If there had been a slight dropoff, you could blame newcomers Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. They are rotation players who have to be worked into the fold. But this dropoff has been uncharacteristic.
Things were better Monday against Phoenix.
“It was good to see two numbers – the sub-40 percent field goal percentage of the Phoenix Suns, and winning the rebound battle,” Spoelstra said. “I’ll take those two things. Everything else is just a cherry on top.”
OK, that’s enough about the defense.
Look at the offense. This team is better.
You expected the Heat would be better after adding Allen and Lewis, a pair of knock-’em-dead shooters. But Miami’s offense is better all around.
You know about the Big Three. James (23.0 points, 53.5 percent shooting) was a rebound short of a 
triple-double against Denver. Rail-thin center Chris Bosh already has a 40-point game. Wade is averaging 20 points and shooting 53.4 percent.
Now look at the Heat’s overall offense.
They hit 15 three-pointers against Phoenix, eight players hit at least one, and none was named Mike Miller.
Allen is averaging 15.5 points and shooting 57.6 percent from the field, including 60 percent (12-of-20) on threes. He has 62 points on 33 shots for a PPS of 1.88, fifth in the NBA.
All of those stats will eventually take a dip, but you get the idea: Allen is making this offense better. He already has hit a game-winner, the four-point play Saturday against the Nuggets.
Lewis is averaging 8.5 points and shooting 50 percent from the field and the arc (7-of-14). He is effectively spreading the floor, which is his job.
The Heat leads the league in field-goal percentage (.520) and ranks third in 3-point percentage (.460). And, oh, by the way, they’re fifth in free throw percentage (.824).
And while scoring 111.8 points per game, the Heat has put up three of the four highest-scoring games in the league.
Miami is better offensively. Spacing is good. Players find open shots and drill them. They cut to the basket. They attack the basket. And the ball moves easily among some talented scorers.
“You can have one possession where you have Mario Chalmers passing it to LeBron James, passing it to Ray Allen and passing it to Dwyane Wade,” Bosh said. “It’s a part (of the game) where we really want to put pressure on guys.”
Suns coach Alvin Gentry noticed.
“They worry about what’s happening with their team, not with what’s happening with individual stats,” he said. “That in itself makes them great because they are virtually impossible to guard. We get in rotation against them they always try to find the open guy.”
The hidden truth about the Heat so far is they are developing into an offensive force. Miami was no offensive slouch last season, finishing seventh at 98.1 points per game. But this is an offense that could be so diverse and efficient it could end up among the top three in the league. The Heat could average triple digits. Their game holds up.
Of course, with the Heat it always somehow gets back to defense.
“When we defend we can do whatever we want offensively,” James said. “The sky is the limit offensively.”