Reward system the key to the Heat’s run?
A simple reward system has contributed to the Heat’s current run of eight consecutive blowout victories.
If Dwyane Wade grabs a defensive rebound, he has the green light to do whatever he wants offensively. If LeBron James makes a defensive stop, he controls his own game on the other end of the court.
These are the parameters set by coach Erik Spoelstra, and the chance for offensive freedom has helped spark the most dominant winning streak in franchise history.
While this may be working during the regular season, I don’t know that grabbing a defensive rebound is worthy of being able to do whatever you want on the other end of the court, at least not against the best teams in the league. But if freelance by Dwyane Wade or LeBron James is better than the plays that Erik Spoelstra calls, then maybe it is the right way to do things. But that says more about the offensive game plan than it does the value of any reward system that may be in place.
The more I think about this team, given the injuries, I don’t see them getting past the Celtics in the playoffs…but we will see.
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Posted in: Fantasy Basketball, NBA
Tags: 2010-11 NBA season, Boston Celtics, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, LeBron James, Miami Heat, Super Friends
I think to clarify, Spoelstra wanted to increase the level of defense. Therefore, if they make a defensive stop, they are not required to look to the coach for the next play. But if the basket goes in, they have to let Spoelstra call the play.
Sounds silly, but it has increased the defense of these egomaniacs as they are feeling ‘rewarded’ for playing the defense they should have been playing in the first place.
And most defensive stops culminate in fast break points, which are not a play called by the coach anyway. So this is a policy that the whole league probably has adopted. They just didn’t have the need to make it seem like some ‘reward system’.
I bet Pat Rielly is shaking his head at the ‘Jedi mind tricks’ needed to motivate this team . . .
This is a good idea, I guess. If it works.
What would be wrong with this, though: alternate having LeBron and Wade on the court, with little pockets of overlap in here and there (especially at the end of the game). That way, when LeBron’s on the court, he can go bananas and not worry about Wade and vice versa.