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Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat
Ideally, the Miami Heat would have easier decisions ahead of them. They’d have players who clearly fit roles within the team, players who made it easy for coach Erik Spoelstra to fill in his starting lineup sheet before each game. But, this is a weirdly constructed roster, made up of polished veterans, eager but inexperienced youngsters, talented but redundant potential starters.
Injuries have been a factor, but the Heat have used 20 starting lineups and it is only the All-Star break. In 56 games, the most common lineup has been used just 11 times. It’s easy to pity Spoelstra–he has too many middling cards to play, and even after three-plus months, is struggling to figure out his best arrangements.
But lately, he has gone back to the frontcourt pairing of veteran star Bam Adebayo and second-year deer-in-headlights Kel’el Ware. He’s been reluctant to do so, because as talented as Ware is, he is prone to mistakes. There’s pressure from elsewhere, though, and while the Heat leave the decisions to Spoelstra, it’s been made known that playing the Ware-Adebayo combo is in the best interest of the franchise.
Miami Heat Want to Play Both Bigs
Here’s what one Eastern Conference coach said about how Spoelstra is managing the scattered Miami Heat roster:
“I get why Spo does not want to put that group out there, because you see Ware let somebody get by him and now it is on Bam to make up for that mistake, and it’s frustrating for the coach and it’s frustrating for the player. Spo is a guy that wants to coach in a way that he is teaching but he is also teaching by wanting to win every game and showing a player that, ‘Hey, if you’re not on the floor, it’s because you can’t help me win this game and it is up to you to fix that.’
“But you hear there’s some pressure, too, to say, ‘OK, this is our first-round pick, we’re sinking or swimming with this guy.’ That happens in any organization, probably less in Miami because Spo is Spo. With Ware, though, you hear there’s some of that.”
Erik Spoelstra: ‘I Like It’
Spoelstra played Ware and Adebayo together for the Miami Heat’s two games before the All-Star break, and the reviews have been decidedly positive. Ware was a plus-10 in the box score in the loss to Utah and a plus-18 in the win over the Pelicans.
The pair had played together in the win over the Wizards before that, a total of 68 minutes on the floor in three games. Miami outscored won those minutes by 68 points.
“I like it,” Spoelstra said. “I think, both in a different place than where they were six, eight weeks ago, three months ago. For different reasons. But that gives us a different look and the versatility of being able to play the two of them together and pound the glass on both ends is a weapon for us.
“They both want to make it work. And they both know where we have to improve to make it work for it to be really effective for us. And I appreciate that. I also appreciate Kel’el’s process for the last three weeks to a month.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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