The J-Notes
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The Utah Jazz and 3 other teams who aren’t performing as expected

By Chad Porto

Nov 2, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dunks against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dunks against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 3, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra looks on against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra looks on against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /

Miami Heat (2-4)

The Miami Heat are one of the NBA’s golden franchises and for good reason; the Heat Culture that the team embodies is only helping them gain more fame and notoriety. The fact the Heat haven’t really rebuilt since drafting Dwayne Wade shows you that the team is quite good at finding gems and turning them into star players. It also doesn’t hurt that Miami is a place players want to be.

But the start of the 2023-2024 season has been anything but kind to the team. They are just 24th in the league in points per game, and 21st in field goal percentage. Defensively, they’re even worse. They are 4th worst in the league in made shots, with the Heat’s opponents converting just shy of 50% of their shots. A lot of that damage is coming from three, as they are fifth in opponents’ three-point shooting.

And you can’t blame all this on a few guys either, as everyone has looked bad for the Heat. Jimmy Butler seems older and slower and isn’t putting on great performances, and the team may be leaning too hard on Kevin Love for minutes. Love, who was never a good defensive player, is playing 22 minutes and has already missed three of six games. Clearly, the Heat have issues that shuffling around their roster may not help.

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