Inside The Heat

NBA Analyst Weighs In On Miami Heat's Rotation For This Season

Bryan Townes

Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives with the ball as Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives with the ball as Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

After a disappointing and much earlier exit postseason exit than expected, fans and media continue to speculate about the Miami Heat's best rotation this season. 

Despite the many routes the organization can take, ESPN's Zach Lowe believes he has created the best starting lineup the Heat can put together. 

On “The Lowe Post” podcast, Lowe stated the starting five should consist of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Bam Adebayo. This versatile, small ball lineup should provide the best chances of the Heat avoiding the Play-In Tournament for a third straight season.

Lowe suggested staggering the starting five throughout games so Butler or Adebayo are on the court much as possible while Herro or Rozier helped lead the second units.

The five players Lowe listed for his starting five are the best overall players for the Heat.

That said, it is optimal for those players to close games despite Duncan Robinson and Nikola Jovic performing better as starters than reserves. Duncan went from 14.4 points per game scorer on 42 percent from the arc as a starter to 11.1 points per game on 36 percent last year. Jovic's improvement from bench and G-League player to full-time starter was significant for Lowe to admit it made him “eat crow for questioning why Spoelstra was bothering to start him.”

It is best to keep Jaquez as a reserve to replace some of the value the Heat lose when Butler leaves the court, especially with the loss of Caleb Martin to the Philadelphia. Herro can always return to the bench and still play starter-level minutes as a closer, which he did in 2022 when he won Sixth Man of the Year. This makes the starting lineup likely consist of Rozier, Robinson, Butler, Jovic, and Adebayo. 

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com

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Bryan Townes

BRYAN TOWNES

Bryan attended Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia with a focus on sports management. While he didn't grow up an NBA fan, he became one after playing the popular NBA2K video game. From Jimmy Butler to Ray Allen to Chris Bosh, Bryan has followed the Heat for the past several years.