Meet the Heat

Luke Babbitt | F, 6-9

On a role: Coach Erik Spoelstra has made it clear that Babbitt should be ready to launch at any time and that he will be counted on to create needed spacing for teammates with his outside shooting. Without the threat of an outside shooter at power forward, it will make it difficult for the Heat to succeed with the limited range of Justise Winslow and Hassan Whiteside.

Wayne Ellington | G, 6-5

On a role: Previous incarnations of Spoelstra’s rosters rarely had places for shooting specialists. But with the needs to dissuade doubleteams against Whiteside and keep the lane clear for Dragic drives, Ellington could serve as a James Jones type who actually gets rotation minutes. The only thing Spoelstra asks is to launch when daylight is there.

Tyler Johnson | G, 6-4

On a role: Based on the four-year, $50 million contract signed in the offseason, a starting role appeared to be the likely end game. Instead, with the acquisition of Dion Waiters and the emergence of Josh Richardson, Johnson figures to play more often this season as the backup point guard, in the wake of the Heat waiving both Beno Udrih and Briante Weber.

Willie Reed | C, 6-11

On a role: With the Heat figuring to utilize numerous small-ball combinations, with an emphasis on athleticism and shooting, Reed’s role could be limited to spot starter for the games Whiteside misses, or emergency fill-in when there is foul trouble against an oversized opposing big man. When Reed doesn’t start, he may not play, withSpoelstra likely to look for less-traditional options to cycle through in the middle.

Hassan Whiteside | C, 7-0

On a role: Yes, he has to continue to do it with blocks, but there also has to be more of a team aspect to the defensive approach. While playing the past two seasons as a revelation, almost any contribution was perceived as a bonus. Now there has to be more of a commitment to the team game on both ends of the floor. Now that he has the money, the stats have to become secondary.

Chris Bosh | F, 6-11

On a role: After failing his physical and president Pat Riley essentially writing him off, this is not the role that Bosh signed up for. At this stage his greatest value to the Heat likely will be the salary-cap relief that can be delivered going forward after Feb. 9, the one-year anniversary from his last game played before his second bout with blood clots. Bosh in almost all ways will be on the roster in name only.

Udonis Haslem | F, 6-8

On a role: With the Heat figuring to often turn to small ball, minutes for any of the power players beyond Whiteside figure to be limited. And yet a case could be made that Haslem will have more of a role than in recent seasons as the definitive leader on the bench and in the locker room. Locker-room furniture beware.

Rodney McGruder | G, 6-5

On a role: McGruder has intrigued the Heat for more than a year, with his ability to offer offense off the bench and play as a complementary piece. With Spoelstra declining to denote specific roles, McGruder figures to be an endof-bench floater, utilized when injury elsewhere dictates or otherwise developed with the hope of unearthing the next Tyler Johnson.

Josh Richardson | G, 6-6

On a role: The thought entering camp was that Richardson was the front-runner to start at shooting guard. Then Dion Waiters emerged as a workable complement alongside Goran Dragic, with Richardson sidelined by his offseason knee issue. Now it’s possible that Richardson instead plays as a swing guard off the bench, similar to how Tyler Johnson figured to be used, with plenty of time in three-guard alignments.

Derrick Williams | F, 6-8

On a role: So what is Derrick Williams? Is he an athlete without a specific specialty? Is he a 3-point shooter who needs to play closer to the basket? The possibilities are there. But what has to come next is a sharpening of the skills, a more definitive approach so teammates can get a read on what works, instead of a player whose perpetual motion doesn’t always provide a payoff.

Goran Dragic | G, 6-3

On a role: The notion of Dragic as leading man never quite took hold while Bosh and Dwyane Wade were on the roster, and by now it is clear that he tends to be more of a complementary player beyond his transition attacks on the rim. He won’t be off the ball as much as he was alongside Wade, but will often play more in sharing mode with this roster.

James Johnson | F, 6-8

On a role: The doldrums of an 82-game regular season often require, as Spoelstra likes to say, an “ignitable” presence. That well could be the role Johnson plays in the power rotation this season, similar to the role the Heat hoped Gerald Green would fill on the wing last season. It could be a case of wildly varying minutes for Johnson, depending on the energy needed.

Josh McRoberts | F, 6-10

On a role: The intrigue all too often has been put on hold by injury. Yet this is a roster that in many ways cries out for a big man with McRoberts’ skill set, his playmaking potentially allowing the Heat to play without a true point guard, his 3-point shooting affording Spoelstra the opportunity to spot him either as a stretch four or even stretch five. Of course, as always, health permitting.

Dion Waiters | G, 6-4

On a role: This is where it gets interesting. The Heat through camp came to view Waiters as an interchangeable piece in the backcourt, one as much at ease playmaking as scoring. But this also is a player looking for a significant bump next summer from the contract he took from the Heat. Waiters’ approach could be crucial to the Heat’s outcome.

Justise Winslow | F, 6-7

On a role: The irony with Winslow is the last thing the Heat can afford is to have him settle into a role. He has to open as a small forward, be comfortable shifting to the power rotation, while all the while accepting the challenge of defending at shooting guard or even point guard. If Winslow settles into a specific niche, too many possibilities would be lost.