The Miami Heat continue to fluctuate in and out of the win column as they seemingly have throughout the entire 2017-18 NBA season. However, even before their embarrassing 95-123 loss to the high-powered Golden State Warriors, the Heat have been notably frustrated with the referees as of late.

While there are plenty of issues plaguing Miami right now, the backcourt pairing of Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters have had problems with the lack of calls they have been getting on tough layup attempts. According to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, head coach Erick Spoelstra has been equally perplexed.

“I'm not giving them an excuse,” he said, “but I understand their frustration. Because it's real. They get to the paint. It's hard to tell them something rationally why they're not getting calls. I don't know.

The Heat coach added that despite the lack of calls, he wants the duo to keep up their aggressive scoring approach.

“I want them to continue to play, to be that determined to get into the paint, because they make so many good things happen for the team. And then, eventually, hopefully, they'll start getting the recognition and the deserved respect in order to go to the line a few more times.”

Erik Spoelstra's comments are backed up by the fact that their amount of trips to the free-throw line is not reminiscent of their play style. Dragic averages 3.8 free-throw attempts per game, while Waiters logs in just 2.1. That roughly equates to just around three trips to the charity stripe per game between the two.

The Heat's misfortune on the whistle is crucial considering how prolific their backcourt's driving ability is. Like most slashing guards, they sometimes rely on getting bailed out by the whistle to help get them to the free-throw line. However, NBA referees have had a quick whistle for ejections lately, so perhaps it is best to tread carefully moving forward.