Top Ways For The Heat To Get Back On Track
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The Miami Heat are having a very up-and-down campaign.
They are now at the halfway point of the season and the team is currently on pace for 46 wins which should certainly get them into the playoffs.
At the moment Miami is 23-18 which puts them right in the middle of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, sitting in fifth place but just one game out of third and one and a half out of second.
As is usually the case, there is plenty of room for improvement.
If the Heat want to do some damage once the postseason begins, here are a few things they can improve upon between now and then.
Better Point Guard Play
Starting point guard Goran Dragic's season got off to a very slow start but he had finally begun picking things up before he was injured during Miami's last road trip. Backups Beno Udrih and Tyler Johnson need to get better acclimated with their teammates and make things easier for them, which is the job of the point guard.
Protect Home Court
Through 23 games at the AmericanAirlines Arena Miami has lost eight of them, which is large number for a team that has traditionally played quite well in front of its home crowd.
Stop Blowing Leads
Of the Heat's 18 losses, there have been seven games in which they held a double-digit lead only to squander it and eventually lose. That needs to stop immediately.
Stay Healthy
Currently almost the entire Heat roster is dealing with some kind of ailment. Dragic has a strained calf, Udrih is dealing with a sore neck, Dwyane Wade is battling shoulder issues, Gerald Green's knee tendinitis has been flaring up, Josh McRoberts hasn't played in six weeks due to knee pain, rarely used Chris Andersen is dealing with a bone bruise, Johnson has a shoulder problem and Hassan Whiteside is working through knee soreness.
Win On The Road
The 'road warrior' Heat teams are long in the rearview mirror. After playing 23 of their first 35 games at home, Miami is now in a stretch where 11 of 12 games are on the road. Six games into that run the Heat have won just two, and following a home game Tuesday against Milwaukee they go right back on the road for five more.
More Consistent Outside Shooting
Miami's main outside shooters are Chris Bosh, Luol Deng and Green, all of whom are very streaky. A true pure shooter would sure help the Heat's offense, especially in the spacing department.
Winslow Needs To Settle In
Heat rookie Justise Winslow has to learn to play more within his offensive capabilities. He has immense skill for a first year NBA player but he is still prone to 'rookie' mistakes. His play has been so solid at times that it's easy to forget that he's only a few months removed from playing college ball.