This might have been the second for experimentation and maybe the beginning of one thing massive, with the Minnesota Timberwolves arriving to FTX Arena on Tuesday night time for the Miami Heat’s exhibition opener.
There arguably isn’t any higher opponent in at present’s NBA to check the probabilities and feasibility of going with twin massive males than towards what the Timberwolves will supply this season with Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Such direct evaluations, nonetheless, must wait, with Towns recovering from a non-COVID sickness that stored him out of coaching camp.
With the Heat within the offseason bringing again veteran massive man Dewayne Dedmon at twice final season’s wage, even with Bam Adebayo and Omer Yurtseven already in place, the Heat are positioned to roll out one thing alongside the road of twin facilities, significantly with out a true energy ahead on the roster.
“Playing with two bigs is something that definitely is in our wheelhouse,” coach Erik Spoelstra instructed the Sun Sentinel throughout coaching camp.
Which additionally has been the case since Adebayo was chosen No. 14 out of Kentucky in 2017.
Which is also one thing that principally merely has not occurred with Adebayo.
Last season, Spoelstra utilized twin massive males for a complete of 33 minutes, by no means within the playoffs.
It is a sample that started upon Adebayo’s arrival, when he performed simply 52 minutes alongside Hassan Whiteside through the 2017-18 common season, none through the Heat’s five-game playoff run that postseason.
“I don’t know how we’ll address that during the regular season,” Spoelstra mentioned, “but in training camp we do have to look at all of our different variants of our lineups. That’s what training camp is for, that’s what preseason is for.”
The Heat’s five-game preseason schedule effectively might go a great distance towards figuring out whether or not there can be a subsequent massive factor for Spoelstra.
The fixed in Spoelstra’s massive lineups has been the presence of no less than one 3-point-shooting massive man.
For instance, earlier than Kelly Olynyk was dealt to the Houston Rockets on the March 2021 NBA buying and selling deadline, he performed 37 video games and 630 minutes that season alongside Adebayo.
The season earlier than, Adebayo performed 1,365 mixed minutes alongside both Olynyk or Meyers Leonard, one other outside-shooting massive man.
And in 2018-19, Adebayo performed 1,038 minutes alongside Olynyk.
Ultimately, it might come down as to if any of the Heat’s massive males can create the kind of 3-point spacing offered by final season’s beginning energy ahead P.J. Tucker, who left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free company.
Yurtseven mentioned he spent the offseason making no less than 300 3-pointers a day, taking pictures them, he mentioned, at an 80-percent clip.
Adebayo mentioned he, too, transformed that many 3-pointers throughout his exercise days, “at about 70 percent.”
For his half, Dedmon shot a career-best .404 on 3-pointers final season on restricted makes an attempt with the Heat, after averaging multiple 3-point conversion a sport throughout a two-season stint with the Atlanta Hawks.
“You saw me in Atlanta? I had two years where they had to respect the three,” Dedmon mentioned. “I didn’t go away from it. I wasn’t getting the identical alternatives. Came right here, simply tried to work my method into determining the offense earlier than I began doing different issues.
“Last year I saw my opportunities. I took ‘em when I could. That’s what I did this summer. I worked on consistency, making sure it falls more often.”
The subject with Adebayo is that if he turns into the floor-spacing massive man, it might additional take him away from the rim, in mild of all of the switching he does to the perimeter on protection.
“The way the game is going, you’re going to have to start shooting more threes,” Adebayo mentioned. “It makes it more dynamic for your offense. I feel like big dudes need to shoot threes.”
So Adebayo & Yurtseven? Adebayo & Dedmon? Dedmon & Yurtseven?
“Spo’s a smart man,” Dedmon mentioned. “Whatever he sees fit, he’s going to do. I love to play with Bam, but we’ll see what happens.”
Miami Heat dual-center utilization
2021-22 common season
Adebayo-Yurtseven, 3 video games, 18 minutes.
Adebayo-Dedmon, 5 video games, 14 minutes.
Dedmon-Yurtseven, 1 sport, lower than 1 minute complete
2022 playoffs
Adebayo-Dedmon, no time collectively
Adebayo-Yurtseven, no time collectively
Dedmon-Yurtseven, no time collectively
2020-21 common season
Adebayo-Olynyk, 37 video games, 630 minutes
Adebayo-Leonard, 2 video games, 16 minutes
Adebayo-Achiuwa, 6 video games, 7 minutes
Adebayo-Dedmon, 1 sport, lower than 1 minute complete
2021 playoffs
Adebayo-Dedmon, one sport, eight minutes
2019-20 common season
Adebayo-Leonard, 49 video games, 781 minutes
Adebayo-Olynyk, 58 video games, 584 minutes
Leonard-Olynyk, 3 video games, 4 minutes.
2020 playoffs
Adebayo-Olynyk, 9 video games, 39 minutes
Adebayo-Leonard, no time collectively
Leonard-Olynyk, no time collectively
2018-19 common season
Adebayo-Olynyk, 75 video games, 1,038 minutes
Olynyk-Whiteside, 50 video games, 458 minutes
Adebayo-Whiteside, 12 video games, 14 minutes
2017-18 common season
Adebayo-Olynyk, 39 video games, 477 minutes
Olynyk-Whiteside, 21 video games, 186 minutes
Adebayo-Whiteside, 11 video games, 52 minutes
2018 playoffs
Adebayo-Olynyk, 5 video games, 52 minutes
Olynyk-Whiteside, 4 video games, 12 minutes
Adebayo-Whiteside, no time collectively
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Source: www.bostonherald.com