The Miami Heat spent most of the regular season searching for the right starting lineup and that process has continued in the playoffs.
After using 26 different starting lineups in the regular season, the Heat was forced to used its 27th different starting group of the season in Game 2 of its best-of-7 first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks because starting guard Tyler Herro broke his right hand in Game 1.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra decided to start three-point specialist Duncan Robinson in Herro’s place in Game 2, but it remains to be seen if that will continue after the Bucks crushed the Heat 138-122 on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum to tie the series 1-1.
“I’m not sure. We’ll just have to see,” Spoelstra said when asked whether Robinson will continue to start in place of the injured Herro. “We have a couple days before the next game. I think it’s too early for me to even start to formulate a plan. We’ll get together at practice and watch the film. It is different without Tyler. We just have to figure out what makes the most sense and we’ll get to work on that.”
Spoelstra and his staff will weigh their options ahead of a pivotal Game 3 on Saturday in Miami. Other options on the Heat’s roster to start in Herro’s spot in Game 3 and beyond include Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love and Haywood Highsmith.
None of these players can replace Herro’s important combination of efficient three-point shooting and impressive shot creation, and each one comes with their own pros and cons. But these are the options Spoelstra has to choose from if he turns away from starting Robinson.
The lineup of Gabe Vincent, Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Max Strus and Bam Adebayo that opened Wednesday’s game played just 11 minutes together in the regular season. In Game 2, this five-man combination was outscored by three points in 12 minutes together.
“Just provide space, just kind of do what I’ve done, just be a trigger, create overreactions and just be solid,” Robinson said when asked how he can help the starting group.
Wednesday only marked Robinson’s second start of the season. After a rough opening stint that included two fouls and a traveling call in the first six minutes of Game 2, he got hot after going scoreless in the first three quarters to score 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range in the fourth quarter with the Bucks already well in control.
“I haven’t started in a while,” said Robinson, who made 208 starts over the previous three regular seasons before losing his spot in the starting lineup late last season. “So it’s definitely a little bit of an adjustment. But whatever they want me to do, I’m happy to do it.”
What’s Butler’s advice to Robinson if he’s going to continue to start in Herro’s place?
“Be Duncan,” Butler said. “Don’t worry about being Tyler, don’t worry about being anybody else except for the best version of yourself on both sides of the ball. Be aggressive like we want you to be. Hunt for your shots, stay confident and guard to the best of your abilities. Next-man-up mentality. He is one of the guys that’s in that next-man-up role. He can do it.”
NO PROBLEM?
Butler was seen grabbing at his right knee on the Heat’s bench late in Game 2 on Wednesday after taking a flagrant foul from former Heat teammate and current Bucks forward Jae Crowder.
With Crowder down on the court and Butler attempting to go up for a layup, Crowder grabbed at Butler’s right ankle in an effort to stop him from jumping up for the shot. After the flagrant foul was called with 3:49 left in the third quarter, Butler made one of the two free throws and then hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to cut the Bucks’ big lead to 31 points.
Butler, 33, left the game shortly after with 2:33 remaining in the third quarter and spent the rest of the blowout loss on the Heat’s bench. He missed 10 games in the regular season because of right knee issues.
When asked about Butler’s right knee following the game, Spoelstra quickly responded: “He’s fine.”
The Heat and Bucks will issue their official injury reports for Game 3 on Friday afternoon.
