Last week, our own Dan Riccio went over the Miami Heat’s projected depth chart heading into the 2024-25 season. Nothing is set in stone roughly one month out from training camp. According to Ethan Skolnick of the Five Reasons Sports Network, he was told that the Heat will only have two “definite” starters heading into the season.
I was told this weekend that the Heat have two definite starters and the other spots will be subject to competition.
Put it on Off the Floor first.
Discuss there:https://t.co/izwgN0S6Dy
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) September 2, 2024
That’s right! You guessed it: Thomas Bryant and Dru Smith are the two guaranteed starters!
Jokes aside, a relative amount of competition is competing for those final three spots outside of stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
The closing lineup is more important than the starting lineup–though both are fluid, to some degree. It’s important to have lineup continuity with defined roles for certain players. And head coach Erik Spoelstra is aware of that.
We saw the Miami Heat have a franchise-record 35 different starting lineups last season. To expect sustained success over a prolonged sample in those circumstances is, well, not pragmatic.
The Heat’s biggest names–namely Butler himself, plus Tyler Herro–have had difficulty staying healthy over time. Butler is coming off perhaps the most serious knee injury of his career entering his age-35 season. He’s only played in 75 percent of the team’s regular season games twice since arriving in Miami, while not always being fully engaged; Herro’s reached that threshold four times, but missed 40 games last year due to myriad lower-body injuries, including a sprained ankle that sidelined him for four weeks after an electric start to his 2023-24 season.
It’s not only limited to those two. Terry Rozier is coming off a very serious neck injury that put him in a brace; Duncan Robinson has left-facet syndrome in his back, which isn’t fully recoverable.
Herro, Rozier and Robinson will all be competing for starting spots, in addition to Nikola Jovic–who started 41 of the team’s final 44 games (including postseason)–Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Haywood Highsmith, among others.
How do you think the starting lineup conundrum will unfold? Let us know in the comments!
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
Butler’s replacement may already be on the team? Bam is high on Jaquez. “I feel like Jaime can be an All-Star,” “He knows how to handle certain situations when he gets the ball,” Adebayo said. “I feel like the sky’s the limit. He has no ceiling. He’s a different player than he was last year just by me seeing him at a couple workouts in 5 on 5 [with Team USA select].”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/miami-heat-s-bam-adebayo-explains-why-jaime-jaquez-is-a-future-nba-all-star/ar-AA1pWk2R?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6985b9436e834f1397c01f9350cc4f20&ei=57
Pick a team Jimmy. Preferably one with assets (young players with potential and draft picks) like Houston.
https://sircharlesincharge.com/posts/nba-rumors-5-biggest-threats-to-prying-jimmy-butler-away-from-miami-heat-in-2025/5?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
Only one sure starter (Bam) if you don’t count Butler, who may be playing elsewhere by then.
Actually, if you disregard a Butler trade, the only open spot I see is power forward. That could be filled by a number of different players. Rozier and Herro are being paid too much to come off the bench. If Miami is going to do that Riley may as well trade them. Jus sayin.
Rosier as the only point guard should be the third. The only alternative is a playmaking by committee.
Meantime, Jimmy is drinking old and expensive wine and barbeque in France. I think some locals would see this combination a bit barbaric.