Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra Facing Familiar Challenge With Lineup Improv
By Isiah Curry
Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra Facing Familiar Challenge With Lineup Improv
After using a total of 24 different starting lineups last season, Spoelstra will need to dig deeper into his rotations once again and now, without his leading assist-man and floor-general. There’s a slew of pathways and it begins with his starting lineup.
IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER WHO COACH SPOELSTRA STARTS… KIND OF.
When you’re given a lineup that features Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, and P.J. Tucker — your chances of winning basketball games are significant.
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Regardless of if your top three-point option has had a sluggish start or if your two star talents have had moments where they could be more aggressive, Spoelstra has a competitive foundation within his first five and it leads to everything else falling in place.
That measure was advanced after Spoesltra started Gabe Vincent in place of Lowry (injured right ankle in season-opener against Milwaukee) during the Heat’s overtime road-loss against Indiana. Although Vincent didn’t play terrible, he wasn’t great, either.
His role there was to primarily get the ball up without committing turnovers, hustle, and find open looks through small gaps. There are a ton of people that definitely say he shouldn’t have been the one though.