Q: Ira, I’ve got the answer to all the Heat’s problems, so hear me out: transplant Pelle Larsson’s heart into Kel’el Ware. Pelle leaves it all out there, as he did against the Lakers. Imagine Kel’el diving all over the place. – Sprain.
A: For a moment let’s move past Kel’el Ware and we he has or hasn’t been doing, because there will be other places for such commentary. Instead, let’s give credit where credit is due. Pelle Larsson put together a man-sized effort against the Lakers, even beyond his 17 points, six assists and five rebounds. He constantly and consistently was stepping up when others were stepping down. It will be interesting to see what happens when Tyler Herro and Norman Powell return. What can’t happen is Pelle being phased out of the mix. His energy is infectious and something the Heat could use more of.
Q: Hey Ira, I know it is not what Erik Spoelstra wants to hear, but Nikola Jovic is not a power player. He’s just not. He is needed in a power position due to the lack of roster alternatives. He has height and length, but not the build or demeanor to play in a power position. This is not to degrade Jovic; he has skills that can help this team run. Teams will figure out soon enough that they can bully the Heat. – David, Venice.
A: Which is all well and good. But you also want to get your best players on the court. So when the Heat roster is whole, if you want to instead consider Nikola Jovic a wing, would you play him ahead of Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Simone Fontecchio? And that’s the thing, in the power rotation, Jovic stands as no worse than the No. 3 option (and perhaps No. 2 the way Kel’el Ware is playing). In the wing rotation, he would stand considerably further down the hierarchy (perhaps even behind Pelle Larsson).
Q: This is where the Terry Rozier mess is really hurting the team. We lost a first-round pick to get him, lost his expiring contract to use in a trade. Any move for Ja Morant would mean we’re shipping out Tyler Herro, because of contracts. – Mayo.
A: This was in response to yesterday’s post about Ja Morant potentially being available on the trade market following his one-game suspension by the Grizzlies. While Morant hardly is what the Heat necessarily need at the moment, as previously noted, your greater point is valid . . . to a degree. For now, put aside the first-round pick still due the Hornets for Rozier; the residue of trades, even bad trades, is something you have to live with. But among the reasons the Heat bypassed a Rozier buyout or even waiving him, was to potentially have his expiring salary to toss into a trade. Now that seemingly is lost, and would definitively be lost if his salary is removed from the Heat’s books by the NBA. Having expiring contracts of heft is not exactly a sexy element of roster construction, but it certainly comes in handy when it comes to completing trades, as the Heat have learned, ironically, with Kyle Lowry, among others. Terry being placed on leave by the NBA hardly has impacted the Heat’s rotation. But the impact on cap-a-nomics is undeniable. This remains a painful limbo for far more than Terry.