Miami Heat: Starting lineup locks, fringe, and potential break-ins
Locks for the starting lineup
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson
For a franchise used to star players, the Heat were caught in the uncertainty of a star-less future when Dwyane Wade announced his retirement. That changed when they were able to execute a sign-and-trade for the mercurial Jimmy Butler, who was a foul-drawing bully throughout last season and all the way through a dominant postseason run. He is one of the Heat’s two stars that are concrete locks for the starting lineup.
The other star is Bam Adebayo, the former Kentucky center who has blossomed through three years in the NBA. He is a versatile defender, can play at power forward or center, and has grown in leaps and bounds as an offensive player. Few players in the league have his motor, and perhaps no other big brings his combination of passing, ball-handling and interior scoring.
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Duncan Robinson rounds out the starting lineup locks. The sharpshooting wing came seemingly out of nowhere a season ago, bursting from undrafted G-League prospect to one of the greatest shooting seasons in NBA history. Robinson dropped in 270 3-pointers, tied for 12th all-time, and given a full 82-game season was on track to break into the top-five.
Now with a full season under his belt, Robinson projects to only get better as an all-around player, even if his scorching 3-point numbers (he shot 44.6 percent a season ago) come back to earth. His shooting is vital for a team that needs the spacing he provides, making him a lock for the starting lineup despite his relative inexperience.