Entering the game with a five-game losing streak, the Miami Heat were absolutely desperate for a win over the Sacramento Kings to get their season back on track.
Naturally, the return of Jimmy Butler after a 10-game absence was always going to provide a massive boost. True to form, Butler certainly didn’t disappoint, posting 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds while committing zero turnovers as the Heat squeaked out a 105-104 win over the visiting Kings.
So while the win was a positive notch on the schedule, the game again highlighted an ongoing issue that the Heat are going to have to seriously address at some stage in the near future.
Despite earning a much-needed win, the Miami Heat are in urgent need of a frontcourt partner to play alongside Bam Adebayo.
For the 14th time in 19 games this season, the Heat featured a different starting lineup. While the Heat have been beset with disruption as the league navigates itself through the current COVID-19 climate, the spot next to Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt has been a consistent source of contention.
After Kelly Olynyk started the previous 13 games at the four-spot, second-year player KZ Okpala was assigned this role with the return of Butler. However, after his initial seven minutes on the floor, Okpala wouldn’t return to the game, having been scoreless and a minus-14 in his short appearance.
Okpala, who has started before at small forward, becomes fifth Heat player to start in power rotation role (at power forward) alongside Bam this season. There are nine players on Miami's roster who can play PF; Heat now turns to Okpala in that role after 13 games with Olynyk
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 31, 2021
Instead, head coach Erik Spoelstra reverted back to Olynyk to commence the second half against Sacramento, clearly aware of the ramifications of such an important game at this juncture of the season.
But in further development, Spoelstra then reverted to two-way player Max Strus to accompany Adebayo in the closing lineup. While Strus acquitted himself well by posting seven points in 13 minutes, the undrafted forward is certainly not a long term solution, particularly when you consider that Strus had played no crunch time minutes this season prior to this game.
So where to from now? In the offseason, Moe Harkless was brought in on a minimum deal with the thought of seeing just how he’d fare in this role. However, in his limited appearances, Harkless has not proven to be the answer. As for Olynyk, he’s proven to be too inconsistent to be relied upon, whereas Okpala and Strus are in the absolute infancy of their NBA careers.
With the trade deadline not until March 25, the Heat’s front office still has sufficient time to address this area, should they see fit. Last year, the midseason acquisitions of Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder proved to be a masterstroke, with Crowder, in particular, excelling once inserted into the starting lineup alongside Bam in the frontcourt just prior to the postseason.
But with Crowder having departed this past offseason, it’s left a noticeable hole in the starting lineup, and hence the rotation as a whole. With a shortened season and general uncertainty always present, Heat president Pat Riley’s next major move could prove to be one of the more crucial he’s made since arriving in Miami in 1995.
So despite an awfully slow start at 7-12, the return of Jimmy Butler, and a potential upgrade at the four-spot, the Miami Heat could certainly surge up the standings sooner rather than later.