Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra wants to see Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier play together as much as possible during the preseason, according to the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman.
“Basically what Erik Spoelstra said he wants to see – as much Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier together as possible,” Winderman wrote. “We need to see if that combination works and we need to see it as soon as possible. That said, it’s still preseason, and a long grind will follow. So don’t expect too much this soon. It’s simply not the NBA way in the preseason.”
The Heat acquired Rozier during the 2023-24 season, and he appeared in 31 games with the team. Unfortunately, he didn’t spend a ton of time with Butler and Herro since all three players dealt with injuries in the 2023-24 season.
Then, Rozier’s neck injury and Butler’s knee injury kept them out of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. So, Miami didn’t get a real chance to see how the core group of Herro, Rozier, Butler and Adebayo would work in a high-leverage scenario.
With the Heat and Charlotte Hornets in the 2023-24 campaign, Rozier averaged 19.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3-point range.
He’s a nice addition to Miami’s backcourt, but Spoelstra may want to see if he can fit alongside Herro since both players are known for their scoring prowess.
Miami finished the 2023-24 season with the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and it certainly wants to improve on that finish in the 2024-25 season.
The health of Miami’s best players will be key, and Butler has vowed to try to play in as many games as he can this season.
Butler has not played more than 64 games in a single season since joining the franchise ahead of the 2019-20 season. He’s played in 58, 52, 57, 64 and 60 games with Miami.
If Spoelstra can help establish some chemistry among this group, it should help the Heat when they open up the regular season later this month.
Miami’s first game of the 2024-25 regular season will come against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 23.