MIAMI – As the Miami Heat look to ease their new players in the gameplan, it didn't work out Monday night as the team lost to the Boston Celtics, 103-85. After the Heat traded away Jimmy Butler, the game marked the debut of Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and Kyle Anderson, though it was one to forget.
Bam Adebayo led the game with 22 points along with 12 rebounds as Alec Burks was next with 13 points where he got the start on Monday. Wiggins would finish with 11 points on three for 12 shooting from the field, Mitchell had four points along with four assists, and Anderson finished with zero points.
“We're gonna have to work on it. You know, spacing, decision making, that's actually been two consistent games the last handful of weeks, and we're gonna go continue to work on it until, you know, we get more clarity confidence on what's working for us,” Spoelstra said after the game. “And there was times where it looked disjointed, obviously.”
“And against a team like Boston, you have to execute with intention and purpose,” Spoelstra continued. “Otherwise, they can flatten you out with the switches or with just the size at the rim. So you're constantly going to have to make decisions. The decisions end up being a little bit clearer if your spacing is better. But that doesn't solve everything. It still ends up being decision-making. You know, when you have the ball in your hands, and then that's what we'll get better.”
Here are three takeaways from the Heat's loss to the Celtics:
A new look Heat struggle towards the end of the first half
The start of the game for Miami showed a slight glimpse of what to expect from the Heat's new stars in Wiggins and Mitchell, as they both got the start Monday night against the Celtics. This was in part due to the absence of Heat's Tyler Herro, who missed the game due to a stomach illness that he woke up with.
Wiggins was likely to be in the starting lineup at some point due to his experience, talent, and what he's done in the league so far, especially with the team needing a small forward/wing after trading Jimmy Butler. The 29-year-old fills in that Butler void in some facets beyond the former Warrior donning the No. 22 for Miami.
He would score the first three points of the game after getting fouled beyond the arc, and in Miami's next bucket, it was Mitchell making the newcomers have the first five points for the team. Mitchell was an early standout, especially in the playmaking department, not as his passing was on display, running two-man actions with Adebayo and even finding Wiggins in a beautiful cross-court pass.
Boston would struggle in the first period, especially from deep, shooting two of 18 from deep, but would find their groove in the second quarter, where the Heat would start to struggle tremendously. At one point, Miami would be out-scored 21-5 in the period as it resulted in a frustrating first half.
Second-half domination by the Celtics against the Heat
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The offensive struggles continued into the second half as the Celtics showed why they were defending champions in the first place, displaying how well-oiled of a machine they are. While Jayson Tatum started the game with two points in the first quarter, he would have 20 points in the third quarter alone.
Boston was missing a top player in Jaylen Brown, but they were well-equipped to power through the game without him, as going into the fourth, each player in the starting lineup scored in double-digits. For the home team, Adebayo and Burks were the only ones to score in double-digits going into the final frame.
They had 36 points in the quarter compared to Miami's 22, as the group was desperately looking for consistency on either side of the floor. Looking at the new players acquired via trade, it was a relatively quiet one besides Wiggins making the first field goal of the half, which was a three off a pass from Adebayo.
The fourth quarter was more of the same for the Heat, as the Celtics would end up spoiling the debut of the team's new additions.
Heat's new additions will need time to adjust and gain chemistry
There is no doubt that head coach Erik Spoelstra threw his new players in the deep end Monday night, but it was necessary as they were missing the Heat's All-Star in Herro and Jaquez, as said before. The game plan going into the debut and likely immediate future games is to simplify it and have the newcomers play off their flow.
“We have the majority of our core, you know, so our style of playing, our identity, you know, for the majority of the guys in the locker room, that's understood, and we'll try to fast track these guys as much as possible,” Spoelstra said before the game. “Probably lean more toward simplicity and clarity rather than trying to confuse them and add so much. You know, they know how to play, they know how to affect the game. We'll incorporate them where we can, where we think it would be most seamless, and we'll just move forward.”
Early on, Mitchell was showcasing his playmaking and defensive ability, and Wiggins had some good looks, but it would quickly go downhill for the whole team in the second quarter. Anderson would get 10 minutes, but it would be a frustrating one as he missed all five of his shot attempts.
At any rate, the Heat are now 25-26 as they embark on a five-game road trip which includes the All-Star break. The next game is on Wednesday night when Miami takes on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
