Q: Ira, lottery now. Enough is enough. – Seymour.
A: Except, even with this five-game losing streak, the likely best lottery seed for the Heat at this stage would be No. 13, considering the bottom five in each conference are determined to be really, really bad, and that the two non-playoff teams in the West well could have worse records than the Heat. In fact, the No. 14 (final) lottery seed also could be in play if the Heat finish No. 9 ahead of the play-in round. So even if the Heat bow out during the play-in round, almost assuredly a low-odds lottery seed. Indiana, Washington, Brooklyn, Chicago and Milwaukee basically have gone out of their way to assure that it at least will be play-in for the Heat. So the difference between playoffs or no playoffs for the Heat could be as little as No. 14 or No. 15.
Q: If the Heat can prove they’ve raised their game, as Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. come back, if they can beat their direct competitors for playoff position, the Sixers and Hawks, if they can win some of their games against Cleveland, Toronto and Boston, and finish in 6th or 5th place, I am of course all for it. If they show they haven’t improved and continue losing most of their games against teams over .500, limping home in the last games, finishing 9th or 10th, please, please lose in the play-in and get in the lottery. — Morgan, New Orleans.
Q: Well, they certainly didn’t show much Monday night against the Spurs. Still, this type of question always confounds for this reason: Say the Heat do wind up in the play-in, perhaps even in the bottom of the play-in, how exactly do you propose they “lose in the play-in and get in the lottery”? By holding out healthy players, many of whom are playing for future paychecks? By removing players with the game in the balance during such a national showcase, and then turning to free agents and selling them on winning? By drawing up a game plan that you know will fail? While the Heat at times have proven more than capable of losing on their own this season, forcing losses is another story. As it is, should the Heat wind up in a play-in field with three others out of the group Philadelphia, Toronto, Orlando, Charlotte and Atlanta, they have shown organically they are capable of losing to any or all. So perhaps no need to be careful about what you wish for, since this season already has been replete with ones that have gotten away.
Q: How does Kel’el Ware have his best stretch of the season and then become unplayable? – H.S.
A: Because the NBA is a marathon and it catches up to players who do not have or show the motor needed to endure. The defense was such on Monday night against the Spurs that it again became difficult for Erik Spoelstra to have Kel’el Ware on the court even in the zone defense. The Heat would steer attacking players toward Kel’el . . . and then no resistance at the rim. Again, he’s young. So perhaps this benefits as a teaching point.