Heat’s depth forces tough decisions, but Spoelstra views it as ‘the strength of our team’
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra uses the regular season to tinker with the rotation. The playoff rotation is a result of what has worked in the regular season.
“I think about that in December, January, February,” Spoelstra said before Friday’s Game 3 of the Heat’s first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena when asked about tough rotations he has been forced to make this season. “I’m not thinking about that now.”
The Heat’s rotation to begin the playoffs seems clear, with Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo in the starting lineup. Then a bench rotation of Tyler Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, and, when needed, Caleb Martin.
But that still leaves proven veterans such as Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris out of the Heat’s consistent rotation.
“Those are high-class problems,” Spoelstra said. “You got really talented guys and we’re trying to do something that’s really tough to do. Trying to compete for a title. That’s the hardest thing you can ever do in team sports. It requires sacrifice, it requires guys committing to a role and utilizing the entire menu of your roster. Sometimes it’s your opportunity, sometimes it’s not and you just got to give into the team.”
Even for those in the rotation, the roles change from game to game.
In Game 1 of the series, Robinson scored a team-high 27 points and hit eight three-pointers to set a Heat record for threes made in a playoff game. He then went scoreless and didn’t attempt a shot while playing only seven minutes in Game 2 despite being available for the entire contest.
Instead it was Butler who led the Heat’s offense with 45 points, a playoff career-high, in Game 2. And with Robinson not playing in the second half, Martin stepped into his spot in the rotation and contributed his usual solid defense in 15 second-half minutes after finding himself out of the rotation in Game 1.
“I’ve said it all year, we have a deep roster that anyone can come in any night and have a game like Duncan. A 27-point night,” Herro said. “So I think that’s a strength of ours, having seven or eight guys that can go for 20 points in a game. Then having all those different options to draw plays for, I think that’s one of our biggest strengths.”
Herro added that he believes the Heat has “one of the most complete teams, if not the most complete team in the playoffs.”
“I think that will go far in the playoffs, having guys who can come in who may not have been in the rotation the last series and come in the next series and make a big impact,” Herro continued.
How balanced is Miami’s roster? Every playoff team featured at least one player who averaged more points in the regular season than the Heat’s leading scorer, Butler (21.4 points per game).
“That’s the strength of our team,” Spoelstra said. “You know where the main weapons are going to come from. But there’s a lot of guys on our roster that can hurt you. But yet there has to be a level of unselfishness to be able to take advantage of all of that.”
VINCENT IMPRESSING HAWKS
Vincent hasn’t only made a strong impression on the Heat during his time with the organization, he has also already left a positive impression on the Heat’s first-round opponent.
“Over the last couple of years, he has evidently impressed the Heat organization with his ability to pressure defensively. offensively, he makes shots,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “And they are taking advantage of his skill at both ends of the floor. He has played himself into a role for that team. He has earned the right to be out there. He can guard and he can make shots from the perimeter. Those are the things you seem to need to play for Miami. He’s a two-way guy. He continues to get better.”
Vincent totaled 19 points with the help of 5-of-12 shooting on threes in the first two games of the series, and has been used to defend and pressure Hawks star guard Trae Young.
STILL WAITING
Herro is the clear favorite to be named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for this season, but said following Thursday’s practice that he has not been told yet whether he was won the award.
Herro is one of the three finalists for the honor, along with Phoenix’s Cam Johnson and Cleveland’s Kevin Love. The winner will be announced at some point during the playoffs.
“It would be cool,” Herro said when asked about the possibility of winning the award. “I’m in the sixth man role, so why not try to be the best sixth man in the league.”
▪ The NBA announced Friday that Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy for winning the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The annual award honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.
Adebayo was one of six finalists for the award, with current NBA players selecting the winner from the list finalists. Adebayo finished in third place in the voting behind Mills and second-place Jeff Green of the Denver Nuggets.
This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 11:37 AM.
