3 Heat players whose roles aren't safe after the All-Star break
By Wes Goldberg
Thomas Bryant
This one isn’t too surprising, considering that Bryant is already spending most games on the bench. Spoelstra has basically been going with two bigs, Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love, since mid-December.
Bryant was Adebayo’s primary backup for the first two weeks of the season but lost playing time to Orlando Robinson. Then, both Bryant and Robinson were benched when Kevin Love was moved to the second unit.
Lineups with Adebayo and Love at center have been a plus, so unless one of them is injured, Spoelstra has no reason to mix things up. Adebayo is the anchor of Miami’s defense, and Love’s chemistry with Jimmy Butler has become an essential part of the Heat’s offense.
Unless something drastic changes, it’s safe to assume that Bryant (and Robinson) will be used only sparingly over the next 27 games.