Following a stellar finish to the 2016-17 regular season, here’s an early look at some of the prospective Miami Heat lineups this upcoming season.
Despite missing out on their No. 1 offseason target, Gordon Hayward, the Miami Heat have nonetheless had a relatively successful summer thus far.
Last season’s reclamation success stories in Dion Waiters and James Johnson were both rewarded with four-year contract’s consisting of a significant pay rise. With a year under their belts within the Heat system, it’s certainly anticipated that Waiters and Johnson take an extra step this season, and therefore justify the faith the team has placed in their talents.
After missing out Hayward, the Heat quickly set their sights elsewhere by signing center Kelly Olynyk. Also signed to a four-year deal. Olynyk’s ability to not only man the middle, but also stretch the floor at either the 4 or 5 spot, is bound to give head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff a plethora of options for the upcoming season.
Furthermore, a real X-factor that has emerged this offseason has been Bam Adebayo, the Heat’s No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. At 6-foot-10, and possessing incredible athletic ability, Adebayo exhibited glimpses of his significant potential in the recent Summer League in both Orlando and Las Vegas.
On top of these additions is the recent development that forward Justise Winslow has been cleared to participate in full-contact work after playing just 18 games last season due to season demanding shoulder surgery.
And this is all without mentioning the Heat’s two premier starters in Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. Therefore, with a number of new key pieces to work with, formulating the correct lineups to make the best use of the available talent is going to be crucial for Spoelstra and his staff moving forward.
With this in mind, here’s a look at three alternative lineups the Heat could roll out this upcoming season.
Big lineup
Hassan Whiteside – Kelly Olynyk – James Johnson – Justise Winslow – Dion Waiters
With their present roster construction, one option coach Spelsotra can pursue is an extra-big lineup. And not only is it plausible, it could be downright effective.
Three of the five players listed – Olynyk, Johnson and Waiters – possess three-point range. Also, all five range from good two excellent on the defensive end. Not only does this team possess long-range shooting, all those listed apart from Whiteside are adept at defending the perimeter shot.
One example is Olynyk, who last season as a member of the Boston Celtics averaged 2.7 contested three-point shots per game, good for fourth on the team despite averaging just 21.0 minutes per games and standing 7-foot tall.
Furthermore, Johnson and Winslow each possess the ability to defend multiple positions, meaning they would be able to switch in a variety of situations. This would prove decisive against an elite team such as the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, as the Heat would be able to match up against the multitude of lineups the Warriors are capable of throwing out.
Offensively, Waiters and Johnson would be the primary ball-handlers, with Winslow also demonstrating in his brief time last season that this is an area that the Heat can further utilise.
Waiters’ playmaking abilities really came to the fore last season, posting seven or more assists on eight occasions despite playing in just 48 games. Notably, the Heat posted a 7-1 record over these games. Johnson for his part posted eight or more assists on five occasions, including a career high 12 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat posted a 4-1 record over these games.
While such as a lineup wouldn’t be used regularly, it nonetheless would be fascinating if and when Spoelstra thought it’d be worth utilising.
Small lineup
Goran Dragic – Tyler Johnson – Dion Waiters – Justise Winslow – James Johnson
This type of lineup is a real chance to be used regularly, albeit in short spurts.
Ranging from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-9, this arrangement would get up and down the floor rapidly, defend excellently on the perimeter, and most of all shoot from all over the court. Winslow has already demonstrated to be a top-notch defender, and his physicality would enable him to handle things in the low post if necessary.
And while he’s just 6-foot-9, Johnson’s significantly improved physical conditioning has resulted in an amazing upgrade as a defensive stopper, as demonstrated by posting two or more blocked shots on 28 occasions last season.
The one glaring weakness with the such a lineup would be on the boards, where rebounding is not necessarily the strong suit on any of the players listed. And in tying in with that, the lack of a legitimate rim protector would prevent the lineup from taking the floor for extended stretches.
However, with the “small-ball” era as prevalent as ever, such a lineup would provide legitimate nightmares for opposing teams. Three of the quintet – Dragic, Waiters and Johnson – hit at a 37.2 percent clip or greater from three-point range last season. And most of all, each player from this group is more than capable of handling the ball and creating offence while on the court.
And with the depth of the Heat entering the season, many of these players listed are also interchangeable with other players on the roster.
Three-point barrage lineup
Goran Dragic – Wayne Ellington – Dion Waiters – Josh Richardson – James Johnson
Like the small lineup, such a group would be best served in small doses.
But when rolling, it could simply blow opponents off the court.
The five players listed averaged the most three-point attempts per game last season for the Heat, with Richardson’s return of a 33.0 percent clip representing the lowest efficiency of the quintet. Having said that, each player last season has exhibited the ability to simply get red-hot when rolling.
Ellington led the Heat with 6.4 three-point attempts per game, and converted at least five three-pointers on eight occasions. Considering Ellington was assisted on 87.0 percent of his made field goals last season, surrounded but three play makers such as Dragic, Waiters and Johnson would present a frightening prospect for opposing teams.
Richardson had a frustrating season last season, primarily due to injury interruptions before and during the season. But considering over 90 percent of his made three-pointers last season were assisted by a teammate, surrounded by such firepower would certainly enhance Richardson’s abilities from long-range.
But while this group would be exceptional on the offensive end, like the aforementioned small-ball lineup, it presents a significant problem at the other end of the floor.
Next: Projecting the Heat's 3-point shooting
Although these lineups detailed are far from traditional, each can prove to be highly effective when used in the right situation. Combining the Heat’s significantly improved depth with Spoelstra’s coaching prowess, the Heat should certainly be able to capitalise on their spirited second half of last season, and hence move towards the contending teams in the now weakened Eastern Conference.