Q: The Heat simply could not close out the game without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. The better team closed it out. – Roland, Borrego Springs, Calif.
A: Yes, the Bucks with their entire rotation, including Khris Middleton, are a better team than a Heat roster lacking Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith. But that’s why I believe the game has to be viewed through a different prism. If what the Heat put on the court on Tuesday night could play that way against the fully loaded Bucks, then there is a hope that Erik Spoelstra’s team in its totality can do damage against Milwaukee. That was an entertaining night of competitive basketball, which is not always something you get in the NBA in November. But what matters most, and always will matter most, is whether the Heat can put it together when Jimmy and Tyler also are on the court You get those two as their usual selves added to the aggression of Tuesday night’s Bam Adebayo and now with the supporting cast that has been developed of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Josh Richardson, Caleb Martin and even Kevin Love, and better times could be around the corner.
Q: When are you ever going to have the guts to call out the games missed by these millionaire players and support the fans for once? It’s getting ridiculous at this point. Jimmy Butler missed 24 games in his first year in Miami, 30 games in his second year, 25 games in his third year, 18 games last year and is on pace to miss another 20 games this year. Butler still gets paid a half a million dollars per game, even when he doesn’t show up to work. Hard working Americans spend their hard-earned dollars to see the stars and this is a slap in the face to every fan who makes far less money and spends a lot of money to buy a ticket. The missed games by these entitled, rich pro players is getting out of hand. Tired of hearing, but Butler plays well in the playoffs. I wonder how many players would play, if they created a new rule that if you don’t play, you don’t get paid. – Liz.
A: To your greater points, it’s pretty simple – then don’t buy tickets to the game, don’t watch games. As a fan, you have a choice, also, to sit it out. But when you are not a doctor, then who is anyone else to say a player is not too injured to play? And if a player misses a game for a personal reason, who as an outsider is to say that the personal reason is not justified? What I will agree about are the “rest” absences. But those have been limited to this stage. So with Jimmy Butler, it is caveat emptor, something that is part of the equation when buying season tickets or tickets in advance.
Q: Hi, Ira, I agree with Bam Adebayo when he questioned the integrity of the point differential tiebreaker for tournament games. Here’s another point (no pun intended): Point differential discriminates against defensive-minded teams who typically win by smaller margins due to the suppressed point totals. – Ray, Deerfield Beach.
A: The whole thing felt hurried when it came to tiebreakers. I agree with Bam Adebayo. You should not have to play players more than needed in a grueling 82-game season. First, increase the pool-play schedule to reduce the chances for ties. Then, after head-to-head, I would go to superior road record, since those are greater challenges. After that, use one of the tiebreakers already in place (albeit well down the list) of last season’s record. Basically reward enduring success, even though some rosters do dramatically change between seasons.
