Klay Thompson isn't officially signed yet, but the Miami Heat may already have one dilemma surrounding him that they must sort out. And it revolves around whether he will start or come off the bench for the team.
In a way, I do suppose it's a good "problem" to have. Nevertheless, it's probably one they'd want to figure out sooner rather than later.
Already having to acclimate many players on their roster, the last thing the Heat needs is more ambiguity revolving around player roles. For Thompson specifically, it'd probably be best if it were understood what type of role he's going to be expected to play right off the bat.
But that onus falls on Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, and I'd imagine he's already getting to work on that.
The Heat have options in how to manage Klay Thompson
Theoretically speaking, the Heat have Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo locked into the first four starting positions. The only real question when it comes to the Heat's starting 5 revolves around who will start at the shooting guard position.
Miami has three options. Thompson, Pelle Larsson, or Tim Hardaway Jr. I'd be shocked if we didn't see each of those players eventually get their opportunity to start over the course of this season, but the big question is: who will get the first nod?
If I had to guess, I'd lean toward Thompson. His elite 3-point shooting would do wonders for the offensive spacing right out of the gate, and Spo does have a history of favoring accomplished veterans.
At the same time, bringing Thompson off the bench wouldn't be a bad idea either. He could add a strong veteran presence on the wing to the second unit and would have a huge green light during the moments when both Giannis and Bam are off the floor.
Klay Thompson will thrive in any role for the Heat
Either way, there's a good chance that Thompson is going to embrace whatever role he's given with the Heat and excel in it. That's the advantage of signing such a professional veteran who has seen and done it all across the league.
If the Heat need Thompson to be a spot-starter, he can do that. If they need him to be a No. 2 scorer on any given night, he can too. At this point in his career, he probably can't do that on a consistent basis, but he can turn back the clock from time to time.
If the Heat needs him to be a specialist, that's a role he should be able to fill too. None of that is really the problem.
It's how, and in what role, that's all going to begin for Thompson. Because, right now, it's anyone's guess. And that's certainly something the Heat's coaching staff needs to get to work on. I anticipate that they will.
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