The Miami Heat have won three of their last four, but the bigger picture still looks messy. This is a team that keeps digging early holes, and that has put a spotlight on a starting group that hasn’t done nearly enough to open games the right way.
That’s been the recurring issue all season. Miami has made life harder on itself by getting behind before it can settle in, and the starting five has been at the center of that problem. It hasn’t been the only issue, but it has been the one that keeps showing up first.
The numbers back that up. The Heat’s current starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo has posted a -5.8 net rating in 91 minutes this season.
Defensively, that group has been brutal, with a 126.6 defensive rating. Extrapolated across the league, that would put it in worst-defense territory.
The pattern in Miami’s losses is even harder to ignore. In all five defeats, the Heat were behind almost immediately.
Minnesota opened up an eight-point lead early. Detroit pushed it to 15.
Charlotte jumped ahead by seven. Dallas got out by eight.
The Lakers sprinted to a 10-point cushion.
That’s why the starting lineup conversation matters so much. When Miami avoids those early collapses, the results have been better. When it doesn’t, the game turns into a climb from the opening tip.
The obvious question has been what Erik Spoelstra can actually change. Benching Klay?
Benching Wiggins? Turning to Tim Hardaway Jr.?
Burning the Pelle Larsson option this early? The possibilities haven’t exactly been clean or obvious.
Now there may be a cleaner answer.
Spoelstra and the Heat may have found a five-man group that gives them a real shot at fixing the problem. The move is simple: insert Larsson into the starting lineup, but not for Klay. Larsson would replace Wiggins.
That version of the lineup - Davion, Klay, Larsson, Giannis, and Bam - has played just 23 minutes this season, but the early returns are eye-catching. Miami has a defensive rating of 70 and a net rating of 36 with that group on the floor.
The offense is only at a 106 rating, but that might be a tradeoff Spoelstra can live with if the defense finally stabilizes. Right now, Miami is looking for something that can stop the bleeding at the start of games, and this lineup may be the closest thing to a solution.
In Other News...
Spoelstra Just Sent A Clear Message About Miamis Rotation
Erik Spoelstras rotation has already started to show some hard edges, and Tim Hardaway Jr. felt it in the Heats overtime win over the Clippers. Hardaway was limited to seven first-half minutes before sitting the entire second half after an ineffective showing that was compounded by defensive issues, a reminder that Spoelstra is not going to let offensive reputation override what he sees on the floor.
For Miami, the bigger takeaway is the message behind the move. Spoelstra has shown a willingness to tighten the rotation if it helps the defense, even if it means making an early call on a veteran who has struggled to find his shot this season. How that plays out in the next few games is still unclear, but the Heat coach made it plain that minutes will have to be earned. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Bibby Just Sparked A Wild Heat Debate About Bam And Giannis
Mike Bibby stirred up a familiar kind of Heat conversation this week by suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo would need to change his offensive role if he were ever sharing a roster with Bam Adebayo. The former Heat guards take puts a spotlight right back on one of Miamis most persistent questions: how much of the offense should flow through Bam, and how much would a superstar like Giannis have to bend to fit around him?
It is the sort of debate that sounds simple until you start comparing what each player actually brings. Adebayo has grown into a central piece of Miamis attack, while Antetokounmpo remains one of the leagues most dominant forces with the ball in his hands. The article also folds in current shooting numbers for Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell as part of the larger offensive evaluation, which only adds more fuel to a discussion Heat fans are never shy about having. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompson Just Gave Warriors Fans A First They Never Saw
Klay Thompson added a new line to an already loaded career on Tuesday night, and it came in a place few would have expected. Playing for the Heat, the 36-year-old delivered his first career game-winning three-pointer in the final five seconds, lifting Miami to a 117-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in a game that was tight enough to demand a late answer.
It was the kind of finish that still felt fresh even for a player with Thompsons championship background, and it gave Miami a needed boost in a game where the scoring load was spread thin. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Heat with 30 points, and only four Miami players reached double figures, which made Thompsons closing shot stand out even more as the decisive moment. [Read more 🡒]