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Miami Heat: Ranking all five starters for 2021-22 season

By Holden Walter-Warner

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo #13 and Duncan Robinson #55 react against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo #13 and Duncan Robinson #55 react against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Miami Heat Photo by Steven Ryan /Getty Images
Miami Heat Photo by Steven Ryan /Getty Images /

Ranking Miami Heat starters: 5. PF P.J. Tucker

P.J. Tucker becomes a fan favorite almost everywhere he goes. He plays a hard-nosed style of basketball and has no issues shooting straight from the catch. Tucker is a player who knows his role and fills it well.

That being said, Tucker doesn’t contribute a whole lot to a box score. He averaged more rebounds than points last season between the Bucks and Houston Rockets, and he only averaged 3.9 rebounds per game (he averaged 3.7 points per game). His 33.6 percent efficiency from three was also his worst since 2015-16.

The forward’s most important contributions to the Heat will come on defense. Butler and Adebayo are already great defenders, but the Heat have no problem playing to their strength by adding even more grit on that side of the ball.

Tucker will get the opportunity to defend Khris Middleton when he faces his former Bucks team, or pester Kevin Durant when the Heat face the Nets as he did during the playoffs. That will give Butler more opportunity to take necessary breaks on defense from time to time.

Offensively, if Tucker doesn’t knock down more threes he could become a liability. But the Heat want him for his attitude and his defense, both of which he should provide in fits.

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