Pistons vs Miami Heat

Game Breakdown

*SPECIAL SITUATIONS*

• Early in the game (first 5 minutes) I think the Pistons are generating better/easier looks even though the score is tied

  • I also don’t think they have turned the ball over, yet

  • Often this proves to play out long term….will it in this game?

    • Miami seems to have found their flow and ball movement

    • Detroit is breaking down the defense OR getting Cade traps BUT not able to convert out of them

      • Have missed 3 straight good attempts off Cade drive and kicks (Beasley, Harris and Holland)

  • Cold shooting has continued throughout most of the 1st half and Heat continue to make shots as the offensive flow has improved

    • They actually have been good from 3 but AWFUL from 2

• CADE HAS IT GOING, TRULY IN THE GROOVE….

  • What will be interesting to watch is if others are able to find their rhythm throughout the game now as well and specifically, when he subs out

    • First possession w/o him is rough and ends with a TO even after an OREB

    • Flow continues to be an issue but Ivey/Stew just outwork the Heat in a possession that gets Ivey to FT line

    • These two connect again on a Stew short roll and kick to Ivey for the 3PM

  • Nobody else has 6 points mid 2nd quarter, NOT saying this is Cade’s fault…just seems to be something that can happen when one guy really gets it going early

  • GOES OUT IN THE 3RD QUARTER WITH 4 FOULS

    • Ivey TO followed by Harris TO, the two guys you need to step up in this situation just flat out aren’t so far

      • Make back to back BIG TIME plays right after I type this

      • Harris iso bucket and then Harris draws two, kicks to Ivey who breaks down the defense for wide open Beasley C&S 3PA (missed) and then makes next effort to get OREB and corner 3PM

    • They have survived the NON CADE minutes even if it hasn’t been “pretty”

• UNDER 4:00 1ST HALF AND DOWN 7 (lead increase or does Detroit narrow it before half?) - Cade subs out during this

  • Heat go zone ATO (something we continue to see teams do vs the Pistons) disrupting the action, Duren misses a little shot in the lane

  • Cade with a TOUGH pull up 3PM but gives up 4 point play to Rozier

  • Beasley, FINALLY, knocks down a shot, C&S 3PM

  • Rozier drive and kick to Herro for 3PM (Pistons can’t stay in front of Rozier)

  • Harris bucket answered by Butler bucket

  • Ivey TO leads to Rozier 3PM

  • Beasley TO leads to Bam lob finish

  • Not having Cade to run the show right now is really hurting….this is where that “vet PG” that many have talked about looks like a great option

  • Lead gets extended to down 11….they have work to do now….NICE START TO THE 2ND HALF AT LEAST

• START TO THE 4TH QUARTER

  • Cade missed mid range, Cade TO and resulting transition and one, Ivey TO and resulting transition layup, missed FT, defense gives up OREB and open 3PM….immediately dig a hole after a really good 3rd quarter

  • We often look at the end of games in terms of “learning how to win” but stretches like this are JUST as important and this team continues to not be able to execute them

Pistons - 98 - 106 L

• Cade, Ivey, THJ, Harris, Duren

  • THEY NEED A WIN VERY SOON OR I HAVE A FEELING THE POSITIVE VIBES THAT ARE LEFT WILL QUICKLY START TO DISAPPEAR 

    • Competitive and competent is great to see but eventually they have to lead to some actual Ws

  • Continue to see Harris mid post isolations as part of the offense, first two sets are designed to get him a touch (didn’t get it on first)

    • Nice aggressive move on Jovic for and one on the second

    • Next one is a missed fade away jumper….will continue to say that I don’t love this action as a primary option of a possession

    • Doesn’t seem like there is any movement off of it either

      • Can they at least run a split action or something? Weakside flare?

  • CADE-DUREN chemistry offensively truly is noticeable

    • PnR, of course, but we also see a nice connection with Cade working out of the mid post

  • Outside of getting Duren on Bam they do not seem overly concerned about the matchups from the other 4

  • I think my biggest issue defensively is some of the mishaps when guard to guard screens happen and they can’t decide if they are switching or not

    • Happens around 6:00 1st quarter and leads to wide open 3PM from Herro

    • They mess it up again towards the end of the quarter and Robinson gets a wide open 3PA that he simply misses

    • Team fouls have been a major issue

  • BEASLEY for IVEY continues to be the first sub of the game

    • Looks like they will continue with the 9 man rotation

    • Cade rotations have been interesting with frequent but short rests

    • Fontecchio (instead of Beasley) for Ivey in the 2nd half

  • Cade and Ivey our 2nd and 3rd (SGA - 1st) in terms off paint PPG for guards in the NBA

  • JB uses both challenges in the 3rd quarter, wins both….does he end up needing one late in the game???

