“The Miami Heat lead the NBA with 82 charges drawn, while the Grizzlies have a total of 7”: Jimmy Butler and co. have been notoriously tight around the paint, not letting the opposition get a bucket easily

Miami Heat is one of the best run defenses in the league – They lead the league in the fewest points allowed in the paint.

Miami Heat plays a physical brand of basketball – the stats are there to back it up. They lead the league in charges drawn, which is a statistic that indicates how much they hold down the interior. 82 charges drawn, which is 36 more than the next nearest team, the Houston Rockets. Erik Spoelstra has drilled the unit into a well-oiled defensive machine.

This statistic is working for the Heat – they give up the least points in the paint. They only let the opposition score 40 points in the paint, 3 lower than the next best. This is despite not having Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler play for considerable lengths during the season. Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, and the rest have been drawing charges and playing small ball to perfection.

Lowry has been the player with the most charges drawn since 2000-01, with 256 charges. His defense has been an integral part of Toronto’s year-on-year. This year, Miami gets to witness it. Miami has seven players with 5+ charges this season and would lead the league even if the top two were taken out of the equation. Here is every player and their charge count for the season thus far:

1. Kyle Lowry: 22

2. P.J. Tucker: 10

3.  Max Strus: 10

4. Gabe Vincent: 8

5. Dewayne Dedmon: 8

6. Duncan Robinson: 6

7. Caleb Martin: 6

Via: Reddit

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Miami Heat is on course to finish first in their conference – an achievement they haven’t done in 9 years

The Miami Heat have been pushing the envelope each year to reach the heights they did when they had the Big Three of Wade, Bosh, and LeBron James. They came mightily close in the 2020 Orlando Bubble, pushing the Lakers hard but faltering in the finals. Last season was a slight blip, losing out to eventual winners the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

They are back with a vengeance and have been the best team in the east, fending off competition from the likes of the Nets, 76ers, and a rejuvenated Chicago Bulls. Everybody on the Heat roster is focused on one thing only- the championship. There are no ego clashes, everybody knows their roles, and nobody is afraid to cover if one person is out.

Coach Spo should not be put down any longer. He may not have the superstar power, but he now has a coherent team that can compete with the best. They no longer have to be called the best of the rest.

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