Amidst the slew of young excellent perimeter players that the Miami Heat, it appears that Rodney McGruder and Derrick Jones Jr will receive the nod to start in the season-opener against the Orlando Magic.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweeted out this probable development from the Heat camp.
Heat could wind up starting both Rodney McGruder and Derrick Jones Jr. in opener.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) October 16, 2018
Just a few days ago, Heat fans were already picturing out superstar Jimmy Butler donning the team's jersey this season. But fallouts in the negotiations between the Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves surprisingly led to reports saying that the four-time All-Star will actually play for the Wolves at the start of the year.
Additionally, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald provided an injury report on some of the team's role players.
“Per Heat, Wayne Ellington (ankle) & Justise Winslow (hamstring) are both listed as doubtful for tomorrow night’s game vs Magic. James Johnson (hernia) & Dion Waiters (ankle) have both been ruled out.”
If McGruder and Jones indeed start for the Heat, they will be alongside Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, and Kelly Olynyk.
But if head coach Erik Spoelstra decides to play small-ball at the get-go, he could replace Olynyk with Josh Richardson and slot in the 6-foot-7 Jones to the power forward position.
Both McGruder and Jones would be tasked to set the tone defensively for the team. Jones, a high leaper whose vertical once measured 48 inches, has shown glimpses of improvement in his offensive game during the Heat's preseason games.
However, both swingmen aren't expected to log in many minutes at the more crucial stages of Miami games as the team will obviously favor the likes of Richardson and Dwyane Wade during clutch moments.
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