Miami HEAT at Sacramento Kings Game Preview

The Miami HEAT face the Sacramento Kings Friday night at Golden 1 Center. Tip-off is set for 10:00 PM, and television coverage is on FOX Sports Sun. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.

1: How does Miami’s trade affect the team moving forward?

Couper Moorhead: On Wednesday the HEAT traded Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington (now a free agent after being waived) to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ryan Anderson. First, on a basic, human level, we wish both players the best. Each was a consummate professional during their time with Miami as we got to watch Johnson kickstart his career after going undrafted and see Ellington transform himself as a player as he set Miami’s single-season record in three-pointers made. They were great guys to be around, and we enjoyed covering them.

In basketball terms, this obviously shortens Miami’s rotation some. Ellington hadn’t been playing recently, but Johnson was recently inserted into the starting lineup. Now, at least until Goran Dragić returns from injury, more minutes are on the table for the rest of the HEAT’s guards, with Dion Waiters and previous-starter Rodney McGruder candidates to join the opening lineup. Both Johnson and Ellington were talented players, but there’s something to be said for making the night-to-night rotations more consistent and giving Erik Spoelstra fewer options to juggle. It should also be said that Ryan Anderson is still one of the best shooters in the league and could easily see some time at the power forward spot.

Joe Beguiristain: Although the HEAT lost some depth, they still have a number of skilled wings along the perimeter that can get the job done. And as Coup mentioned above, it seems as though Rodney McGruder and Dion Waiters will get some more playing time with Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington elsewhere.

McGruder has played sparingly over the past month or so, but you know he’ll be ready if his number is called. Waiters, meanwhile, has had a few good moments off the bench since returning from injury on Jan. 2. And even though Waiters didn’t do anything crazy his last time out against Portland, he had a very efficient night, scoring nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field in 19 minutes of action.

As for who Miami acquired in the deal, Ryan Anderson can really stretch the floor. Although he didn’t play all that much for Phoenix, the 30-year-old is just two years removed from shooting 40.3 percent from deep on seven three-point attempts per game with Houston.

We’ll see how the 10-year vet is worked into the HEAT’s rotation.

Couper: The Kings were very active at the deadline, acquiring Alec Burks from Cleveland in a three-team deal and Harrison Barnes from the Dallas Mavericks, giving Sacramento more wing-depth as they try to get into the playoffs. While Burks has never played in a particularly up-tempo system, his athleticism should make him a nice partner for De’Aaron Fox in the open floor, complementing the more shooting-focused games of Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanović. Barnes has been playing a fairly high-usage scoring role for Dallas the last couple of years, but everyone remembers his success with the share-the-ball Warriors. When things slow down in the half-court, where Sacramento has been an average offense, Barnes’ ability to face up and produce points – largely via jumpers – against switches should help balance out the offense. Sacramento also swapped Skal Labissiere with Portland for Caleb Swanigan.

It was a busy trade deadline, but in the midst of their best season in years the Kings found a way to get better.

Joe: The Kings made a bunch of moves at the deadline, as they acquired Harrison Barnes, Alec Burks and Caleb Swanigan in separate deals over the past two days. In terms of who they gave up in those transactions, Iman Shumpert and Justin Jackson were the biggest contributors. And while those guys were important role players, especially Shumpert for the leadership he brought to a young team, Barnes and Burks have also been around the block.

Burks, a seven-year vet, has the ability to attack off the dribble and knock it down from deep where he’s shooting 42.2 percent (38-of-90) on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Barnes, on the other hand, brings a championship pedigree and is more of a prolific scorer who can make something out of nothing.

Simply put, Sacramento did pretty well.

3: What has made the Kings a difficult opponent for the HEAT over the past two seasons?

Couper: This is a pretty easy one, as it’s all about Sacramento’s speed. As the third-fastest team in the league going up against a Miami team that has slowed things down significantly since early December, the Kings have regularly forced the HEAT to play a blazing-fast pace. They scored 18 points on the break in the last matchup, with 68 total in the paint and 46.2 percent three-point shooting, and that was without Bogdanović available. The Kings definitely have the shooting to keep them in any game, but it’s their open-floor speed that transforms the context of the game, especially when Willie Cauley-Stein – 11-of-17 against the HEAT – gets out and running. Miami has been much better about playing with a more deliberate pace of late, but they’ll also be playing with another new starting lineup Friday night and it’s always tougher to get to your game on the road. Miami beat Portland in what was essentially an offensive shootout last Tuesday, but Sacramento has a bit more consistent ability to get into the paint than those Blazers and a similar-type game might not be in the HEAT’s interests.

Joe: In addition to their breakneck speed as Coup mentioned above, the Kings have also given the HEAT trouble due to their ability to force turnovers. All told, Sacramento forces 16.5 opponent miscues per game and scores 20.4 points per game off those mistakes. As you’d imagine, the team is ranked among the league’s elite in both of those categories.

And while it takes a collective effort to put up numbers like that, De'Aaron Fox is the head of the snake with 2.5 deflections and 1.7 steals per game. As such, making crisp passes and taking care of the ball will be key for Miami on Friday night.

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