Rodney McGruder’s shortened 2018 still showed the positives to his game.
When Rodney McGruder returned to the Miami Heat on February 27, the team exhaled a sigh of relief.
McGruder was instrumental in Miami’s 30-11 finish to the 2016-17 campaign, starting every game in the run while averaging 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds for the duration.
So, when his left leg stress fracture sidelined him for much of 2017-18, Miami was forced to strategize.
"“He started 65 times last year for a team that went 30-11 the second half of the season and then because of injury this year he had to be a support player and I wanted the guys to understand and have empathy for that,” head coach Erik Spoelstra told the Palm Beach Post. “But he’s put himself in a position now that he’s also ready to contribute. And while we might have a rotation that’s set where he might not play every single night, I will not hesitate to play him in any circumstance, starting or bench.”"
McGruder’s absence was akin to that of Luke Babbitt. Babbitt was another of Miami’s winning architects last year, and when he left in free agency, Miami’s rotations were thrown askew.
With Dion Waiters injured much of this season, the Heat were left to figure out what combination of Tyler Johnson, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk would earn starting minutes. Though his numbers were modest, missing McGruder left Miami with a lineup gap detrimental to an aspiring-turned-eventual playoff team.
Affixing the rearview mirror on McGruder’s past season, the 26-year-old amassed a middling sample size of games. After a stint rehabbing with Miami’s G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls SkyForce, McGruder rejoined Miami for just 18 games.
McGruder managed a pair of hearty performances among his games played, notably 13 and 14-point outings in wins against the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks respectively.
Despite a somewhat slow-moving release, McGruder developed a knack for catch-and-shoot attempts. He converted on 15-for-35 of his triples this season, an outcome of his willingness to slide to the 3-point line without the ball.
Defensively, McGruder’s return gave another glimpse of his wandering eye. In 2017, McGruder led all rookies in recovering loose balls and ranked in the top-10 in deflections.
This year, in limited minutes, seven of his eight steals came via intercepting passing lanes rather than through man-to-man coverage. Slotting in at shooting guard, McGruder’s 6-foot-4 frame can get taken advantage of in pick-and-rolls. He upends that weakness however by adding the opponents’ bad passes to his stat sheet.
New Year, New McGruder
Barring any injury related mishaps, next year can stand as McGruder’s breakout season. As team president Pat Riley prepares for an as-of-yet-undisclosed shakeup, McGruder’s remaining two year deal is the least of the team’s worries.
Set to earn $1.5 million next season and $1.9 million in 2019-20, McGruder is a bargain for Miami. If Justise Winslow or Josh Richardson have to be included in a deal to snag superstar, McGruder’s contract allows Miami to develop him as a third-year player with little salary cap risk.
When Waiters returns to the lineup next year, McGruder is a likely candidate for playing off the bench. Still, blossoming into a serviceable shooter like Wayne Ellington before him, could give Miami increased cap flexibility as Ellington is likely to garner big money this off-season.
It sounds like an echo chamber at this point, but the 2018 off-season is enormous for McGruder. He entered the association late (relatively speaking) at 25, potentially a hindrance to teams that prefer cradle-robbing to fill their rosters.
Next: Miami Heat: Drafting Bam Adebayo was 2017-18’s forgotten headline
Miami might be McGruder’s best shot to succeed. Luckily, he has Spoelstra and the organization in his corner.