Miami Heat: Should Max Strus and Gabe Vincent get larger roles?
By Isiah Curry
While Vincent only appeared in nine games for the Heat during the 2020-21 season, he was able to reap the benefits of a string of unfortunate absences. Key players such as Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro missed time early in the year due to injuries and the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols.
Although he only scored in double figures in just five of his 50 appearances, Vincent’s best performance came in back-to-back losses vs the Philadelphia 76ers. In the two games, he combined for 45 points and 11 assists, while playing over 34 minutes in each outing.
In an unsuccessful attempt to win a medal at the Olympics, Vincent led Nigeria for several stretches. Most notably, he scored 21 points on 6-for-8 shooting from three-point range to upset Team USA 81-72 in an exhibition game on July 10th, 2021.
Strus, on the other hand, showed that he can be a potential spark plug for the Heat in relatively smaller glimpses. However, the inability to hit open jumpers consistently kept him in a limited role.
Strus did make his Summer League debut on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, though. He lit it up, going for 27 points on 8-16 shooting, with a 5-for-11 night from the three-point line.