Q: Ira, you wrote how Norman Powell says he is a starter. But you also have Tyler Herro and Davion Michell. How does Erik Spoelstra manage that? – David.
A: By putting out the lineups that give his team the best chance to win. And, yes, it is a bit of a conundrum, because the Heat could use Davion Mitchell’s defense in the starting unit and Norman Powell’s pop off the bench. What I can’t see is opening with all three on the floor together, which would take small ball to a new level (although closing with those three certainly is not out of the question). If Norman does start, it could then get interesting when it comes to finding playmaking in the first unit. An option there could be starting Nikola Jovic at the four and Bam Adebayo at the five, to get Nikola’s playmaking on the floor. That, of course, would raise questions with Kel’el Ware. Plenty of this also could come down to whether Andrew Wiggins is on the roster at the start of the season, amid all the trade conjecture. As has been the case so often in recent seasons, expect a variety of Heat lineups until Spoelstra finds something that clicks.
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Q: I read your piece about moving on from Bam Adebayo. That does make sense for the reasons you give. But I tell you what – trading Bam to a contender makes me instantly a fan of that team (Knicks, perhaps?) and I stop watching the Heat. Bam is Udonis Haslem in my eyes, a Heat lifer. The “culture” loses its gloss (for me at least) if they move him. – Cheryl, Fort Lauderdale.
A: First, I did not suggest the Heat trade Bam Adebayo, but rather laid out a case against spending so much for a single player while biding time during a rebuild. That, in fact, to a degree would be unfair to Bam. As for the comparison to Udonis Haslem, leadership means plenty. I agree. But Udonis Haslem never was the Heat’s highest-paid player. And that matters, too. Culture counts, but it counts as a certain price point. Still, with the move to Normal Powell, the Heat appear to be back in win-now mode, which means attempting to win with Bam.
Q: Are you surprised that Dru Smith has yet to sign his two-way contract offer? Is he looking for a standard contract? – Calvin Miami.
A: Not surprised, because not everything has to happen in the first few days or even first week of free agency. The Heat have shown a clear commitment to Dru Smith amid his rehabilitation from December’s Achilles tear. Now, should the Heat fill all three of their two-way slots without Dru, that would be a surprise. At the moment, Vlad Goldin is the only Heat player on a two-way contract. There still is space at the inn for Dru.