The Miami Heat are one team this season with a lot of shake-up. The team entered the season with middling expectations but with the injuries to Tyler Herro that sidelined him for most of the season thus far along with the Oct. arrest of Terry Rozier due to gambling violations, the rotations have been constantly shifting. Despite the consistent moving of parts, the Heat are having a solid season as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 31-29 record. While the record may not show it, the lineup has been playing very well and recently earned strong praise.
Bleacher Report released an article, grading every NBA team's starting lineup. The Heat surprisingly earned an "A" grade. The starting lineup the article used consists of Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo.
"This is the Miami Heat's fifth-most-used lineup on the season, though injuries and rest have prevented it from starting consistently since the middle of January," the article wrote. "It opened a 128-97 win over the Hawks on Feb. 20, but Mitchell bowed out of action with a head illness in the Heat's very next game. Unavailability is an issue, but that's the only drawback with this group. Mitchell, Wiggins, and Adebayo are all plus defenders, and Powell's late-career development into a remarkably self-sufficient scorer provides offensive punch. Opponents turn the ball over on roughly one of every five possessions against this lineup, which is beyond elite. Larsson is a quintessential on-the-margins contributor who makes smart cuts, has a knack for well-timed passes within Miami's system, and generally throws himself around to great effect on both ends. He's averaging 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per 36 minutes."
One of the most shocking elements of the season has been the strong play from Norman Powell. Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Powell saw a breakout season but he has even exceeded those expectations this campaign. With Herro missing a lot of time, Powell stepped up as the team's leading scorer and was a big reason why the offense was so fast-paced and efficient over the first month of the season. Also, young guys such as Mitchell and Larsson have played well in their roles. The lineup Bleacher Report uses is a relatively small starting lineup in terms of size with three guards and Wiggins running the four but the lineup has been the most efficient for Miami this year.
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