- MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 28: Kelly Olynyk
The Miami Heat have been trying some different lineups this preseason and may have found some two-man combos that work.
Experimenting with your team, working out any last minute kinks, and giving us something to talk about. It’s what preseason basketball is all about. And the Miami Heat have succeeded at all three.
For the most part, this is a very similar team to last year’s. There was not a lot of movement when it comes to the depth chart. This offseason, president Pat Riley wanted to secure a few players with contract extensions and try to go after a few big names.
Once Gordan Hayword made his decision to go to the Boston Celtics, Riley secured Dion Waiters and James Johnson. The Heat should be excited that they’re practically bringing back the same team from last year and adding Kelly Olynyk.
One loss to the roster was Josh McRoberts. Riley knew that he had to keep Wayne Ellington to help perform from beyond-the-arc. The only way to do that was to trade McRoberts and his $6 million. So that’s what he did. McRoberts and his $6 million salary went to Dallas and Ellington stayed in Miami.
Pat Riley worked his magic to now put together a young core that works cohesively and could continue to do so for a long time. Olynyk and Waiters are both 26, and signed four-year deals.
Basketball is much more than just names. The right chemistry has to be there for a team to succeed.
When it comes to Miami, there’s a couple of duos that could make things scary for the rest of the league.
Hassan Whiteside and Kelly Olynyk
Yeah, you can forget about the rising trend of small ball. Miami has the opportunity to put two 7-footers in at the same time. Risky, but it works. For a few games, head coach Erik Spoelstra has started to two side-by-side.
With Hassan Whiteside at the five, Olynyk has the opportunity to play as a four. Do you need a 7-foot, four? Or better yet can it even be effective? For Olynyk the answer is yes.
Against the Charlotte Hornets, the two big men started alongside one-another. The result? Double-doubles for both. Olynyk finished the game with 13 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes, Whiteside with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes.
It seems like Olynyk just works better as a four. The former Celtic is good with his mid-range shot and probably has the best dribble moves out of any “center”.
The two also started with each other against the Orlando Magic and Whiteside was hungry. Recording 17 points and 15 rebounds, he played like a mad-man in just 26 minutes.
Against the Washington Wizards most recently, Whiteside took the night off and rested alongside Goran Dragic and Waiters. As for Olynyk, he came away from the night with eight points and seven boards in 22 minutes. Not quite as effective without The Great Wall.
Even though we know Whiteside can produce, he hasn’t as much without Olynyk. In the first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, Whiteside only collected eight points, shooting 2-of-5.
If Whiteside and Olynyk can continue to build chemistry and compliment each other’s games, why not play them together?
Tyler Johnson and James Johnson
If there were one connection already established, it would be The Brothers Johnson. These two seemingly share the same brain. They way they connect with each other is on another level.
Against the Wizards, Tyler Johnson was able to put up 14 points, while James Johnson tallied 12 behind him. Their productivity could have been so much more, but was limited to just 18 minutes of action.
Of course, we all saw this coming. After watching this connection flourish last season, James Johnson was given a four-year $60 million deal. Riley asked for more out of him and he didn’t stop there.
That productivity and new contract had many of us under the assumption that he would become a starter for the team. That’s now in question after Spoelstra has decided to mix up the lineup. Rightfully so, as he’s finding what works best for the Heat. That may just mean leaving James Johnson out of the starting lineup so that the Brothers Johnson can remain intact.
So far this preseason has been a testament that the two need each other, at least on James Johnson’s side. The power forward was struggling as a starter. Only putting up two points in both of his starts to open up the preseason.
If Spoelstra decides to run the lineup with James Johnson coming off the bench, that would allow for our first duo, Whiteside and Olynyk to work together.
Would it be great to see James Johnson get the starting position he’s work so hard for? Of course. But if this team works together better and he is more productive beside his partner in crime, then his new contract would be money well spent.
Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo
The young guns could be in the midst of making some noise. Bam Adebayo got his first go-round of double-digit minutes against Washington and delivered. 15 points and two rebounds in 23 minutes was enough to get Miami excited about their first-round pick.
While it may be hard for the former Wildcat to get decent playing time on a deep team, he definitely has the capability to.
As for Justise Winslow, he’s received some tough love from Miami fans. His offensive production hasn’t been up to par of what the fans initially expected. He was still working his way into the starting lineup for 15 of his 18 games played last season, before suffering a season-ending injury.
Winslow might not turn out to be a player who scores a ton, but he’s able to get it done elsewhere. Seven rebounds and nine assists greatly contributed to Miami’s win over Washington. Even with the struggles that he has gone through, maybe he needed a sidekick to get things going? And that sidekick could be Adebayo.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/918290292255674368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Winslow had a great career at Duke, accompanied by a great connection with Jahill Okafor. Adebayo could become what Okafor was to Winslow at Duke. There are similarities in their games and Adebayo is just a strong player. He gets it done in the paint. Just needs someone to get him the ball there. That’s where Winslow comes in.
If Winslow starts racking up double-doubles, it’s going to be with assists. He’s crafty making space and getting a good entry pass down low. If the Heat could get this connection that we saw against Washington to work in the regular season, it could turn into a great long-term combo between the 21 and 20 year-olds.
Next: Miami Heat's Rodney McGruder out with leg fracture, now what?
The Heat may not have everything figured out, but they definitely have some talented duos going to work.