Is it time for the Miami Heat to give Rodney McGruder more minutes?
For Miami Heat fans, Tuesday can’t come soon enough.
With Game 5 of the first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers tipping off at 8 PM ET, it’s do or die for the men of South Florida; the Heat are currently down 3-1 and face elimination.
Still, Miami does have a chance to stay alive. Just like they did back in 1997, against the New York Knicks. Head coach Erik Spoelstra holds a 10-5 record when facing elimination, since taking over as head coach, and it’s easy to see how bad this team wants to stay afloat.
"“…with this group of guys I definitely feel comfortable and confident that we’re going to go out here and play hard,” said Dwyane Wade. “So from that standpoint, I’m confident in the energy and effort we’re going to bring.”"
The question is, how are the Heat going to get it done?
There are many adjustments that must be made moving forward, in order to ensure success. For starters, Hassan Whiteside needs to keep being aggressive, especially against Joel Emiid. Free throw shooting is also a concern, as Miami shot just 13-of-25 in Game 4. And as usual, Miami Heat defense must show up, to stop the hot hands of guys like J.J. Redick and Marco Belinelli.
However, many are also wondering if perhaps Rodney McGruder shouldn’t receive more playing time.
So far, McGruder has only played a total of nine minutes in four games, accumulating two points and one rebound. He saw no time on the court on Saturday, which is somewhat confusing considering Tyler Johnson played just 13 minutes himself, shooting 0-of-1 from the field.
(Even more so when his jammed thumb is taken into account.)
Johnson hasn’t necessarily been a problem defensively, keeping up with Philadelphia’s pace and doing his best to make things more difficult for Redick beyond the arc. But offensively, the guard hasn’t really been able to get going. While he scored 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting in 17 minutes in Game 4, he recorded only five points in 14 minutes in Game 3.
McGruder, despite being sidelined during regular season play, is savvy on both ends of the floor. A defensive powerhouse (having locked down the likes of LeBron James on occasion), he can also light it up.
In his first game back after fracturing his leg, the swingman scored 16 points for the Sioux Falls Skyforce (the team’s G-League affliate), going 8-for-17 from the field. During his 20 minutes of play, he also totaled two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
While Spoelstra may choose to stick with the same starting lineup heading into Game 5, it would be wise to better utilize McGruder.
Next: Miami Heat: Hassan Whiteside was finally having fun again
Can the Miami Heat hang on? Fingers crossed.