NFL
By: Monte Perez
One of my favorite Saturday Night Live characters of all time is Debbie Downer
You might want to watch that video and laugh a few times before reading the update about the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. This article is not super positive, It may be a Debbie Downer for Heat and Hawks fans…
But, I tend to be brutally honest. Both teams are not playing well right now.
Miami Heat (16-16):
The Heat have struggled from the very start of the season. Teams go through highs and lows during the year but
Miami has lost 3 out of 4 at home. It would be one thing if they were losing to the likes of Milwaukee, Boston, or Brooklyn but they lost to these 3 teams below:
- Detroit Pistons, 8-25, record.
- San Antonio Spurs, 10-20, record.
- Chicago Bulls, 12-18, record.
Under Eric Spoelstra, this team always had a reputation for playing hard. I haven’t seen that through their first 32 games. Miami relies on Jimmy Butler to be everything. When healthy, he plays 35 minutes per night, averages 22 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and usually has to guard the opposing team’s best player. Tyler Herro is a nice player, but when Butler is out, he becomes the #1 option. On a championship roster, Herro is a #3 option at best. Duncan Robinson, who was once a starter, now plays 18 minutes per game. Victor Oladipo and Max Strus are averaging 24 points per game coming off the bench. Pat Riley either needs to make drastic moves to improve this roster or break up this team at the trading deadline. If he does not do this, Miami will be bounced, in the first round of the playoffs.
Atlanta Hawks (16-15):
In pre-season, I predicted the Hawks to have a record of 52-30. They are well off that pace. Part of their struggles has to do with the fact that this team can’t seem to stay healthy. The smallest guy on the team, Trae Young, has played the most as a starter. In 28 games, he is averaging 27 points and 10 assists. Dejounte Murray has been everything expected since coming over from the Spurs. He is averaging 20 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. De’Andre Hunter has been a nice scoring surprise. He is averaging 16 points per game. AJ Griffin and Jalen Johnson have been growing on the job. They are 19 years and 21 years old. Every day a John Collins trade is trending on social media. The latest rumor has Kyle Kuzma coming over from the Washington Wizards for Collins.
Nate McMillan does not have this team playing at a high level, consistently. This roster is talented enough to be a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. I would prefer a new coach after the holidays. If I were Atlanta management, I hire Quin Snyder after the New Year.
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