Mailbag: Is it time for the Heat to prioritize development over winning?
The weekly Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions.
If you weren’t able to ask one this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email me at achiang@miamiherald.com.
Danny: The Heat is probably not going to win a playoff series. Shouldn’t development be prioritized over winning at this point?
Anthony Chiang: Does it have to be one over the other? I feel like the Heat can prioritize developing younger players while still trying to win games. Why? Because some of the younger players Miami is looking to develop are some of its best players. Playing the young core of Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow more during important stretches doesn’t exactly equal tanking. And I would argue the Heat is already relying on its young core late in games, with Richardson averaging a team-high 9.2 minutes in the fourth quarter and Adebayo and Winslow both averaging 7.9 fourth-quarter minutes. That’s more than higher-paid players like Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson.
This question will come up when Goran Dragic returns from right knee surgery, which is expected shortly after the All-Star break. Dragic is the proven veteran who is still probably the Heat’s most reliable offensive player when healthy, but the younger Winslow has shown growth while playing in Dragic’s point guard spot in the starting lineup. This is where the development vs. winning question applies, with coach Erik Spoelstra facing the decision of whether to start the proven veteran (Dragic) or the emerging talent (Winslow). Getting back to the first part of the answer, Spoelstra doesn’t necessarily have to pick one over the other. Who starts doesn’t really matter. It’s about how many minutes each player plays at point guard, and I would expect Winslow to still log 16-plus minutes per game at point guard even if Dragic starts at the position. Winslow and Dragic can even play together during stretches, with Winslow initiating the offense and Dragic playing off the ball.
There are ways to prioritize winning while still developing the young core, and that’s Spoelstra’s job to figure out.
@iamtzamac: 26 more games. 25 more blocks for Dwyane Wade to overtake Michael Jordan for No. 1. Do you think D-Wade will hunt for those blocks or he’s just gonna take it easy as the season ends?
Anthony: Dwyane Wade has said in the past that achievement would be particularly meaningful, so he does care about it. But it’s unlikely Wade gets to Michael Jordan’s number. Wade has 22 blocks in 46 games played this season for an average of 0.5 per game. Based on those numbers, it’s hard to imagine Wade averaging one block per over the final 26 games to pass Jordan. So he probably will have to accept finishing second-place to Jordan for most blocks ever by a guard. That’s still pretty impressive.
This story was originally published February 19, 2019 at 11:13 AM.
