Miami Heat: ‘New’ starting 5… simply offers more on both ends

The Miami Heat rolled out a new starting five for their NBA restart opener against the Nuggets. Qualitatively and quantitatively, it just offers more on both ends.

The Miami Heat had been opening with a starting lineup featuring Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Meyers Leonard for most of the season… up until Saturday’s win over the Denver Nuggets.

To get their NBA restart going, the Miami Heat trotted out a five-man starting unit that remained mostly the same, except for one key difference. Jae Crowder was inserted as the starting “four” man, in betwixt Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, knocking Meyers Leonard out of that lineup.

While the move may have seemed questionable to some, especially considering the size that Denver can throw at opposing teams, it was the right move by Coach Spo for his team. The reasons could be many, but the simplest reasons lie in the data, both what you can see and what the numbers tell you.

At its core though, they become more productive and versatile on each side of the ball. Let me explain a bit.

When you look at things defensively, it allows them to switch everything, which allows them to be more effective on pick and rolls for example. You don’t have to worry about who ends up on who with this particular lineup, whereas having Meyers on a perimeter player most certainly can lead to something bad happening for the Miami Heat.

You also have the fact that all five guys on the floor with the current starting five, can theoretically at least stay in front of any combination of players deployed by the other team. They become more versatile by being positionless there and more effective as it never presents a mismatch in any scenario.

The Miami Heat have a new starting five! Why was that the move to make though?

When you look at the offensive side of the ball, well that’s almost self-explanatory. When you have a lineup that pretty much consists of four wings plus Bam Adebayo, nothing is off-limits.

They become more versatile because any of the other four players in the starting unit can line up anywhere along the perimeter, as no one is the true main ball-handler, but they are all a threat with the ball in their hands along the perimeter.

They become more effective and productive there as the defense gets no breaks. There isn’t a player in that lineup that can be sagged off or paid no attention, as any of them can break you as a defense.

You also look at the positions that they would play if the league was still locked into that traditional positional schema. Kendrick Nunn is a shooting guard who lines up as the point guard but can create and hit a shot off of many platforms. Duncan Robinson has current power forward’s size, but lines up as the two-guard and shoots the lights out.

Jimmy Butler is the classic wing/small forward type, who can line up anywhere from the 2-4 and guard positions 1-5(Hi Nikola!). Jae Crowder is a traditional three-man, who has played a ton of four across his career, but shoots the heck out of the ball and can guard all the way up to the five-man in spurts.

Bam Adebayo is a defensive savant who can guard anyone on the floor and play make like a guy half his size. The position versatility and dexterity with the new starting lineup explains why it is currently what it is. It’s really that simple.

You do wonder why Meyers Leonard didn’t see a stitch of time on Saturday though. Was it related to how far he had fallen out of the rotation prior to the suspension due to injury?

Was it simply a bad matchup? Has his showing through the restart scrimmages put a bad taste in the mouth of the rotation master in Coach Spo?

That answer remains to be seen but it’s definitely a question worth asking and something of major curiosity. Either way though and as it remains, for now, that is the starting lineup and it is that because it simply offers more on both ends.