Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Rotation tightening up before playoffs
PHILADELPHIA — The dynamic could change because of the next two games being part of a back-to-back set, but the tightening of the rotation in advance of the playoffs apparently has begun for Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
In Tuesday night’s tougher-than-expected 118-105 victory over the Detroit Pistons at the start of this three-game trip, Spoelstra went only eight deep, even with his entire rotation available, except for sidelined rookie big man Nikola Jovic.
Beyond starters Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Max Strus, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent, the only others to play were Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin.
No Cody Zeller, who was coming off a 20-point performance when Adebayo was sidelined for Saturday night’s home victory over the Dallas Mavericks. No Victor Oladipo, who now seemingly only plays when Lowry sits out. No Duncan Robinson, who had made appearances in the previous three games.
“Right now,” Spoelstra said, “I do like the fact that we have our depth and we have options, and we plan on utilizing any or all of them based on what we need for that night, that game.”
Next up for the Heat is a backto-back road set Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers and Friday night against the Washington Wizards. That could lead to alterations, with Lowry, 37, not having played both ends of backto-back sets since returning March 11 from a month off due to knee pain. Lowry’s last back-to-back appearances were in December.
That could mean Oladipo again in one of the next two games.
Unlike with others, Spoelstra appears reluctant to cast a player with Oladipo’s All-Star resume into token minutes.
“Well, it’s all hands on deck,” Spoelstra said. “But I do understand the personal side, emotional side of things, particularly of a player of Vic’s caliber. And he’s been working back through these injuries and getting himself back to be available every single night and that’s the biggest check mark.
“Now for really the first time this year, we have basically everybody available. So there are some dominos that are impacted by that and we just want to have the guys available. It can be at any moment, any time, whatever we feel like is necessary to get the win.”
Then there is Zeller, who had been cast in a consistent role as backup center after his Feb. 20 signing. But with Adebayo back Tuesday and with Love shifted from his previous Heat starting role to backup center, Zeller was a spectator Tuesday for the first time in the 14 games he has been available to the Heat.
“I think that would have a very similar potential as Bam and Kevin,” Spoelstrta said of not ruling out playing Zeller and Love together. “And they have played some minutes together when I’ve taken Bam out. It was early on. I kept Kevin in when I subbed Cody in for Bam. We’ll just see.”
Both ways
While Spoelstra said he is keeping his focus on his team’s performance as the playoff race plays out through the Heat’s Sunday regular-season finale against the visiting Orlando Magic, he noted the need to also begin postseason planning.
To that end, he is having his scouting staff formulating game plans for the play-in round, which opens Tuesday, with the Atlanta Hawks or Toronto Raptors the Heat’s most likely opponent in such a win-and-in matchup.
“Yeah, that’s obviously the responsible thing to do,” Spoelstra said. “Our staff is working behind the scenes on all those different scenarios. I don’t want to hear any bit of it. They’ve been given a task. It’s also not the first time they have to go through this.
“But I’m not distracting myself with any of that thought right now.”