Miami Heat: New-look center rotation producing the goods

In the absence of the injured Hassan Whiteside, the Miami Heat have welcomed the contributions of Kelly Olynyk and rookie Bam Adebayo.

Following their most recent win, a 113-101 home victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat completed their 17th game of the season without the services of center Hassan Whiteside, which includes the past 12 consecutive games.

As the Heat’s leading rebounder and shot-blocker since he debuted for the team in 2014, Whiteside’s absence represents a significant hole for the Heat to fill until he returns.

While they struggled initially during Whiteside’s current absence in dropping three of their first games by a combined 69 points, the Heat have responded by winning six of their past eight contests. A key factor in this resurgence has been the play of the center-by-committee duo of Kelly Olynyk and rookie Bam Adebayo.

After Adebayo started in the first three games sans Whiteside, the more experienced Olynyk replaced him in the starting lineup until the untimely injury to forward James Johnson catapulted Adebayo back with the starters. In addition to Johnson, the team has also seen Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters sidelined while Whiteside continues to sit.

Over the past 12 games, Olynyk has averaged 12.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 28.3 minutes per game. The highlight of Olynyk’s increased responsibility was notching a career-high 32 points in his first return visit to face his former team, the Boston Celtics.

Playing 38 minutes, Olynyk shot an incredible 12-of-15 from the field, which included hitting 6-of-8 from 3-point range. Notably, just three players since 1963-64 have now completed a game in which they have posted at least 32 points, seven rebounds and six 3-pointers while shooting at least 80 percent from the field: Charles Barkley, Paul Pierce and Olynyk.

Following this performance, head coach Erik Spoelsra was naturally full of praise:

"“KO was just tremendous. More than anything, he was just a competitor tonight, that’s why we like having him on our side….really aggressive, looking for his shot, that’s what every man in that locker room is telling him to be all the time. Not necessarily to put up 30, to be aggressive, guys want him shooting the basketball because it makes us a better team.”"

For his part, Adebayo has averaged 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 24.8 minutes per game over the last 12 contests. He has particularly impressed over the last seven games, increasing his numbers to 10.7 points, 6.3 assists and 2.0 assists in 27.4 minutes per game.

Adebayo’s most significant overall game was their most recent win over the Mavericks. In a starting role, Adebayo posted 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a steal in 37 minutes of action. Furthermore, he was a +28 while on the floor, with the Heat being an incredible 141.1 points per 100 possessions better off when Adebayo was on the court.

But the most notable number from Adebayo’s performance was the five assists he dished to his teammates. While he and Olynyk have been unable to replace the sheer size and presence Whiteside provides down low, their ability to play further from the basket and integrate their game with their teammates has given the Heat a unique look.

To illustrate the difference, over his 15 games this season, Whiteside has dished out a total of six assists. In addition to Adebayo’s five assists against the Mavericks, Olynyk also dished five of his own assists during the Heat’s road loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In the absence of playmakers such as Johnson and Waiters, these contributions from the duo of Olynyk and Adebayo are even more vital in order for the Heat to keep their head above water until the team returns to full health.

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So while the absence of Whiteside has been far from ideal, it has nonetheless given coach Spoelstra and his staff the chance to trial some different and alternative lineups. Furthermore, given the 6-2 record the Heat have posted over their past eight games, it also gives both the front office and coaching staff some things to consider as the Heat look to improve on their current seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.