The Miami Heat have rolled into a 4-1 record, thanks in part to the fine play from their two rookies, Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro. They face yet another tough test in the form of the visiting Houston Rockets, who are an offensive juggernaut always looking for an opportunity to unleash their firepower.
The Heat’s rookies
The Heat simply have a knack from finding gems and developing them. Tyler Herro is barely a lottery pick (13th overall in the past draft) and Kendrick Nunn went undrafted in 2018 before spending a season in the G-League. Now, the two youngsters are currently Miami’s top two scorers.
Nunn has been a revelation, so much so that his 112 points through five games is the highest among rookies since 2007. The 24-year-old is pacing the team in scoring at 22.4 PPG on a solid 51.8%-shooting. In the Heat’s preseason game with the Rockets a few weeks back, where the starters on both sides played heavy minutes, he dropped 40 points and knocked down six threes.
Herro has a record of his own. In the 112-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on October 30th, his 29 points was the most in Heat history by a rookie who came off the bench.
But wait, there’s more…
The older guys on the roster – though some are still young in general – are not to be outdone. Bam Adebayo (15 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 5.2 APG) and Justise Winslow (14.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.8 APG) are breaking out as well. It’s a pretty solid core and we haven’t touched on the true veterans – Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler, who are also bound to produce big when facing a fast-paced team like Houston.
Do note, though, that Butler (foot) and Winslow (back) are both day-to-day.
Threes, threes, and more threes
The 3-2 Rockets are continuing to live and die by the three, and their fate this past Saturday was the latter as they lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 123-116. They hoisted 48 shots from downtown and only made 12 (25%), with Harden going a dreadful 2-for-16. Houston’s 47.8 three-point attempts per game is the most in the league and expect it to be that way moving forward.
Harden is gunning for a third-straight scoring title and has maintained his 36 PPG average from last season. It has come with a big cost, though, as “The Beard” is shooting a career-low 36.5% from the floor.
The team’s second superstar, meanwhile, Russell Westbrook, is doing well in adjusting his play despite hauling some boards away from Clint Capela. The triple-double averages are there (23.4 PPG, 11 RPG, 9.8 APG) and his shooting has jumped to 48% (plus five compared to his career rate).
PREDICTION:
If the Heat do not try to outgun the Rockets, they should be able to win. They tried that in the preseason and lost, 144-136, as Harden sizzled for 44 points.
