Miami Heat Rotation: Who Get’s 1st Shot As 5th Starter… Probably P.J. Tucker
If you believe the tape, then the answer is P.J. Tucker. This tape, that is.
It’s simple footage of the Miami Heat working in scrimmages. While there isn’t anything of real merit to this conversation that happens with the ball, it’s who’s wearing white and who’s wearing the black in this frame that matters.
Scrimmage day at Heat camp. pic.twitter.com/6iQwHiGjvq
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) October 1, 2021
Judging things based on this footage from camp, then, again, P.J. Tucker is running with the unit that Duncan, Bam, Kyle Lowry, and Jimmy Butler are running with. That seems like an answer.
Or does it? As Coach Spoelstra is known for wanting to tinker his way through certain scenarios, that may also be the case here.
However, it would make a ton of sense to start Tucker, as he not only adds things defensively, but he helps space and can help Bam a lot from a defensive perspective against bigger guys or stronger power players.
Spo will never just come right out and say it though or not right now, at least , which is classic him. There was also this tidbit and of course, just to confuse and leave a bit of mystery.
Via Winderman, Spo also said that this was the only the “first such action” and that the “tape will provide something to work off”. Those are answers, that really also lead to more questions.
However, if you had to pick a guy right now and the proverbial, leader in the clubhouse for the fifth and final starter’s slot… it would probably be P.J. Tucker based on all that can be gathered thus far.