While the Miami Heat went winless in the preseason, the team is looking to make some noise in the regular season with the opener on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
As the Heat’s offense will be “tricky,” as described by Nikola Jovic, the team will need a productive starting lineup to get off to a strong start. Head coach Erik Spoelstra recently revealed whether he has settled on a set starting five.
Speaking after Monday’s practice, Spoelstra said he is “still deciding” on the lineup. He also noted that whatever starting lineup is chosen for Game 1 might not be the same for Game 2.
> “I’m still deciding. We’ll figure it out. Whatever the starting lineup is for game one it might not be for game two,” Spoelstra explained.
One of the major debates among Miami’s fanbase centers on who will start alongside Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt: Kel’el Ware or Nikola Jovic. Jovic had started the preseason alongside Adebayo, but due to an injury, Spoelstra inserted Ware with the starters. Ware had been part of the starting lineup for the majority of the second half of last season.
“I think they’re fine,” Spoelstra said about Ware and Adebayo. “Yeah, they’ve had some time now since training camp, and those minutes last year to play off each other. They feel comfortable with it. So there’s some good things we can build on. For sure, we just don’t want them, like, taking up the same space, you know, that doesn’t do us any good. But they’re aware of it, and they’ve been working on it.”
### What the Heat’s Starting Lineup Could Look Like
With the team focusing heavily on comfort within the new offense, the ideal starting lineup for Game 1 may differ from what it looks like at the end of the season.
Since the Heat’s emphasis is on playing at a faster pace—a style that has ranked near the bottom of the league for much of the last few seasons—it makes sense for Jovic to start alongside Adebayo. Jovic provides Miami with a playmaker at forward and can stretch the floor on offense. At just 22 years old, he continues to develop and improve.
If the Heat want to push the pace early on, having Jovic in the lineup should yield better results.
However, over the course of the season, that could change. Ware and Adebayo formed an exciting frontcourt last season. The rookie impressed with his athleticism and versatility as a seven-foot center, which in turn allowed Adebayo to slide back to power forward. As the season progresses, don’t be surprised if Ware starts more often.
### Locked-In Starters and Point Guard Situation
The other locks in the starting lineup are newcomers Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. However, Herro will miss the start of the season due to injury, which raises questions at the point guard spot.
The competition is between Dru Smith and Davion Mitchell. It appears likely that Mitchell will get the nod, as he provided Miami with strong defense, playmaking ability, and three-point shooting last season.
As the team finalizes its lineup, fans will know exactly who starts before Wednesday’s opener against the Orlando Magic. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting season for the Miami Heat.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-erik-spoelstra-unsure-on-starting-lineup-without-tyler-herro-heres-what-it-should-be