• DUREN on Bam is going to be a really good matchup to track in this one with the offensive versatility Bam offers

  • I think he has done a really nice job staying in front of him throughout the 1st half

    • Gives up a drive to start the 2nd half

    • And you can see the switch limitations on the drive by Butler at the end of the game (not easy situation for him BUT you could tell he simply didn’t have the ability to stay in front)

  • Has a nice recovery block 5:00 2nd quarter

    • Another one 4:17 4th quarter when Butler attacks him off a closeout

  • 9:45 3rd Quarter is one of those instances where he takes advantage of a switch or cross match

    • Gets the post catch, draws and extra defender and sweet dump off to cutting Harris (blows the layup)

  • 6:30 3rd Quarter he has an awesome sequence

    • Rotates defensively to take away potential Jovic bucket and then SPRINTS the floor offensively which draws defender and allows Cade to hit THJ for the layup

  • Continues to be an ELITE OREB play finisher

• IVEY gives up a blow by early to Rozier

  • Another floater from him

  • Do NOT like the process of the 3PA at 7:00 1st quarter, these are ones I think he needs to eliminate 

    • Defender did NOT go under the ball screen, 10 seconds on shot clock, he should be attacking

  • How does Ivey respond in the 2nd half???

    • REALLY struggling at the rim

    • Won’t show up in the box score ANYWHERE but watch the defensive effort on the possession at 8:45 3rd quarter…MULTIPLE efforts

  • Flat out, just not a good game for Ivey

    • How does he respond on Wednesday night vs Philly where he will probably be asked to take the Tyrese Maxey matchup?

    • Maybe the buckets at the end of the game will carry over some momentum

• CADE C&S 3PAs…yes! I am adamant that he needs to get (and take!) 4 or 5 of these game

  • Follows this one up with one off the dribble using the ball screen

    • And another one! HE IS LOCKED IN RIGHT NOW!

  • 8:25 1st quarter we see that quick baseline spin out of the mid post…he has gotten REALLY comfortable with this move

    • 7:30 2nd quarter is ELITE processing

      • He actually waits for the double team to come in the mid post, does the baseline spin away from him so he can attack and kick to weakside for wide 3PA (missed)

  • 5:40 1st he uses that SHOT FAKE! And gets to the FT line with the step through

  • 5:10 1st is a RIDICULOUS in and out dribble that loses the defense before dropping it off to Duren

  • Takes his rest and then comes back in and immediately hits a TOUGH mid range fade away

  • First “loose with the ball” TO (and TO at all) comes 9:00 2nd quarter, can he make this the only one?

    • All of a sudden the TO issues sneak up in the 4th quarter

  • Can Cade pick up in the 2nd half where he left off the 1st half?

    • Makes first shot and then misses next few and then misses some around the rim in the 4th as well

    • The jumper, especially 3P (but even some of the 2P) got VERY flat in the 2nd half

    • I will say that the physicality he is able to use on his drives is noticeable

• THJ just doesn’t have the foot speed to stay in front of some these quicker perimeter players

  • Gets it going from the field a little bit to start the 2nd half

    • A LOT as he stays hot and you can see that he is locked in

• HOLLAND just doesn’t know anything other than being aggressive!!!

  • Mid post hook shot, okay

  • Looked but didn’t find it anywhere in my pre draft notes that he did much of this (could have missed it) but I did mention multiple times that I do think he has touch when under control

• BEASLEY been aggressive off the dribble but not productive

  • They have created a ton of really open looks for him and isn’t able to convert

• STEW backpedal in the ball screen drop is really impressive

  • I love the motor on the boards but man, gotta finish some of these tip in opportunities

  • I still don’t understand the lack of any sort of 3PAs….just because he is playing exclusively at the “5” doesn’t mean that shouldn’t be a part of his game

  • Flat out awful illegal screen at the end of the 3rd quarter, these are turnovers he can’t be committing

• HARRIS with another “leaves something to be desired” performance so far but his hands are better than I realized defensively

  • The isolation stuff has to go away

    • Awful, awful attempt from the top of the key mid 4th quarter

• FONTECCHIO looks extremely indecisive to me

Heat

• Rozier, Herro, Butler, Jovic, Bam

  • Have one of the better double teams and rotations out you will see

    • Doubled Cade deep in the corner, Pistons actually swing swing and Miami is able to rotate AND cut off the attack closeout attempt

  • Love how they use the zone throughout a game

• JOVIC pulls the Cade matchup for Miami (might have been a cross match in transition from Cade being matched with him)

  • Now it's Butler

  • Has been a really good connector offensively with his shooting and ball moving

    • Also, OREB

• HERRO getting buckets off the dribble to start the game

  • One all the way to the rim and a couple tough floaters going to his left

  • Just such a interesting combination of shot make off the dribble and catch and ability to make nice passing reads and create for his teammates

• BUTLER is really good just getting to his spot in the mid range

  • Physical, uses nuance in the ball screen to “jail” defender and often draws a foul

• ROZIER still got plenty of twitch in his game

  • He continuously breaks down the Pistons defense throughout the first half

• BAM hands, along with the versatility, are just elite defensively

  • Defensive impact is so versatile

  • Has a crazy drop coverage lob deflection in the 3rd

  • He also gets his hands on some rebounds that I didn’t think he had any chance at

• JAQUEZ, it’s such a cliche, but he just makes winning plays

  • Cuts, OREBs, dives on the floor, makes a big 3P

• HIGHSMITH jumper is ROUGH