Mailbag: Does Heat’s fourth-quarter rotation need tweaks? Why it’s not that simple
The Miami Herald’s Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions. If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via X (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them in to achiang@miamiherald.com.
@DADDOISTIRED: Will Spo ever experiment with having Jimmy, Bam, & Herro on the floor earlier in the fourth quarter, perhaps at the nine-minute mark? At least 2/3 if not all 3? Those fourth-quarter rotations vs Minnesota were brutal.
Anthony Chiang: First, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro have barely played together this season. The Heat’s entire leading trio has been available for just seven of the first 28 games. That limited time hasn’t necessarily allowed Erik Spoelstra to figure out a fourth-quarter rotation that involves all three of them.
The fact the Heat has been forced to play most games so far with only one or two members of its leading trio is definitely one of the reasons for the team’s fourth-quarter issues this season.
But it’s also not that simple because its hard to explain why the Heat has the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter net rating, especially considering the Heat has a top-10 net rating in each of the first three quarters.
In Monday’s loss to the Timberwolves, Spoelstra began the fourth quarter with Adebayo on the court and both Butler and Herro on the bench. Herro entered to play the final 6:44 of the game and Butler entered to play the final 4:51 of the game.
Is that the ideal fourth-quarter rotation? Probably not, but remember it was Adebayo and Herro’s first game back from injury. Part of Herro’s delayed entrance in the fourth quarter could have been part of the plan to limit his minutes in his return.
Adebayo and Herro both averaged 10-plus minutes per fourth quarter last regular season and I would expect that to be the case again this season. Both players will likely play most of the fourth quarter in most games, with Butler entering to play the final six or seven minutes of the game.
But because of injuries, the Heat hasn’t been able to get to that ideal fourth-quarter plan yet this season.
@MrEd315: What letter grade would you assign to the Heat for their efforts and results so far this season? And who needs to step up his game?
Anthony: If you’re going to make me give a grade, I would say a B.
Yes, the Heat is not where it wants to be in the Eastern Conference standings. Miami entered Friday in sixth place in the East. But the Heat has also dealt with injuries to key players for most of the season and has played 15 of its first 28 games on the road.
The Heat doesn’t get an A, though, because it has been closer to mediocre than elite. Miami currently holds the NBA’s 15th-ranked offensive rating, 14th-ranked defensive rating and 12th-ranked net rating.
More quality wins would also bump up the Heat’s grade. Miami is 4-8 this this season against teams that entered Friday with a winning record and 12-4 against teams with a losing record.
But one could argue that the grade should be incomplete since the Heat has played without multiple rotation players for most of the season because of its injury issues.
