Podcast: Have lineup changes saved the Heat? And making the All-NBA case for Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat is rolling again, just in time for the 2022 NBA playoffs.
By the time it next takes the court Friday against the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena, the Heat may have locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference because of a perfectly timed five-game winning streak, coming right after its season-worst four-game winning streak.
How did this extreme turnaround happen and does it mean Miami (52-28) is once again the team to beat in the East? Those are the questions explored by David Wilson and Anthony Chiang, the Heat beat writer for the Miami Herald, on a new episode of the Heat Check podcast.
It starts with some Erik Spoelstra wizardry. The coach’s decision to swap Max Strus into the starting lineup for wing Duncan Robinson helped jump-start the winning streak and a more offensive-minded approach to Miami’s rotation helped the Heat score the second most points in a single game in franchise history in its 144-115 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday in Miami.
All-Star forward Jimmy Butler and point guard Kyle Lowry deserve a ton of credit, too, as they have started to hoist up three-pointers and the Heat is benefiting.
Speaking of Butler, most of the second half of the episode is dedicated to making a case to put the 32-year-old on the All-NBA team. The pool of star forwards gets thin quickly, and Butler’s contributions to winning, even on such a balanced team, should get him the nod over peers like Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam.
Even if Butler doesn’t take home an award at the end of the season, Miami should still fare well. Guard Tyler Herro should be a lock for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year and star post player Bam Adebayo should probably win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, too. Those are really the two awards that would best sum up the incredible season the Heat is having, even more so than an All-NBA nod for Butler.
Thanks as always for listening and please continue to rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
