It's been a long time since Erik Spoelstra has probably felt good about the rotation he was able to roll out against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, a game that the Miami Heat won 120-103, snapping their dreadful five-game losing streak.
The Heat have dealt with inconsistency from Bam Adebayo and injuries from Tyler Herro throughout the course of the season, and it's hindered Miami in more ways than just in the standings, but who is playing night in and night out as well, making Spoelstra's job all the more difficult.
For the first time this season, Spoelstra had a full team in front of him this week against the San Antonio Spurs and the Cavaliers, and in Cleveland, Spoelstra's starting five got the job done. It's been a long time coming, but his starting five in Cleveland is actually the group he's wanted all along.
Erik Spoelstra needs to stick with the new starting 5
It wasn't just the starters that got the job done in Cleveland, but everybody from the top down. Every Heat player who saw playing time scored in double digits, except for Kasparas Jakučionis, who scored just two points while playing the fewest minutes.
Offensively speaking, everyone contributed, with Norman Powell (19 points), Tyler Herro (18 points), and Bam Adebayo (17 points) leading the way. Alongside Powell, Herro, and Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell also started, and this is the group that Spoelstra apparently envisioned since January.
"This is what I was getting to in January, I was remembering that last game, I think it was Phoenix at home. It's go time right now. We're going to go with this. We have great energy coming in off the bench with Pelle/Jaime/Kel'el. Really wasn't a lot of thought to it. We finally have everybody available,"Spoelstra said after the Heat beating the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Speaking of Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kel'el Ware, all three contributed offensively against the Cavaliers in huge ways, combining for 41 points off the bench. But it was the starting lineup that put Spoelstra in a good spot after the win, and it must be a massive sigh of relief to know he can now run with this group going forward.
Despite the up-and-down season thanks to injuries and inconsistencies, the Heat do have a deep roster, and their bench, although filled with younger players, is not to be overlooked. Of the nine players who played against the Cavaliers, all but two are averaging higher than 10 points per game this season. That is an invaluable asset sitting at Spoelstra's feet.
The fact that both Larsson and Ware, for instance, are good for at least 10 points per game in their second season shows just how well the Heat develops their young players, and it's paying off, even if not exactly in wins and a secured playoff spot right now.
As for that seemingly elusive playoff spot, it might actually be within Miami's reach more than it was a few days ago. Now that Spoelstra has a healthy roster and a starting lineup he's comfortable with and trusts, the Heat's chances of finding a similar rhythm to match their recent seven-game win streak should be fairly high.
A stable starting lineup is all Spoelstra wanted, and now he has it. All that matters for the Heat today is maintaining it, and hopefully, they can change the ending of their season for the better.