Tucker gets a look as backup center

With Adebayo injured, Spoelstra may turn to 6-foot-5 power forward

INDIANAPOLIS — Based on the initial approach Wednesday night, and based on comments that followed, it appears the Miami Heat, at least in the short term, will be going with a backup center who stands 6 feet 5.

Then again, for P.J. Tucker, it won’t necessarily be anything new.

With Bam Adebayo expected to miss about six weeks due to thumb surgery, and with 6-foot-11 Dewayne Dedmon starting in his place, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra went with Tucker as his backup center in Wednesday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at FTX Arena.

While Tucker remains the Heat’s starting power forward, he has extensively played center in recent years. According to Basketball Reference, Tucker was cast at center for 29 percent of his minutes in 2019-20 while with the Houston Rockets and last season spent 20 percent of his minutes while splitting time between the Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks.

“P.J.’s going to make the right play every time, you know, offensively and defensively,” point guard Kyle Lowry said, with the Heat turning their attention to Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers at the start of a two-game trip that concludes Saturday in Milwaukee.

“But in that lineup, we’ve got to be scrappier. We’ve got to be a lot tougher in those type of lineups. So it’s kind of when P.J.’s in that position, he knows how to play the game and he knows what to do.

“He’s done it before. Basically the last four years he played center, or two years. But he’s really good at what he does at a high level. So with him at that lineup, we know the right decisions will be made all the time.”

The Heat have gone small in the middle before, with Udonis Haslem, generously listed at 6-8, having taken such minutes in his prime, and, before that, Anthony Mason, at 6-8, cast in such a role.

With rookie neophyte Omer Yurtseven the only other true available center on the roster other than Dedmon, it likely will mean a decided change in approach once Dedmon exits and Tucker slides to center.

“We blitz defensively with Dedmon a little bit more often than we do with anyone else at the five,” guard Tyler Herro said. “So I think that will speed us up a little bit and get us moving, get us in the rotations, which isn’t always a bad thing with us. I think once we get moving around, that gets us in transition and things like that, getting stops.

“And then if we put PJ at the five, we can go small, as well.”

The smaller approach could continue to an even greater degree when Markieff Morris returns from the whiplash that has had him sidelined since Nov. 8.

At 6-9, Morris mostly has been cast at forward during his career, but, according to Basketball Reference, played 19 percent of his minutes at center during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2019-20 championship season, with 14 percent of his minutes this season with the Heat listed at center.

Butler out: Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with a bruised tailbone sustained in Saturday night’s victory over the Chicago Bulls, did not travel for the two-game trip to Indiana and Milwaukee, extending his absence to at least four games.

Also not traveling with the team were Adebayo (thumb), Morris (neck), Victor Oladipo (knee) and Marcus Garrett (G League).

ASHLEY LANDIS/AP The Heat’s P.J. Tucker will be needed to stand tall as a Bam Adebayo standin.