MIAMI – Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 106-103 NBA Cup victory over the Milwaukee Bucks:
– So who drew up the Heat’s starting lineup now that the rotation is whole?
– An answer, at least for this one night, might have been the Bucks.
– Because With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, the Heat took advantage of the opportunity to play smaller, with an opening lineup of Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell.
– That had Kel’el Ware as a reserve for the fifth time this season.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame he appreciates that starting matters to players.
– “Sure,” he said. “You have to manage a lot of things with a locker room. We have a locker room that really enjoys competing and enjoys each other. We also have an extremely ambitious locker room. And I respect that. I honor it.”
– He added, “We do have to make decisions with playing time, but the bottom line is winning. And we’re 19 games in and we haven’t had an opportunity for our full complement of our roster. And so I think it’s an exciting night. We get to start the process with our rotation.”
– That said, Spoelstra stressed that it also remains fluid.
– “None of it will be in cement and I don’t feel pressure to make it cement, whether it’s the starting lineup or whether it’s the rotation once we get into the bench,” he said. “I’ve said it since the first day of training camp, we feel that our depth is one of our best strengths and we want to weaponize that.”
– He added, “To weaponize it, you have to use it. And we’ll figure it out. It doesn’t have to all be decided tonight.”
– Of getting Herro and Powell in the lineup for the first time, Spoelstra said, “I think the two of them and their skill sets just make us a whole lot more dynamic offensively. And we welcome all of it.”
– The Heat’s first basket was a Herro layup off a Powell assist.
– With it clear early that the two could coexist.
– Of course, not only did the lineup change, but also the rotation.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith and Ware entered together in the Heat’s first substitution.
– That immediately staggered the Herro/Powell minutes and the Adebayo/Ware minutes.
– Pelle Larsson followed
– With Simone Fontecchio then for 10 deep.
– And two different units.
– Neither including Nikola Jovic, who also was available.
– Nor Keshad Johnson, who had jumped into the rotation amid injuries to others.
– As for the smallball lineup, the way Myles Turner feasted on the Heat’s switching defense, another big might be mandatory.
– Powell was the first of the starters to return after the second unit began to give way.
– Followed by Adebayo . . . when Ware was still on the court.
– With Adebayo shortly thereafter hitting Ware with a halfcourt alley-oop pass for a dunk.
– As for it being an NBA Cup game, Spoelstra said there was a tangible difference in the building.
– “You see that it’s meaningful,” he said. “Guys are competing for it. I think it would be really good for our team (to advance). We have a young team. I think anytime you have these games that have a playoff feel to it, I think is really, really valuable.”
– Carlos Alcaraz was among those in attendance.
– For the second time this season at Kaseya Center, a fan made a halfcourt shot during timeout for $5,000.