NBA Power Rankings week 17: OKC Thunder and peers enter break

Miami Heat:

Offense: (111.7) 9th
Defense: (108.7)14th
Net: (plus +3.1) 10th

Results Week 17: (1-1) Won vs. Warriors: 113-101 Lost vs Jazz: 101-116
Games Week 18: (2 games) Thurs at Hawks | Sat vs. Cavaliers

Two teams who have feasted at home this season are the 76ers and Heat. Likewise both struggle on the road.

Now there are new issues to address as Pat Riley added veteran players Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Solomon Hill. Crowder immediately fit and produced offensively but the Heat still lost

In his three games with the Heat, he played the Blazers, Warriors, and Jazz. In those games he was connecting from deep to the tune of 5 of 8, 4 of 8 and 3 of 4 and scoring 18, 21 and 15 points.  The only game the Heat won though was the match versus the Warriors.

The question moving forward is two-fold. Will these vets getting touches affect the production of the youngster trio of Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro? And how much of Crowder’s success is tied to this being early luck? On the season Crowder is shooting 31.5 percent from deep. Opposing defenses will be more than happy to let him shoot and adjust if he’s hot — especially if it equates to losses.

That is unless you buy into Jae Crowder’s ability to keep posting huge numbers. Personally, that’s not a bet I’d be suggesting you put too much of an investment in.