Q: Don’t the alpha big-contract players demand a certain amount of shots every night in the NBA? So what happens when Tyler Herro returns and takes those shots away from multiple players who are now getting them. Isn’t this why our offensive production has increased so dramatically along with the faster pace in his absence? And won’t this also affect Norman Powell’s play? – Bob, Davie.
A: Yes, Tyler Herro’s attempts per game placed him 16th in the league last season, but that’s also when there was little along the lines of a Plan B, when Bam Adebayo was struggling, Jaime Jaquez Jr. was off and Jimmy Butler was disinterested and then gone. Now there are more shots to go around, so more attempts will be added to the mix. Plus, the Heat have plenty of deferential types on the roster who appreciate that a Herro attempt might be better than one of their own. As it was, Bam Adebayo attempted 27 shots Thursday night in San Antonio, so it’s not as if some of those couldn’t have otherwise gone to Tyler. To reiterate a common theme in this space: The Heat are a better offensive team when Tyler Herro is on the floor. (Now defensively? Well, you didn’t ask that.)
Q: Should I be concerned that there is a discrepancy in free throws between the Heat and its opponents? If we are doing well in the paint, why are we getting less opportunity to go to the free throws? – Arthur.
A: Because the Heat largely are driving to kick, rather than driving to score, which limits the amount of contact drawn. When the threes go up, something has to come down. In this case, it’s the free throws.
Q: Were the Heat playing in NBA YoungBoy’s fumes? – Faith.
A: To the credit of those at Frost Bank Center, the arena had the typical sweat stench at floor level by the time the Heat and Spurs tipped off. Having spent the entire day at the facility, it was humorous listening to employees joke about contact highs and laundry. All a day in the life of a modern area.