Photo credit: Heat.com

The Miami Heat season is officially back. But the season opener didn’t inspire any confidence. Despite missing Zach Lavine, the Chicago Bulls gave the Heat fits all night long, especially in the second half. The second half was where things went south for Miami. Demar Derozan got going with 19 points in the third period. He was able to get to his sweet spots with ease. Miami made a run in the fourth period to cut the lead the four. But then, the Bulls pulled away in the end and sealed the victory. Here are my takeaways from Wednesday’s loss to Chicago.

Replacing P.J. Tucker

Who’s going to be the Heat’s starting power forward? That was the question surrounding the team after P. J. Tucker’s departure. In the first game of the season, the Heat went with Caleb Martin. Like Herro, Martin started off very well. He provided early rim pressure and shooting. This was something we didn’t see much of last season. However, he was quiet the rest of the game. Martin finished with seven points and three rebounds. While Tucker wasn’t a great offensive player, his toughness was definitely missed. With Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon in foul trouble, the Heat did not have a player to fill in. Usually, Tucker served as the team’s small ball center in these moments.

Defense

The Heat pride themselves on being a great defensive team. They’re usually a team that plays hard and physical on that end. There were multiple times where the Heat’s defense would energize their offense. That wasn’t the case on Wednesday. Miami’s defense was a step slow, particularly in the second half. The Bulls were getting easy baskets at the rim, mostly off of simple back cuts. The defensive rotations weren’t as good as they normally are. Derozan tore the Heat defense apart multiple times in the third period. This was a game where Miami’s defense wasn’t felt from a physical standpoint. If they want to compete against the best, they’ll have to step it on that end of the floor.

Bam Struggles

Heading into the season there was a lot of talk about Miami needing an aggressive Adebayo. That’s exactly what they got on Wednesday. He took a team high 10 field goal attempts in the first half. Unfortunately, the shots were not falling down. Some of the shots he took looked flat and rushed. The shots Adebayo took were easy shots that he would normally make. It was a really frustrating night for the Heat big man. He picked up his fourth foul and sat out the majority of the third quarter. Adebayo didn’t have that usual fire that he usually has. Adebayo ended the night with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Herro Starts Hot

At the end of last season, Tyler Herro made it known that he was looking to start. This season, he’s got his wish. And he definitely got off to a hot start. Herro scored 11 of Miami’s first 16 points in the first period. He scored off of pull ups, floaters, and three pointers. Also, he was one of the Heat’s better players of the night. Like the playoffs, the Bulls sent doubles at him above the three-point line. Herro displayed great patience and was able to snake his way to the basket. He looked very confident against the blitzes. It’s going to be a very important part of his development. Herro finished the night with 23 points,

Next up: The Boston Celtics. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern on Friday.