The Miami Heat were one of the most talked-about franchises in the NBA over the last two months due to the Jimmy Butler trade saga. Fortunately, the Heat found an appropriate package for Butler from the Golden State Warriors instead of dragging this out to the summer.Â
The Butler trade brought three new players into the franchise – Andrew Wiggins, PJ Tucker, and Kyle Anderson. Tucker was quickly traded to the Toronto Raptors for backup guard Davion Mitchell, making the Heat look more formidable now than they did for the last month without Butler or these reinforcements.
Let’s take a look at what the Heat’s starting lineup and bench look like after moving on from Jimmy Butler after nearly six seasons as their franchise cornerstone.
Starting Lineup
Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo, Kel’El Ware
The Miami Heat have injected new life into their starting lineup with strategic decisions and trades over the last month. The most important addition here is Andrew Wiggins, who might be the perfect 3-and-D forward for the Heat.Â
With Tyler Herro’s growing role as an on-ball creator and scorer, the Heat need a forward like Wiggins who can support Herro as a secondary perimeter scoring option but also be a hard-nosed 3-and-D forward. Wiggins averaged 17.6 points and 4.6 rebounds on the Warriors, providing precisely that for Stephen Curry. Herro actually has higher production than Curry across the board this season, so Wiggins could be a phenomenal addition.
Duncan Robinson reclaimed his position as a starter after being in and out of the rotation in recent years. His shooting prowess is far too significant for teams to ignore, which keeps defenses spaced out for others to be successful. He’s also become a somewhat competent defender, which has helped his return to the Heat’s starting five.
Kel’El Ware is Miami’s breakout rookie, averaging 13.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks over the last 10 games. Ware can provide Bam Adebayo with interior support while also being a perimeter shooting option. His defense is not nearly as sophisticated as Adebayo’s just yet, with Bam setting the team’s defensive tone even amidst a rough season.
Reserves
Terry Rozier, Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson, Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Alec Burks, Pelle Larsson, Keshad Johnson, Josh Cristopher (Two-Way), Dru Smith (Two-Way), Isaiah Stevens (Two-Way)
The Heat have a very robust group of players on their bench who can affect the team in a variety of ways.
Let’s discuss the newest addition first. Davion Mitchell is the perfect Heat culture addition, as the defensive point guard could unseat Robinson as a starter because of his POA capabilities. Mitchell, Wiggins, and Adebayo could form the basis of a very strong defensive trio, an option that coach Erik Spoelstra will always have in his back pocket.
Kyle Anderson is coming off a rough stint with the Warriors and wasn’t someone Miami actively wanted. They tried trading him to the Raptors for Mitchell until Tucker was sent instead, probably because Anderson is under a multi-year contract. He could be a useful bench forward alongside options like Haywood Highsmith. Highsmith is far more defensively active, though Anderson might be more reliable offensively.Â
Terry Rozier is dealing with some legal issues but if he returns to the Heat, he’ll likely be the designated sixth man scorer. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic will continue playing big roles in the rotation as well.
Alec Burks will be the only veteran to struggle to get minutes while Pelle Larsson and other youngsters will continue developing on the bench for the remainder of this season, as the Heat look to secure a top-six seed and return to the Playoffs.
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