Can the Miami Heat afford an early-season NBA waiting game?
Q: Considering Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry have been mostly non-factors on offense so far this season and now Bam Adebayo is injured joining Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin, why not keep gambling on Nikola Jovic over some of the other bigs, considering his impact on scoring? If it’s Tyler Herro or bust, teams will just load up on him defensively. Most of the other role players might not get lost on defense as often but if he can keep rebounding and pushing the pace, Jovic makes our offense more dynamic. – Eddie.
A: I can appreciate the sentiment of wanting to see something different after a 1-3 start, but it’s also a 1-3 start when the Heat only have had their preferred starting lineup together twice, while also lacking key reserve components. So before you start looking for something dramatically different, you first have to give tried and tested and trusted more of an extended look. Look, Jimmy Butler has to be better for anything good to happen for this team. And Bam Adebayo has to be the anchor of the defense. You get better Butler, available Adebayo, tenacious Tyler and you have the core that is needed. Then you get Josh Richardson, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith back up to speed, and you have the needed supporting cast. This is not the time for the dramatic. This is the time to stay with the grind. That’s what you do four games in. And once you get the prime components going, that’s when you can experiment more with the likes of a Nikola Jovic.
Q: Ira, Jimmy Butler is now 13 of 40 in the three games he has played. Something is just not right with him. – Joel.
A: It’s almost as if Jimmy Butler has the look of a player whose preseason is only beginning now. Which in a way it is. There is the NBA schedule, and there is Jimmy Butler’s schedule. They tend to wind up in alignment later rather than sooner.
Q: Ira, Bam Adebayo did all we ask. He warmed up and tried to play. No problem when a player is hurt. That is different from taking a night off. All good with Bam. – Anthony.
A: Agree. Yes, Bam Adebayo assuredly could have helped Monday night in Milwaukee. And he knew that, which is why even after sitting out the morning shootaround, he went through his typical pregame workout cycle with assistant coach Maik Allen. It was only after that session that he said he lacked the needed mobility. Amid load management and early-season nights of rest, Bam is a real one when it comes to wanting to be on the court as much as possible. And he did push to play Monday even after experiencing his discomfort during warmups.
