Use The Bench
The Heat’s roster will look fairly similar to last season, with the exception of a few new faces like Derrick Jones Jr. who upgraded from a two-way contract to a two-year deal.
The team will be approaching the next offseason with hopes of signing one of the star free agents that will be on the open market. To be fully prepared for the offseason, Spoelstra will need to have a deep rotation this season, so he can more accurately assess the value of each individual player.
As the head coach, his priority will always be to put the best players on the court. However, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the course of an NBA season, to find time for players that are further down the bench.
This will typically take place in games with lopsided scores, but I think every player on this roster can hold their own in a competitive regular season NBA game.
It won’t be a starter’s share of playing time, but maybe five to ten minutes throughout a game. Each minute is a data point that helps the staff learn more about each player, and properly evaluate them.
Spoelstra needs to determine which players are the best fits for the culture and scheme of Miami Heat Basketball.
And for those players that are not great fits, he needs to determine what their fair market value would be. Spoelstra doesn’t have the final say in personnel decisions, but he certainly has a voice in those conversations.
His perspective as the head coach is critical for player evaluations.