With the addition of Kyle Lowry, the Miami Heat have solidified themselves as a title contender. They have an elite big three and a solid supporting cast around them.
The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks still stand in their way, but Miami has a decent chance of taking them down. Now, it’s all about putting their talent to good use.
Pat Riley composed a great roster, and now the rest is up to Erik Spoelstra. He has to put everyone in the best possible position to succeed.
What will the starting lineup, sixth man, and closing lineup look like this year? Who will Spoelstra choose to insert into each role?
Miami Heat sixth man this season: Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro has been coming off the bench for the first two seasons of his career, and so far, it’s been working out for him. He’s been a spark off the bench for the Heat at every turn.
Despite some claiming he had a down year last season, Herro improved in every statistical category. The only area where he got worse was three-point percentage.
Having his scoring punch off the bench will be a great boost for Miami when the starters come out of the game. He can legitimately average around 15 points per game in a bench role.
If he reaches his full potential this year, he could actually be in consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Expect Herro to spend the majority of games coming off the bench.
Miami Heat starting lineup this season: Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, Bam Adebayo
This is the best possible lineup the Miami Heat can create with all of their players taken into consideration. It puts out a little bit of every skill onto the court.
Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo are no-brainers. Each of them is an All-Star caliber player who should be in the starting lineup every single night.
They are all great defenders, as both Butler and Adebayo even made the All-Defensive Second Team last season. Lowry is gritty on that end, but also brings a lot of offense.
As for the final two starters, these are the most logical choices Spoelstra could go with. Each of them brings a very necessary skill to the floor which the team would lack otherwise.
Starting with Duncan Robinson, the skill he brings is extremely clear – shooting. He has been the go-to shooter for the Heat for the past two seasons.
Without Robinson, the Heat would have been a bottom-three team in terms of three-point percentage last year. His shooting is very important and is a huge reason why the Heat chose to re-sign him for so much money.
Lastly, Tucker brings elite defense and solid floor spacing. Having a player who can play his role on offense while also doing it all on the defensive end is a huge win for the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat starting lineup this season: Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo; either Tyler Herro or PJ Tucker
The closing lineup Spoelstra chooses to roll out depends on what team the Heat are facing and what the in-game situation is. Depending on those factors, he could choose to go with either Tyler Herro or PJ Tucker.
As mentioned, all three of Lowry, Butler, and Adebayo should be on the floor in all clutch moments. They should be starting games and closing games.
Duncan Robinson falls under that same category, for the most part. His shooting is so crucial to Miami’s offense that he needs to be on the floor as much as possible.
That just leaves one spot left, and it should go to either Herro or Tucker. Each one provides a unique skillset that would be useful in certain scenarios.
If the Heat are down by a bit and need some baskets, Herro is the clear choice. He can create his own shot and also does well in catch-and-shoot situations.
However, if the Heat are up by a few points and need to get stops, Tucker is the one Spoelstra should go with. He’s a super disruptive defender who can guard multiple positions.
Either one would do well in the closing moments of a game. The Miami Heat have a very well-rounded roster, so the tough decisions are going to be up to Spoelstra.