Why the Miami Heat rebounding woes will end this season: Scrappy guards
Despite a shortage of guard-depth, there’s still a strong rebounding edge in the Heat’s backcourt rotation, and Kyle Lowry only amplifies that.
At just six feet tall, Lowry gives the Heat a great rebounding boost, as he’s always been a terrific rebounder for his size. Over the last four seasons, Lowry hauled over 5.2 rebounds per game.
As for Tyler Herro, rebounding has been the most underrated fragment of his game. Despite a shorter wingspan, he simply hustles and stays aware of missed shots.
Last season, Herro had 25 games with at least 5 rebounds and a career-high 15 boards in a December home-game win over Milwaukee.
Marcus Garrett, who the Heat signed to a two-way deal on Thursday, is a well-rounded defensive guard but can use his size to grab rebounds. Garrett, who came down with 6.5 boards per game in Summer League, was Kansas’ fourth-leading rebounder – and second among all Jayhawks’ guards.
As the NBA has modernized to incorporate greater spacing and longer missed shots, this current Heat roster can still impose their will on the boards. They’re a team that won’t lead the league in rebounds but should finish in the top half.
With an improved defensive format, Miami will be able to force missed shots and will be physically capable enough of controlling their own.
It’ll be up to Erik Spoelstra to get creative and experiment with different lineups throughout the regular season, as he‘ll have a multitude of options in front of him.