It hasn’t exactly been a great week for the Miami Heat. Since hitting .500 last Wednesday with a win against the San Antonio Spurs, the Heat has tumbled back down the standings with three straight losses to the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. In the middle of the losing streak, Miami also officially fell short in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes as the Minnesota Timberwolves traded the All-Star wing to the 76ers on Monday.
Meanwhile, forward James Johnson and wing Dion Waiters are both still hurt, guard Goran Dragic is struggling a bit in his return from an injury and Dwyane Wade will be away from the team at least through the start of next week as he spends time with his wife and newborn child.
The Heat (5-8) currently sit outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but it’s early. Still, Miami has apparent issues and missing out on a player like Butler means the Heat missed out on a surefire way to solve some of their offense struggles. First on the Heat Check podcast, David Wilson and Anthony Chiang, the Miami Herald’s Heat beat reporter, discuss the ramifications of the Butler trade and where Miami can go from here. Without another big fish on the market, the Heat has to get creative on the trade market to upgrade the team this season.
Later, Wilson and Jordan McPherson break down the losing streak in more specificity. Fourth-quarter meltdowns are a common thread and Miami is clearly missing a certified All-Star like Butler — or even Wade — in crunch time.
There’s plenty of time for the Heat to turn things around, though, and the coming week provides a handful of great opportunities, beginning Wednesday with a road game against the Brooklyn Nets. Stay tuned throughout the season for a new episode of the Heat Check each week as Miami makes another run to the postseason.