In this week’s AllUCanHeat’s Miami Heat roundtable, the staff talks about some changes that maybe should be made.
Okay, at this point, do you believe Justise Winslow should be permanently slotted in at point guard, behind Goran Dragic?
Allana Tachauer (@AllanaTachauer): I go back and forth on my answer to this question, all the time; which I guess is fitting, given how inconsistent Justise Winslow was at the start of this season. However, right now, my answer is yes. He really seems to enjoy the role, and because of that, has more confidence in himself, which of course leads to him playing better. He’s been looking more determined and aggressive on the offensive end of things lately, which is what the Miami Heat have needed him to showcase all along.
Rich Nurse (@followthepen): At the expense of adding to the speculation that I do not like Winslow, I think he should be permanently slotted behind Goran Dragic by default. Dwyane Wade is a better decision maker—although their assists/turnover numbers are about the same—but Winslow only seems to perform well when he aggressively has the basketball in his hands. Wade, on the other hand, can play off of it.
Chase Eyrich (@ceyrich): I don’t really see the harm of it. We’re seeing Winslow play the best basketball of his career right now, and with him at point guard, the rest of the team (especially on the offensive side) works rather well. I like the pacing, spacing and confidence that he brings to the table.
Rahmeaun Rahming (@Boneman9000): I’ll actually take this one step further and say Winslow should be slotted as the starter, with everyone bumping down a spot and moving Rodney McGruder to the bench. It’s clear that the team benefits more when Winslow is on the court at the same time as Richardson and Dragic. Head coach Erik Spoelstra must know that too, since he’s gotten to these three-man lineups quite a bit so far this season. To be honest, I don’t think the Heat bench is strong enough to score if any point guard’s pass, so they might as well put Winslow in with the starters, and let him operate like Ben Simmons.
So is it time to trade Tyler Johnson and if yes, then who should the Miami Heat be looking to get in return?
Tachauer: I’ve admired Tyler Johnson’s grit and grind since he first showed up in South Florida, and that will never change. His mindset is exactly that of Miami Heat Basketball, and despite his inconsistencies on the court, he’s always a rock steady force behind the scenes. Even what he said recently about the team being against tanking, really proved just what a great fit he is for The Culture. However, with all that being said, he’s simply not thriving in the Heat’s current system. There’s an argument to be made that no one really is, thanks to the reliance on positionless basketball. But regardless, if Miami could find a suitable trade partner for Johnson, then I do think it’s worth exploring. The problem is that may very well not happen, given the point guard’s contract.
Nurse: The time to trade Johnson came about a year ago; however, Miami should not really expect anything in return. He’s an undersized shooting guard with a bloated contract. And he stays nicked up, on top of it all. Who would seriously want that?
Eyrich: Even with things starting to turn around for the Heat with a few successful games, I think a lot of players are still tradeable. The issue is with the second part of the question. The Heat right now won’t be able to find someone to take Johnson’s contract, and give something that’s worth it in return.
Rahming: I actually think the Heat should keep Johnson. Since Wade and Wayne Ellington are back in verging amounts this season, the team hasn’t been able to see what he can really do when relied upon on a nightly basis. Right now he’s sharing the role of 6th, 7th, and 8th man, and it’s obviously not working out. Because of his contract, I don’t think the Heat are in a position to trade him without attaching future assets so they should stand pat (no pun intended).
What do you think Bam Adebayo still needs to work on, to be able to one day transition into the team’s starting center?
Tachauer: I definitely think Bam Adebayo is the future of this franchise, but it’ll be a few more years until I’m comfortable with him being the team’s starting center. While he has already improved his ball-handling and playmaking, his scoring abilities still need to develop; particularly, his jumper. Obviously the big man can take it to the rim with ease, and has also excelled lately at connecting with different guys for successful alley oops. But without an additional shot, he’ll get left behind in the “traditional center” void, which will never fit in with Miami’s system.
Nurse: Adebayo needs to work on perfecting his 15-foot jump shot. After the Heat drafted Adebayo, scouts raved about the jumpers that he knocked down in workouts. But so far, the fans have rarely seen this. He also does not have any go-to post moves; so if he can turn his decent stroke into something consistent, Adebayo can be a more athletic version of Serge Ibaka, from a few years ago.
Eyrich: I actually think he’s practically there already. In my opinion, Adebayo is the best center on the team. He has things to learn of course; with pacing and matchups being a couple of them. I mean, defensively, there are matchups that will currently still torch Adebayo. So if you want to really pin point one thing that would help him grow into having a more successful future with the team, I think it would be him learning how to adapt to matchups.
Rahming: Above anything: scoring consistently. Looking over his profile so far this season shows that out of 27 games played, Adebayo has scored single-digit points 18 times. That cannot be customary for him as a starter. He needs to get double-digit points and rebounds much more often to be considered seriously as a starting center in the NBA.
And is Josh Richardson losing a bit of traction, after his very hot start to 2018-19 play?
Tachauer: Josh Richardson has certainly hit a bit of a slump lately, yes, but I’m not worried. This happens to a great deal of players, and never lasts for long. He’s still been fully motivated towards helping the team find success offensively, even if the shots aren’t falling as well currently, and has of course continued to play high-level defense too. The Richardson we saw at the beginning of 2018-19 will be back soon.
Nurse: Richardson has slowed up a bit, yes. However, it could be due to the toll of being undersized. Every game sees him go out and compete on both sides of the ball, but he is not a true small forward, and that is where he plays most of his time. And unfortunately, that misplacement in the lineup is not going to change anytime soon, either, especially if Dion Waiters ever gets back on the court.
Eyrich: You could say he’s losing a bit of traction, but I think a better way to describe it is that he’s in a slump. He has star potential, but he’s not there yet. And it’s natural for player to hit slumps, especially with how fresh he is in the league still. So I don’t think anyone should worry; it’s only a matter of time before he’s out of it.
Rahming: Watching Richardson grow this season is kind of an enigma. And if you watch closely, you can tell he’s inconsistent, even though he may hit some big shots in a game or go on a personal scoring run. In his last eight games, Richardson has gone for a combined 29-of-119 from the field. I’m sorry, but if a team has a weak bench and your star player shoots 24 percent over a two and a half week span, they deserve to lose games. The Heat should be thanking their lucky stars they’ve been able to grab the few wins they did, within that amount of time. I don’t think that Richardson has fallen off though. His ability to go through big time slumps has been showing itself in small patches all throughout the season. Before the eight-game sample I spoke of earlier, Richardson has made single-digit field goals 13 times. Only one of those games saw him shoot less than 10 times. Maybe he was never hot at all; just lukewarm or even chilly from the field.
On and on we go.