The Miami Heat continue to field very competent squads despite not having the star power that other teams in the NBA have on their roster. They took the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, and very nearly mounted an insane comeback in Game 7 to send themselves to the 2022 NBA Finals. Instead, they came up short, and are gearing up for training camp for the upcoming season.
The Heat starting lineup took a hit this offseason when they lost P.J. Tucker in free agency, and they didn't really do much to replace him. Someone is going to have to step up and take his vacant spot in the starting lineup, but it remains to be seen who that player is.
Even then, there's another player in Miami's starting lineup who could be headed to the bench when the 2022-23 season kicks off. Let's examine who that player is and see why it would be better for him to come off the bench this upcoming season rather than be used as a starter.
Heat player in danger of losing starting job: Max Strus
Max Strus emerged from out of nowhere to become a crucial piece of Miami's playoff run last season. Having played in only 41 games over his first two seasons in the NBA, Strus eventually emerged to earn a spot in the Heat's starting lineup by the time playoffs rolled around. His blend of lights-out three point shooting and strong defense made him a vital part of the Heat's game plan.
Strus started the season off the bench before taking Duncan Robinson's spot in the starting lineup. Robinson may be a better three point shooter, but he's a defensive liability. Strus was the perfect blend that allowed the Heat to play the way they wanted to.
Despite that, Strus could find himself getting his starting spot stolen away from him in the same manner he did to Robinson last season. That's because it's going to be very tough for Miami to justify bringing Tyler Herro off the bench again for another full season. Herro has earned himself a starting spot, it's really just a question of whether or not he's more valuable off the bench or as a starter.
Herro took another step forward last season, but failed to cement his spot as a starter. His per game averages (20.7 PPG, 5 RPG, 4 APG, 44.7 FG%) showcased a player really coming into his own on offense. Herro took on a bigger role in the offense, and blossomed as a result. There was really no reason for him to come off the bench, but for most of the season he did, and that may need to change this upcoming season
It's tough to truly justify starting Strus over Herro, even if Herro ends up playing more than Strus. For the most part, despite their vastly different playstyles, both Strus and Herro contributed the same amount to their teams' success last season. But it's clear that Herro has a lot more upside than Strus moving forward.
Strus is a solid three-and-d player, no one is disputing that. But his offensive upside is pretty much capped at this point. He's a floor spacer on offense, and while he's a solid defensive player, there are times where the Heat struggle to get him open looks on offense. Strus also got picked on for long stretches of Miami's series against Boston, where their star forward duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown frequently got the shots they wanted against Strus.
The same thing would happen when Herro is on the court, but he's shown improvement as a defender over the past few seasons. He's beginning to learn how to use his length on defense as a guard, and when he was focused defensively, he pestered his opponent. There were also times where he looked lost on defense, so it's clear there is still work to be done.
Herro's offensive upside is much larger than Strus' defensive upside. Herro is one of the only players on Miami who can create his own shots, and he proved last season he can find his teammates too. His 2.6 turnovers per game is a total that needs to be improved upon, but it's worth remembering Herro is still only 22 years old.
The upside to starting Herro over Strus seems considerable. You can make a case that Miami needs more defense now that Tucker is gone, and maybe Strus can move to a forward spot alongside Jimmy Butler. But if he stays at shooting guard, there's really no justification to start him over Herro. Herro has far more upside than Strus, and he's more than earned a starting role this upcoming season.
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