Q: Duncan Robinson has got to figure out how not to be a total liability on defense. Goodness. – S.M.
A: The key with Duncan Robinson, as it has been and as it will be, comes down to whether he is giving you more on offense than he is yielding on defense. While single-game plus-minus is among the most overstated statistics in all of sports, you can look at Wednesday night’s game and say that the Heat outscored the Knicks by three when Duncan was on the court. The only Heat player with a better plus/minus in Game 5 was Caleb Martin, at plus nine. But it also means giving the Knicks, and Jalen Brunson, a preferred point of attack off switches in the pick-and-roll game, Based on the stakes in Friday night’s Game 6, I would not be surprised if Erik Spoelstra doesn’t tighten his rotation, which could leave Duncan on the outside.
Q: Anything can happen in Game 7, especially when you don’t have homecourt advantage. Would you agree Friday’s game is a must win for the Heat? – Bob, Davie.
A: Must win? No. The Knicks hardly are some type of invincible force on their home court. The Heat almost won in the absence of Jimmy Butler in New York in Game 2, and almost stole Game 5 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. That said, there certainly has to be heightened urgency on Friday night. Lose that, and the Heat would be decided favorites in the series. I could say the most important game of the season is at hand. But the most important game was Chicago in the play-in round. And it’s not as if Friday is winner-take-all.
Q: I don’t mind when the Heat win ugly, but I hate it when they lose ugly. Wednesday’s second and third periods were ugly. They made a journeyman pro, Jalen Brunson, look like Michael Jordan. They clanged open threes. They had to fight for shots while allowing open looks for the Knicks. In the decisive fourth quarter they constantly put the Knicks on the foul line for gifted points. – Roland, Borrego Springs, Calif.
A: Jalen Brunson is not a “journeyman pro.” He is the best player on the Knicks, by far, as was more deserving of All-Star and All-NBA than Julius Randle. But, yes, the Heat certainly did not help themselves Wednesday and certainly need a better effort Friday.