1 hour ago 2

ASK IRA: Are the Heat at a point where it’s all about beating the bad?

Q: Once again the Miami Heat have made their opponent look like zillion dollars. They simply are a bad team who may well be quitting. My hope of a .500 year is totally gone. There is nothing to show they could win two play-in games. – Roland, Borrego Springs, Calif.

A: I stand by the thought that this is not a team that has quit, but rather a team that is overmatched based on the current roster composition. For all the optimism and hope stressed by Erik Spoelstra, there simply is not enough to get over the hump against quality, playoff-level competition, be it the Celtics on Friday or the Grizzlies on Saturday (with the same possibility holding true this week against the Knicks, Pistons and Rockets). And, yes, .500 is gone and a losing season it will be, considering that in addition to the aforementioned upcoming games, there also remain games against the Celtics and Grizzlies. But when it comes to play-in level competition, the Heat certainly have shown they can compete with the likes of the Hawks, Magic and Bulls. So play-in desperation it will be.

Q: Ira, the main Heat offensive strategy has been to turn defense into offense. When you can’t get defensive stops as they rarely do lately, you need an offensive strategy – either a point guard who knows how to run an offense or an offensive coach who knows how to get the most offense out of the limited offensive skilled players we have. We have neither. – Rich, Plantation.

A: Correct. There are so many negative defenders put out on a regular basis that even the best of team precepts are limited. As for the need for a point guard, you are preaching to the choir. But to be candid, how many offensive-minded players, those who can create their own shot, do the Heat have beyond Tyler Herro? A flawed roster, indeed.

Q: At this point of the season, it is safe to say that the addition of Terry Rozier has been a complete failure, especially at the cost of a first-round draft choice. Do you think it is time to see what Josh Christopher and Isaiah Stevens can bring to the team? – Bob, June Beach.

A: No, and with all due respect to Josh and Isaiah. The Heat still have plenty of questions with those not on two-way contracts, such as whether Andrew Wiggins can be a fit, with the same for Kyle Anderson and Davion Mitchell, with the three barely a month into their Heat tenures. Plus, there remains the need to get a read on whether a Jaime Jaquez Jr. revival is possible, and what exactly can be made of Kel’el Ware. So it’s not as if Christopher or Stevens are high on the list of priorities.