Miami Heat: Who will take over for Ellington and Johnson?
There’s never a dull moment for the Miami Heat, as both Wayne Ellington and Tyler Johnson sustained injuries on Tuesday night.
So far, the only thing consistent about this Miami Heat season, is its inconsistency. Especially when it comes to lineup changes.
And unfortunately, it seems head coach Erik Spoelstra will have to go back to the drawing board. Again.
Although the Heat were able to pull off the win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in the AmericanAirlines Arena. Unfortunately, both Wayne Ellington and Tyler Johnson sustained injuries during the game, which will impact Miami’s Thursday evening matchup versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
Currently, Ellington is listed as doubtful while Johnson remains questionable.
So what can Spoelstra do?
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Well, he could start Dwyane Wade, who notched a season-high 27 points over the 76ers.
However, there’s a reason 15 of those came in the fourth quarter. At 36-years-old, it takes a while for the superstar to warm up. And a handful of bad possessions to find his rhythm. Not to mention he’s not exactly in world-class shape just yet. Something he candidly admits to.
"“I thought I played 35 minutes last night. I looked and it was 25. But I definitely have put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes to get to [in Heat shape] and I’ll be getting better as the year goes on.”"
Still, the Heat may need someone to fill Johnson’s spot now
Like say, Josh Richardson?
With Rodney McGruder just having made his way back from a leg fracture and Kelly Olynyk continuing not to feel 100 percent with his shoulder, it seems only right for Richardson to fill the void.
In fact, many were calling for the third-year to permanently remain in that spot alongside Goran Dragic anyways, leaving Johnson to come off the bench; a role he’s much more familiar and ultimately comfortable with.
As for Ellington, the good news is Miami now has another 3-point specialist at their disposal: Luke Babbitt. While his numbers this year haven’t stunned in quite the same way, his shooting did pick up with the Atlanta Hawks, as opposed to his 2016-17 run with Heat.
Next: The Miami Heat Tip Off, Week Two: Rotation changes are coming
Both Ellington and Johnson are expected back soon, but the Miami Heat still could have used a break on the injury front.