There’s still a lot of uncertainty regarding Dwyane Wade‘s status for the upcoming season. A report late last month indicated that Wade was ‘inclined to play’ another season and if he does, it will be with the franchise he’s played for most of his career.
Even if Wade doesn’t return, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will have a lot of tough decisions to make regarding his rotation during the upcoming season. Miami’s roster is filled with solid but unspectacular players and Spoelstra will have to sort out which are most deserving of steady minutes.
Thanks to team president Pat Riley basically standing pat with his roster this summer, there aren’t a lot of players with clearly defined roles.
Point guard Goran Dragic seems like the only sure thing in terms of the backcourt. Tyler Johnson is the listed backup but Dion Waiters could get some playing time there, as well as Wade if he re-signs.
The shooting guard spot has a major logjam whether or not Wade is added to the equation. Along with Waiters coming back from an ankle injury, the Heat have Johnson, Rodney McGruder, Wayne Ellington and Josh Richardson vying for minutes there.
Richardson could start at small forward but Justise Winslow will also be in the mix, along with summer league star Derrick Jones. Richardson led the team last season in minutes played per game but that was partly due to the injuries sustained by Waiters and McGruder, who started 65 games two seasons ago. Ellington led the team’s rotation players last season with his 39.2% shooting from beyond the arc.
Winslow will also play the ‘four’ in smaller lineups but Spoelstra also has to figure out a way to juggle Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo and James Johnson at the center and power forward positions. Whiteside brooded about his reduced playing time last season and he won’t be happy with the status quo. But Adebayo’s role should expand in his second season while James Johnson, Olynyk and Winslow all played between 23-27 minutes on average last season.
That’s an awful lot for Spoeltra to sort out.
That leads us to our topic of the day: If you were the Miami Heat coach, what would your starting lineup look like? Which players should get the most minutes off the bench and which should be out of the rotation?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
My head is spinning
You see, lots of good solid players with no spectacular or star power, equals mediocrity or average. Miami as every year will count itself lucky to be in the playoffs but without any option of winning a series, when clutch time comes in the playoffs, you need stars to win matches, that is why they are paid for. Star power decides matches, you see that in GSW more stars than any other team, they always win, as simple as. No use to have a team of hardworking solid players, you need stars to dream big in the league & Miami deserves to dream big, it is so sad to see them languishing in no man’s land.
Dragic, Richardson, Mcgruder, James Johnson, Whiteside
Tyler Johnson, Justise Winslow, Wayne Ellington, KO, Wade/Waiters, Bam, Derrick Jones
Waiters doesnt have to rush back from his injury, and Wade doesnt have to have a prominent role every night. He can be the 6th man on certain nights, and slide guys down a spot, and on other nights he can back off on minutes a bit, and then when Waiters comes back, you figure that out. I’d also say the big rotation will likely change based on opponent, and I’d like to see UD play more, especially in certain matchups
Winslow should start over Johnson this year. Think he’ll prove to be a better shooter.
Decent solid team but man objectively if any disgruntled star comes available anytime soon the heat lack the assets to even pretend to get in the game!
The other team will see some combo of bad contracts,limited tradable picks and a roster full of unexciting nice floor low ceiling talent they could get back besides bam ( who heat likely won’t wanna trade) and may be Richardson but that’s not enough for anyone any heat fan would ever want
Dragic, Macgruder, Richardson, Olynyk & Whiteside starting, but players should be coming in & out frequently. It’s hard to say who’s the best at any place.
1st Team
PG Dragic
SG Richardson
SF Winslow
PF J. Johnson
C. Whiteside
2nd Team
PG T. Johnson
SG Ellington/Macgruder/Waiters
SF Waiters/Macgruder/Ellington
PF Bam
C O’lynyk
The whole D-Wade thing would put a wrench in that and then you have a cluster-f of 2/3s. Don’t even see Derrick Jones get much playing time unless there’s an injury. The can get a good asset for Ellington at the deadline. Maybe even for Dragic. I wouldn’t trade Winslow, Richardson and Bam though that’s got to be the future.
Oh and James Johnson could be a decent trade chip depending on how he’s playing.