The Miami Heat are just hours from starting their 2019-20 campaign, and per a Wednesday morning report, it looks like the team’s backcourt has been set.
Shandel Richardson of The Athletic published a fan mailbag on Wednesday morning and reported that Miami’s backcourt is likely to consist of Justise Winslow at the starting point guard position and rookie Tyler Herro at the starting shooting guard spot.
“Hey Alex. Sorry for the delay in responding to this,” Richardson said. “By now, the starting lineup is pretty much set. Justise Winslow has solidified himself as the point guard while Herro will likely join him in the backcourt at some point. It may not be for the opener. but it will happen eventually because [Dion] Waiters has a long way to go before working things out with [Erik] Spoelstra. [Jimmy] Butler is best suited to play the small forward, even though he is just as comfortable in the backcourt. Power forward is perhaps the toughest spot for the coaching staff because [Meyers] Leonard and [Kelly] Olynyk are so similar. Both are stretch fours, but there is always the chance Spoelstra goes with Leonard because of rebounding. And, of course, Bam Adebayo has been locked in at center since the end of last season. Here are my thoughts on the remainder of the rotation, which will likely go 10-deep: [Kendrick] Nunn, Â [Goran] Dragic, [Derrick] Jones and [Duncan] Robinson.”
This is huge news for any Heat fan that is hoping that the Heat will maximize their young talent. Adebayo, Winslow and Herro all likely being named to the starting rotation is a clear indication that Spoelstra hopes his talented youngsters will grow mightily this season playing alongside Butler.
All three played very well in Miami’s preseason games, with Winslow excelling as a passer, Adebayo showing a willingness to try to stretch the floor and Herro becoming a full-blown highlight machine.
An added aspect of this starting unit is that it will likely lead to a second unit that is filled with veteran experience. Players like Dragic, Waiters, James Johnson and more will hopefully be able to use their experience to take advantage of secondary units around the league.
With new additions and a new star in place in Miami, there are sure to be some growing pains early on. Hopefully, the Heat’s starting unit can manage to learn on the fly to help the team get off to a fast start in the 2019-20 campaign.
