The Miami Heat’s three best lineups of the 2017-18 season
By Rob Slater
Here’s a look at three of the best five-man lineups for the Miami Heat so far this season.
The first 58 games of the Miami Heat season can be best described as inconsistent, as the team ebbed and flowed their way to a 30-28 mark; good for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Just a month ago, the Heat were squaring off against Cleveland for the right to the three spot, but after losing to LeBron James and the Cavaliers, the two teams went in opposite directions.
When evaluating just what has worked for the Heat in an uneven first 58 games, an immediate trend reveals itself when uncovering the three best five-man lineups deployed by head coach Erik Spoelstra thus far.
The Heat are at their best when they use a combination of their most versatile playmakers, namely Wayne Ellington, Kelly Olynyk and rookie Bam Adebayo.
These three lineups are highlighted for a number of reasons, but the overarching theme is the myriad of scoring options. Even if all five aren’t scorers in the traditional sense, the complementary skills of the entire lineup and their ability to adapt to the style of play, makes it so they are highly productive on both offense and defense.
But the Heat’s most successful lineups also reveal a flaw in the roster construction, as Hassan Whiteside is noticeably absent from the list.
The Heat’s max contract center has not found his way into consistent success this year, but rather the more versatile frontcourt of Olynyk and Adebayo (as well as James Johnson) has proved more beneficial. Let’s take a closer look at the team’s most successful lineups.