I could not agree more with what Spoelstra is doing. When you hear compliments about an NBA player, you never hear, "He loves to win." You always hear, "He hates to lose." Why? Because defense wins games. I'm not going to say I don't like watching the Golden State Warriors or the Phoenix Suns. But when an offensively-oriented team is having an off night, where do those teams go?
Miami's best perimeter defender is undoubtedly Shawn Marion. He's your lock-down defender. The thing that has people scratching their heads is Miami's interior defense. Dwyane Wade loves to gamble for steals -- you saw him do it in the Olympics. Fortunately, Wade had Dwight Howard behind him when he gambled. Now, who does he have? Jamaal Magloire has never been a shot-blocker, but he could impose some force on opponents. Udonis Haslem has never been a shot-blocker and is undersized for the four.
Therefore, Miami is going to need some great team defense. A defense that doesn't gamble for steals, that stays in front on his man, that seldom lets a shot go uncontested. Everyone is going to have to commit to this team defense. If Michael Beasley gets lazy, a player can get open and the whole system can fall apart. But one advantage to having an early training camp is that this team can develop a little bit more.
Sideline Reports
- Second overall pick Michael Beasley strained his groin earlier today and watched most of Miami's practice session from the sidelines.It is unclear how much time he will miss.
- Power forward Udonis Haslem's foot injury is virtually completely healed. He stayed after the practice to work out.
- After a hand injury, training camp invitee Matt Walsh's X-rays came back negative. He came back to the court today.
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