Miami Heat: Depth Has Not Only Gotten Them Here But Can Propel Them Further
Now, let’s take a look at what makes this Heat supporting unit so good. The positional flexibility of this unit is first up on the list.
The most minutes played by an all-bench lineup for the Heat this season is a Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and Dewayne Dedmon lineup.
With this lineup, the Heat are able to deploy an elite three-level scorer (Herro), a movement shooter with the ability to create a shot off the dribble (Strus), a defensive pest and sharpshooter (Vincent), a do-it-all Energizer bunny with pogo sticks for legs (Martin), and a strong rebounder and rim protector that will occasionally set a moving screen (Dedmon).
What’s really peculiar about this lineup is the fact that all of these guys shoot at least 37 percent from deep (Dedmon’s shooting 52 percent from beyond but he only takes half a three-point attempt per game).
According to the stats, this combination of players has had 74 minutes of playing time and has posted a 103.4 offensive rating and a 97.3 defensive rating. Granted, the offense does not pop out at you, but the defense is the clear stand-out here.
Obviously, there’s the caveat that 74 minutes is a pretty small sample size. Yet, the point still stands.
This is the Miami Heat we’re talking about here. And if you haven’t heard, defense is kinda important around those parts.
Even with all those facts laid out, all of the players listed in the lineup above have started 59 games this season and they all have performed admirably. From Gabe Vincent’s outburst against the Clippers to Caleb Martin’s Super-Saiyan game against the Bucks, on national tv nonetheless, the Miami Heat have one of the best problems in the NBA.
They have too many guys that deserve minutes. So far, Coach Spoelstra and his staff have been able to maximize the abilities of this Heat team’s version of Task Force X.
With all of the riches at their disposal, it’ll be fun to see just how far this team can go in their quest to bring championship number four to the 305.