The Miami Heat added a ton of talent to their roster this season. With their additions, they will likely have a new starting lineup this season.
Kyle Lowry will certainly be the starting point guard, and many are projecting PJ Tucker to start at power forward. If they both end up starting, it means there would be two new players in the starting lineup.
The last three starters are projected to be Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo. With all the new people, however, it is important to define roles.
Who will take on what role with the Miami Heat this year? What will every starter’s role be with the team?
Roles for the Miami Heat starters
PJ Tucker – 3&D specialist
PJ Tucker will be on the court for two reasons – to shoot threes and play elite defense. Luckily for the Miami Heat, he does both of those things super well.
The forward is often regarded as one of the best three-point shooters from the corner in the NBA. He thrives in catch-and-shoot situations, and that’s how he’ll score the majority of his points this season.
On top of that, Tucker will be able to take on a huge chunk of the team’s defensive responsibilities. He’ll help take some of the pressure off of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Having someone on the court who is able to space the floor will be a huge help to Miami’s offense. Tucker will know his role, and based on his track record in the league, he’ll play it to perfection.
Roles for the Miami Heat starters
Duncan Robinson – Sharpshooter
This role should come as a surprise to no one. Duncan Robinson has been one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA for the past few seasons.
His shooting has been a huge part of Miami’s offense, to the point where he accounted for over a quarter of their three-point makes last year. Without his shooting, they would have had one of the worst offenses in the NBA.
This year, Miami will have more shooters to help take the load off of Robinson a bit. However, all that is going to do is create more quality looks for him.
Robinson’s role will be exactly the same as it has been ever since he entered the league. Now that he’s earning the big bucks, he just has to take it to another level somehow.
Kyle Lowry – Primary ball-handler and floor spacer
Kyle Lowry will be the starting point guard for the Miami Heat, so technically, that will be his role. However, the role listed above is a more in-depth breakdown of his duties.
The veteran point guard has been one of the best passers in the league for a long time. Jimmy Butler will take on some ball-handling duties, too, but when the team signed a point guard of Lowry’s quality, they definitely expected him to take on that role.
The other, very important role he will play is that of a floor spacer. Last year, Robinson was the only real shooter, but this year, Lowry will act as another threat from the outside.
Having another All-Star quality player on the roster will be a blessing for the Miami Heat. He was built to play these roles in the NBA.
Roles for the Miami Heat starters
Bam Adebayo – Elite paint threat and defensive anchor
Dumbing down Bam Adebayo’s role to“elite paint threat” seems disrespectful, but that’s exactly what he is. Adebayo’s role on offense will be to dominate the paint.
He will thrive in the pick n’ roll this season, as he has two of the best passers in the league on his team in Butler and Lowry. They should be able to open up a ton of new opportunities for him.
Adebayo’s defensive role will be infinitely more important than his role on offense. He will act as the defensive anchor for the Heat as he tries to be a mix of Rusy Gobert and Ben Simmons.
Miami has a ton of defensive-minded players around Adebayo, but when it comes down to it, he’s going to be the guy in the middle controlling it all. Hopefully, there is a Defensive Player of the Year award in the near future for him.
Jimmy Butler – Do-it-all superstar
This is exactly what Jimmy Butler needs to be if the Miami Heat want to win a championship. He needs to be elite in a ton of different areas and simply do what the team needs him to do.
During Miami’s 2020 Finals run, Butler took a step back and let Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic handle most of the scoring. That being said, he was also able to step up in that regard when he needed to.
Lowry will be the primary ball-handler, but Butler can help. Adebayo will be the defensive anchor, but Butler can help. The Team will score by committee, but Butler can help. He just has to be ready to do anything and everything.
On top of all of that, Butler is this team’s closer. He is the face of the franchise and the Miami Heat want him to lead them to glory.