Q: Ira, I have no problem with Erik Spoelstra playing a small lineup against teams that start small. That’s not stubborn; that’s smart. But we have to find more minutes for Kel’el Ware. Agree? – Nate.
A: Agree with both of those sentiments. Take Wednesday night when the Heat play in Dallas, for example. Yes, you could start both Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware against Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg, but does that give you better defensive matchups than having Bam on Davis and having Andrew Wiggins on Flagg? The Heat are at a point where they are playing to win the game. And with the way Bam was shooting his 3-pointers on Monday, you could see why he would get the bulk of the minutes while the game was competitive. Still, 16 minutes for Kel’el is not adequate. That is something the coaching staff will have to work through with their rotations. You can win while also developing.
Q: Now Pelle Larsson has a toe sprain. Ira, is all this running running the Heat into the ground? – Sid.
A: It might be from a player perspective, but not necessarily a team perspective. The difference is that the Heat have the type of depth that they have shown the ability to endure the occasional absence of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo, or perhaps now Pelle Larsson. If this was a team that was, say, only seven deep in terms of contributors, then your point would be reasonable. Of course if the Heat were only seven deep they likely would not be playing at such a pace. For the most part, beyond the absence of Tyler Herro from his ankle surgery, the Heat rarely have had to go without multiple rotation components.
Q: Should the Heat take Anthony Davis home with them? – Ted.
A: Over Mark Cuban’s dead . . . Look, despite what Mark Cuban has said, the Mavericks would appear to benefit from moving off of Anthony Davis’ age and contract. But there also is plenty of injury history to consider. That said, if draft capital was not involved, and if the lynchpin was Tyler Herro, then perhaps you consider, simply because you would have to pay Tyler otherwise. That said, Dallas seemingly would be looking for far more, considering what they surrendered to get A.D.
