Memphis Grizzlies Opposing Views: Miami Heat

Beale Street Bears is continuing their series of taking a look at the Memphis Grizzlies opponents around the league. This time we take a look at the Eastern Conference’s Miami Heat to see how they match up against Memphis.

David Fizdale came to the Memphis Grizzlies from the Heat just over a year ago. Mario Chalmers and James Ennis came from Miami in 2015. Chris Wallace once worked as the Director of Player Personnel for the Heat and was given his first NBA job in Portland by John Spoelstra, father of current Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra. The Heat have former Grizzlies forward James Johnson and former camp invite Hassan Whiteside in their starting lineup, and Wayne Ellington coming off the bench.

There’s a strong history between the two franchises.

We aren’t concerned with history. This year’s Miami Heat team is hoping to build on their second-half success last season.  The Heat are also rebuilding a franchise that was considered a super team three seasons ago.

The Heat were 10-24 at the end of 2016. They were 11-30 on January 13th before going on a tear. They finished 41-41 with one of the league’s best records in 2017. That great run came up just short of the playoffs, losing a tie-breaker to the Chicago Bulls for the 8th spot.

This summer, the Heat acquired Kelly Olynyk from Boston, Bam Adebayo with the 14th pick in the draft and re-signed Dion Waiters and James Johnson to long-term contracts. All in all, a very successful summer for a team turning around after the terrible start last season. The rumors of a possible Kyrie Irving trade with Cleveland likely won’t be a distraction this coming season either.

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Goran Dragic
SG: Dion Waiters
SF: Justice Winslow
PF: James Johnson
C: Hassan Whiteside

How will the Memphis Grizzlies fare against the Heat? Can Dave Fizdale exploit Miami’s weaknesses?

Advantage for the Grizzlies

Mike Conley has sneaky speed and experienced dramatic development as a lead scorer last season under Coach Fizdale’s offensive scheme. If Conley continues that development this season, there’s no one on the Heat’s roster who could contain him.

Dragic is a solid PG who uses his strength and range to compensate for a general lack of speed. That lack of speed is covered somewhat by Whiteside’s shot-blocking skill. Conley doesn’t have to get to the basket however to be effective. His outside shot is a strength, and the Heat have zero guards on the roster who can stop him.

Further complicating things for the Heat is the Memphis Grizzlies’ sudden ability to spread the court on offense. Whiteside won’t be able to camp around the lane to bother shots with Marc Gasol, Chandler Parsons and possibly JaMychal Green hanging out on the the perimeter.

Advantage for the Heat

Hassan Whiteside loves to play defense and rebound the ball. His rebound average (14.1) last season nearly matched the Memphis Grizzlies’ top two rebounders, and one of them is no longer on the team (Zach Randolph). Marc Gasol will be forced to focus more on defensive rebounding. His rebound average of 6.3 from last season won’t get it done against Whiteside. The Grizzlies need to focus on keeping Whiteside off the glass.

Gasol is a solid defensive center, and Whiteside struggled last season against the Grizzlies. His 9.5 points per game was the second-lowest point average he had last season. He also averaged 12.0 rebounds per game, which was in the bottom five of teams he played against as well.

The Heat can also shoot 3’s. The Heat were 12th in the league in 3-point attempts last season and 12th in makes. In the frontcourt, James Johnson hit 34 percent, and they added Kelly Olynyk who hit 35 percent in Boston. This will make them even more difficult to slow on the perimeter.

Then there’s Dion Waiters.

Dion Waiters is a tough player to figure out. Some nights, Waiters can look All-World with his shot-making and overall play. The former fourth pick in the 2012 draft was devastating in Miami last season, hitting 47.7 percent of his field goal attempts and 44.5 percent of his 3-point shots. However, outside of Miami, his performance was less than enthusiastic, making just 36.7 percent of his field gaol attempts and 33.3 percent of his shots from the arc.

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Closing Comments

The Memphis Grizzlies will have their hands full in this matchup, if the Heat continue to build on the laste season run. They were the hotter team, mainstream media suggests the Heat’s off-season was superior to Memphis. The Heat also have a more stable rotation after the departure of Randolph, Allen and Carter. All of these factors make the Heat a difficult matchup overall.

Then there’s the issue of coaching. Eric Spoelstra taught Coach Fizdale everything he knows about coaching. The question is did he teach him everything Spoelstra knows? Has the season of experience in Memphis added something to Fizdale’s bag of tricks? Or will he be schooled by his old mentor?

There are positives for the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis offers an unique challenge with Marc Gasol. He’s a center who has the range to pull Whiteside away from the basket and the bulk to bully him away from rebounds on defense. Conley is a superior guard to Dragic and should be given a green light to exploit the open space in the paint unlike past years. If the Grizzlies stay healthy on the wings (a big risk, I admit), they can give the Heat fits.

Both teams match up well against each other. A split of the season series wouldn’t be surprising, especially if Waiters continues to be good at home but bad on the road.