Mailbag: Has Duncan Robinson’s role changed? And is Heat’s success sustainable?
The Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions.
If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them to achiang@miamiherald.com.
@MResto6: Should Erik Spoelstra consider keeping Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup once Justise Winslow returns? Kendrick Nunn to the bench.
Anthony Chiang: This is a good problem for the Heat. A coach will never complain about having too many intriguing options. But it is a decision that coach Erik Spoelstra will face when Justise Winslow returns from his concussion. For now, it’s hard to imagine Spoelstra taking Duncan Robinson out of the starting lineup with the way things are going. Not only is the Heat winning, but the starting group is a big reason for the team’s success. The starting lineup of Kendrick Nunn, Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, Bam Adebayo and Robinson has outscored opponents by a team-best 45 points in the 99 minutes it has been used this season. In fact, that group entered Thursday with the fifth-best plus/minus in the NBA among five-man lineups.
At the very least, it seems like Robinson has earned himself a spot in the Heat’s rotation. When the roster was close to full health, there were nights Robinson would get just limited minutes or not even play at all. Those days could be gone now.
Whoever starts, it doesn’t really matter. Who will Spoelstra close games with when Winslow returns? That’s the more important question.
Andy, Coral Gables: Is any of what we’ve seen from the Heat sustainable?
Anthony: Winning at a 77 percent clip? Probably not.
But the style of play? Why not? The Heat was expected to have a top-five defense entering the season, and it currently has the league’s third-best defensive rating.
As for the offense, that has been more of a surprise. After finishing last season below average in almost every offensive category, the Heat is ranked first in shooting percentage (48.2), second in three-point shooting percentage (39.6) and sixth in assists (26.2) this season. The Heat is also ranked 12th in offensive rating (108.8 points per 100 possessions).
The Heat is not expected to shoot 48 percent over the course of an 82-game season. That would be Golden State Warriorsesque from the Kevin Durant era. But it’s obvious the Heat is a more dynamic offensive team than last season after the addition of All-Star wing Jimmy Butler and shooters like Tyler Herro, Nunn and Robinson.
This is a good team. I think we can say that with confidence now, even after just 13 games.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 12:08 PM.
