Ira Winderman: Making the grade hardly a collective Heat story over first half of season

MIAMI — With Saturday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder moving the Heat into their second half of the schedule, it hardly is a team making the grade, at least when it comes to the ostensible goal of avoiding a fourth consecutive trip to the play-in round. A season can only grade out so well when over the first 41 there were losses to the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, as well as an 8-17 record against teams with winning records. More is needed, either from within or beyond, as the Feb. 5 NBA trading deadline draws closer. For now, with the final 41 games to determine playoffs, play-in or lottery (yes, they own their pick in June’s first round), a midseason...