At this point in his career, Myron Gardner may be best known for riling up star opponents (and sometimes when he's not even on the floor) more than his on-the-court contributions to the Miami Heat, but Erik Spoelstra can't allow that to cloud what has quietly become the obvious.
If the Heat is looking for a spark, some energy, and a player who is going to bring maximum effort off the bench, Gardner is the man for the job. In some ways, especially as Spoelstra continues to scramble for the right rotation, Gardner might be one of the most overlooked X-factors off the bench.
And he proved that against the Utah Jazz when he finally got his first opportunity this season to prove himself in a meaningful spot.
Myron Gardner deserves a spot in the Heat's rotation
Against the Jazz, Spoelstra elected to play Simone Fontecchio and Gardner over Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nikola Jovic. While Fontecchio had his struggles, Gardner was a true bright spot for the Heat. In his 10 minutes, Gardner provided a real spark for the team.
Gardner may have only finished with four points, three rebounds, and one assist, but the energy he played with on both ends of the floor was infectious. He was cutting, running the floor, and quick on defense.
With his showing against the Jazz, it would be shocking if Gardner didn't get another shot to build off that performance when the Heat are back in action on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And it doesn't necessarily have to come at the expense of Hardaway Jr. or Jovic. With the energy and urgency he played with, Spoelstra may need to find minutes for Gardner.
At least for now, with the struggles that they're currently battling, Gardner, even as just an energy source, makes a lot of sense for the Heat. Gardner gives the Heat's second unit the energy and spark that it's currently missing with the struggles of Hardaway Jr.
Plus, let's not act like there haven't been signs that Gardner can be a good offensive contributor. He went 1-for-2 from the floor against the Jazz, but he's coming off a season in which he shot 48 percent from the field overall and 40 percent from the 3-point line. Sure, it was in extremely small sample sizes last season, but the potential is there for Gardner to be a real contributor in spurts.
Maybe it's only until Hardaway Jr. can shoot himself out of his funk, but Spoelstra should be willing to turn to Gardner. Against the Jazz, he more than proved he can be a quiet X-factor for Miami.
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