The Miami Heat have a lot of problems right now (at 0-4, that’s not exactly surprising), and I'm not exactly sure there’s one simple solution. However, there’s a very small (and immediate) adjustment that Erik Spoelstra can make to address the guard depth.
And it’s to give Dru Smith more of a chance to prove his worth in the rotation.
Davion Mitchell has been exceptional, and arguably the second best player on the team with the cold start Bam Adebayo is having. I'm not in any way worried about him because he's one of the only players on the Heat right now that's showing genuine effort and desire to win basketball games.
Dru Smith needs to be in the rotation
However, the bench is when all the problems arise in the guard department. Nikola Jovic isn't a guard, and yet it feels like the Heat have tried using him as a ball-handler and it just doesn't work at all. Tim Hardaway Jr.’s production depends entirely on his shooting, because he provides very little else. Ryan Conwell could be a breath of fresh air, but he's gonna need help as a rookie guard if thrusted into a high-pressure situation.
That's where Smith comes in. Smith is fully recovered from injuries he was dealing with in the preseason, and yet had not made a true rotation appearance so far this season.
Until Monday night. The Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks, but looked as good as they have all season despite it. Smith played a big part in that. He finished with six points, two rebounds, and one assist on 2-for-2 shooting from 3-point range, but most importantly, the Heat were a plus-4 when he was on the floor.
Of course, his offensive output has never been amazing throughout most of his career, but he at least knows the Heat system. That's the bare minimum at this point until more guard help arrives. And with the defense looking as bad as it does, I'm even more shocked Smith hadn’t been given more of a shot before.
But after his showing against the Mavs, that has likely changed. At this point, it’d be shocking if Smith wasn’t a staple in the rotation for now.
I see Smith as someone who can be a runningmate to guys like Connell, Thompson, and Hardaway Jr., since he's not necessarily a offensive threat himself. But I'm confident he can set them up and get them good looks while making up for the lack of defense.
In Smith's 16 minutes per game last year, he only turned the ball over 0.8 times a game while dishing out 2.6 assists. That is more than efficient enough playmaking to warrant a spot in the rotation.
At the end of the day, the Heat don't have a lot of answers right now, and they have a staggering amount of questions to answer. And while Heat fans haven't always been fond of Smith, this is a time where knowing the system and your role becomes more important than if you're better than someone or not. Dru Smith can do his job, and that's all we can ask for.
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