good looks at the rim. Additionally, the 19-year-old is starting to hit pull-up jumpers within the flow of the offense. Richardson, on the other hand, has been unbelievable from long range. In fact, the former Tennessee Volunteer is shooting 62.9 percent from downtown in his 14 games since the break. With opponents now trying to run Richardson off the three-point line, he’s also dazzled with some poster dunks lately.
Above all else though, both guys bring a lot of energy off the bench to ignite the HEAT. Hopefully that can continue as the regular season comes to a close. 

2: What is Charlotte doing so well over the past month or so?

Couper: Three, threes, threes. With Al Jefferson coming off the bench and Charlotte running a more perimeter based offense, the Hornets are taking the third fewest shots at the rim and as many threes as teams like the Rockets, Warriors, Cavaliers and Clippers. It’s a significantly different offense than we saw from them in the playoffs two years ago, with even big men stepping out to make threes.

It’s working, however, because of the combination of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum. Courtney Lee was a positive addition at the trade deadline, but Walker is putting up elite point guard numbers while Batum is doing a little bit of everything. When they share the court together, Walker is getting into the paint for all sorts of drive and kicks while Batum keeps the ball moving at all times, ensuring that the Hornets don’t get stuck taking tough shots.
Joe: The Hornets have been very good on both ends of the floor since the break, ranking in the top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency during that span. We’ve already discussed in past previews about how Charlotte has shifted its attack to become more of an outside-shooting team. Additionally, Coup mentioned above that they take as many threes as some of the elite shooting teams in the league. What’s changed for the Hornets, though, is that they are also in the top ten in three-point shooting percentage. That wasn’t the case earlier in the season.
Although Marvin Williams continues to lead the charge in that category (minimum of 100 attempts), Courtney Lee has also shot the three-ball very well since coming over in a trade at the deadline.
3: How will Miami have to change, or focus, its defense Thursday night?

Couper: Though we’ll likely see some post-focused offense when Jefferson is in the game, the Hornets attack the paint primarily to set up their perimeter game. So, Miami’s base defense, which encourages mid-range shots, may need to put a bit more pressure on the ball as Walker and Batum come off screens, but the major focus needs to be on the three players not involved in the pick-and-roll. The Hornets have smart players who move around off the ball, so if a defender gets too preoccupied helping on the pick-and-roll action, by the time they look back for their man he could be in a completely different spot, taking a three. But even if you’re locked in on all the offensive movement happening, closeouts will still be key.
Joe: Other than obviously defending the three-point line, Miami will also have to watch out for Charlotte's second unit. With both Jeremy Lin and Al Jefferson coming off the bench, the team has guys who can continue to score the basketball. In fact, the Hornets are ranked in the top ten in bench points per contest. When Lin and Jefferson are in, the HEAT will have to adapt since the duo brings a different look than the starters.
Speaking of starters, one player I’ve yet to mention is Kemba Walker. The emerging point guard is arguably the biggest reason why Charlotte has had so much success recently. Walker is shooting the ball much better in the second half of the season, including a stretch of four straight 30-plus point games at the beginning of March. Goran Dragic will indeed have his hands full, especially when the former Huskie moves off the ball with Nicolas Batum handling the rock. Luckily enough however, Dragic has tallied a defensive efficiency rating of 99.7 this year. 

Game Notes:
  • The HEAT lead the season series with the Hornets 2-1. 
  • Miami has won seven of nine and is 39-28. 
  • Charlotte has won eight of nine and stands at 38-29. 
  • In his 14 games since the All-Star break, Josh Richardson is averaging 9.6 points per game on 54.4 percent shooting, including 62.9 percent from three-point range. 
  • Kemba Walker leads the Hornets in points (21.4) and steals (1.6) per contest. 

Efficiencies (Rank):
  • HEAT Offense: 103.0 (T-16)
  • HEAT Defense: 100.8 (6)
  • Hornets Offense: 104.5 (9)
  • Hornets Defense: 101.7 (9)

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