(Photo Credit: Scott Cunningham)
The Miami HEAT wrap up their quick two-game homestand tonight against the Detroit Pistons. The HEAT are 27-12 and have the best record in the East. The Pistons are 16-26 and on the fringes of playoff contention. Tip off is set for 7:30 PM; coverage on Sun Sports starts at 7 PM.
1: Is Andre Drummond the evolutionary Tyson Chandler?
Couper Moorhead: Eventually that could be selling Drummond a bit short as far as his offensive skillset goes, but this is probably the most fitting comparison we have right now. The Pistons have surprisingly pieced together some bench lineups that space the floor reasonably well, at least well enough to run spread pick-and-rolls for Drummond so he can just constantly dive to the rim. Just as Chandler does with New York, this draws defenders into the paint and opens up shots for three-point shooters – something Charlie Villanueva should be thankful for this year. Drummond has a ways to go defensively, but he has solid instincts and is improving every week. Few young players drafted outside of the Top-5 offer this much promise.
Danny Martinez: That works for me and it should be frightening for the NBA. Drummond was said to be very raw when he was drafted this offseason, but he’s still found a way to be extremely efficient on the offensive end. He’s done so by crashing the offensive boards, cutting to the basket and finishing in the pick-and-roll. That basic skill set is extremely impressive for a rookie. Defensively, Drummond has a ways to go to catch Chandler, but he’s shown the ability to block shots and avoid fouls. Drummond’s future is as bright as anyone’s from his draft class.
2: What are the chances that Will Bynum scores 25 points on 16 shots again?
Couper: Well, there’s always a chance, but given that Bynum was blanketed by Norris Cole for most of his explosive fourth quarter, it would be incredibly tough for him to submit the same type of performance with the same quality of opportunities. That’s the random chance that plays into every regular season – and playoff – game that we never put enough stock in.
Danny: I won’t say zero because nothing is impossible, but I’ll go with .0001 percent. Bynum had his best, most efficient game against the HEAT. He did so while draining a fair share of highly contested jumpers off of the dribble. Those aren’t often repeatable. Bynum is a good player who will score and create for others, but I don’t think his performance from the first matchup is replicable.
3: He may have hit a ton of shots in December, but is Dwyane Wade on his best two-game streak of the season?
Couper: There’s no doubt about it. Wade’s offense has been strong for over a month, but now he’s combining his chaotic defensive energy with smart rotations and excellent off-ball awareness and in turn he looks like he would be ready for the playoffs to start tomorrow. The Laker game in particular was a tour de force for Wade defensively, and if he can keep up that level of activity – he won’t, though, only because there’s no reason to sustain it for the next three months and wear down – then there won’t be much of anything left for noisemakers to criticize him for.
Danny: Yes and I’m not sure any other stretch comes close. Wade has had a number of strong games, but he hasn’t put two back-to-back like this (back-to-back-to-back really since he was excellent against the Warriors). His energy on both sides of the floor has been noticeable and it has shown up in the stat sheet as well. Wade’s been efficient from the field, cleaning the glass and dishing out assists. Before the season Wade hinted that he would build his game up over the season with the hopes of peaking at the right time. So far, he’s right on schedule.
