How the Heat’s rotation players measure up at the All-Star break
The Heat has arrived at the All-Star break off a win in Dallas and feeling generally encouraged about its immediate future, with Goran Dragic soon to augment a group that sits ninth in the East but played stretches of very good basketball on a 2-3 road trip.
“It’s hard to even feel that we only got two wins out of this road trip because we played much better than that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of his 26-30 team.
As Dion Waiters put it: “I think we should have been 4-1 on this road trip. We got better each game.”
A look at where each Heat rotation player stands at the All-Star break:
▪ Josh Richardson: Only two active players drafted in the second round (Nikola Jokic and Lou Williams) are averaging more points than Richardson’s 17.6, which ranks ninth among NBA small forwards. He shot just 35.9 percent from the field in December and 39.4 in January but has regained his touch recently, shooting 58 percent (39 for 67) on the road trip.
He remains Miami’s best wing defender and most marketable asset in any potential trade for an All-Star.
▪ Justise Winslow: The offensive ascent has been dramatic, with his scoring average jumping from 7.8 to 12.4 and clear improvement in three-point shooting and his ability to finish at the rim.
In 26 games as a starting point guard, he’s averaging 14.2 points (which would rank 24th among all NBA points guards), 5.8 rebounds (fourth) and 4.8 assists (21st) while shooting 38.9 percent on threes (10th).
The Heat must decide whether he can be a long-term starting point guard on a contender. At the very least, he has validated the two-year, $26 million contract given him in October, with a third-year team option at $13 million.
▪ Hassan Whiteside: The minutes are on par with last season (25.4 compared with 25.3 a year ago) and his scoring is down (14 to 12.8), but the production in priority areas has been higher, with his rebounds jumping from 11.4 to 12.4 (eighth in the league) and blocks per game from 1.7 to 2.1 (fourth in the league).
Whiteside is holding players he’s defending to 42.5 percent shooting, compared with the 48.4 they shoot overall. He was been a dominant force in some games but hasn’t reached the All-Star level the Heat envisioned when it gave him a max contract. To his credit, he no longer complains publicly about his minutes and his screen-setting has improved.
▪ Dragic: Has missed the past 30 games because of a knee injury and subsequent surgery but is poised to return shortly after the All-Star break. In the 14 games before the injury, his scoring was down from a year ago (17.3 to 15.3) and so was his field-goal percentage (45 to 41). But the Heat has missed his offense, both in the half court and in transition.
▪ Dwyane Wade: His final season has gone as well as anyone could have possibly expected, so much so that he has, at times, been the Heat’s best player (which isn’t necessarily a good thing). His scoring is up over a year ago (11.4 to 14.0) and he remains Miami’s most gifted passer (4.3 assists per game are his most since 2015-16). And the evolution of his three-point game (54 threes on 32.3 percent shooting) has been a pleasant surprise.
▪ James Johnson: Missed the first 15 games while recovering from sports hernia surgery and was a disappointment as a starter, ranking among the bottom five among all starting power forwards in points and rebounds per 48 minutes and shooting percentage.
But he has played better off the bench in the past five games, including three double-figure scoring games. His four-year, $60 million contract — which runs two more seasons after this one — remains a burden on Miami’s cap.
▪ Waiters: Missed the first 2½ months after January ankle surgery but has begun to show flashes of the player who tantalized the Heat enough to give him a four-year, $52 million deal 2½ years ago. He shot 19 for 41 on threes during this road trip and displayed explosion in driving to the basket for three scores in the second half of the Mavericks game.
“Dion being inserted into the starting lineup has been good for us,” Winslow said late Wednesday night.
▪ Kelly Olynyk: Was on pace for his lowest scoring average since his rookie season until Johnson’s inefficiency created an opportunity as a starter. His three-point shooting percentage is down (37.7 to 34.0) but the Heat was plus-15 with Olynyk starting the past five games.
And here’s a pleasant surprise: Players guarded by Olynyk are shooting 43.9 percent, compared with 46 overall. He has drawn eight charges, by far the most on the team.
▪ Bam Adebayo: His effort and energy have buoyed the Heat on multiple occasions, and his ability to adeptly set screens and defend players at multiple positions has earned him substantial late-game minutes over Whiteside.
His numbers are up from his rookie season (7.8 points, 6.7 rebounds). But his offensive game remains a work in progress. He’s shooting 36.9 percent from 3 to 16 feet.
▪ Derrick Jones Jr: Joined Winslow as the Heat’s most improved player. His athleticism and unique ability to offensive rebound injected a dynamic that has been missed in several games since his knee injury. Has improved his outside shooting, too, and that two-year, $3 million contract last July was a prudent investment.
▪ Rodney McGruder: Tantalized early in the season with some fabulous forays to the basket and scoring outputs of 20, 19 and 19 in three of Miami’s first four games. His shooting (40.2 percent for the season) and playing time have leveled off subsequently, but he’s still a helpful glue player off the bench. Now at risk of losing rotation spot with the impending return of Dragic.
This story was originally published February 14, 2019 at 2:01 PM.
