Omer Yurtseven has played phenomenal for the Miami Heat, so far, since the absences of star big man, Bam Adebayo, and his productive back-up, Dewayne Dedmon. Yurtseven has seen everything thrown at him this season.
From starting off on the third-string to backing up Dedmon to now starting, he was the last and only big body available at the moment for a banged-up Miami Heat team.
It’s not really fair to Yurt to read his stats off as a third-stringer, as the minutes he was given were very sporadic and match-up based.
It’s when Adebayo had to sit with a thumb injury, that Yurtseven started getting regular reps.
In the 16 minutes given behind Dewayne Dedmon, Yurtseven averaged five points and six rebounds. It’s not much, but it’s solid production for a big that’s finally getting his chance to produce.
However, with Dedmon then going down and with Yurtseven given double the minutes, he’s given double the effort. In the starting rotation with 32 minutes, he has managed to give the heat an average of 12 points and 15 rebounds.
That’s production from anyone, but especially your third guy on the depth chart at a given position.
Among A Fully Healthy Miami Heat Team, Where Does Omer Yurtseven Fit In?
The guy is currently a walking double-double and while he does need to polish his finishing around the rim, while also getting better in the pick and roll defense, he’s giving you everything he’s got. Most importantly, it’s helping this undermanned team get wins.
The Miami Heat have a record of 24-15 and have strung together some wins to keep them afloat as the fourth seed in the East. This has all been while heavily dealing with absence from injury and the NBA COVID protocols.
Now and hopefully, this team can eventually come back healthy, ready to make this thing click. When it does though, where does Yurtseven fit in?
The most realistic answer will probably be them moving Yurtseven back to third-string, with few to almost no minutes. However, there could be a chance where Yurtseven can find minutes as the third-stringer.
We could see some different line-ups from Spoelstra where he might throw different bigs in at different times of the game. Heck, you could even see lineups with dual-bigs at this point.
Let’s explore deeper.
Omer Yurtseven Has Earned Tick On Fully Healthy Miami Heat Squad, But How Much?
The beauty of having a center that is getting experience every night is that when Bam comes back, you don’t have to give him 30-plus minutes right away. You’re able to ease him back into the scheme of things with three legit bigs at your disposal if you’re Coach Spo.
We could also see Yurtseven get minutes midway through the second quarter, as Bam and Dedmon come in and out for each other. You could stand to give both guys a bit of extra rest as Yurtseven gets three to four minutes of game time.
With a full healthy squad, in the most respectful way possible, Yurtseven could be a great filler piece. It’s not like you need him to score, because you’ll be throwing him in with Lowry, Herro, Jimmy, and even Oladipo, once he’s back.
All you need from him is to grab rebounds and be a paint protector, which he does need to work on, but an area he should continue to improve in with playing time. That’s also why keeping him engaged is important.
It’s a rare chance that happens, but it is arguable that the big man has earned himself some minutes in the actual rotation, even though the roster has been depleted. Even if it comes down to Yurtseven losing minutes, the Heat know that they have a big man that is ready and willing to produce at any moment.
Regardless of how you view the scenario or Yurt, there are positives to take away from his time, a reason, and a way to keep him in the mix. As for what it has been to see him going for the Heat thus far, it was enjoyable to see the growth of Yurtseven.
They found another one. He just needs to keep shining under pressure.