The Miami Heat started the year searching for a fifth and final member to their starting lineup. As the season progressed and the options began to run out, they finally settled on Kelly Olynyk as the starting four man in the opening lineup.
Well, with KO now gone to the Houston Rockets and with a ton of other Miami Heat roster shakeups, the rotations aren’t as definitive as they once were. Fortunately for the Miami Heat, with their latest additions to their roster, this is a good problem to have.
With all that said, here is an updated view at how the rotations will more than likely go.
Starting Lineup
Again, with Kelly Olynyk being gone, that immediately left a gap at the four man position in that starters unit. With Trevor Ariza being an excellent defender that’s able to guard up or down, positionally rebound and especially at his size, and with his ability to knock down the long ball, he makes an excellent addition to that starting lineup.
That’s the way that Coach Spoelstra deployed it in their last game against the Hornets. Though in defeat, Ariza pitched in 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists on 5-12 from the floor and 2-7 from three.
It’s worth noting that he isn’t even all the way back yet, according to guys like Bam Adebayo and based on the fact that he hasn’t even played 10 games yet for the entire season, so while the 2-7 from three isn’t great, it should improve with more time. While that’s the only hole to fill, you have new guys coming into the fold as well.
Where do they fit into the mix?