As the Miami Heat prepare to face the New York Knicks tonight in their home opener, it's best to be aware that the starting lineup is always subject to change. Regardless of who is available, Erik Spoelstra will match their opponent's personnel.

In the season opener against the Orlando Magic, the Heat ran with Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo. The next game, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Spoelstra replaced the Serbian forward with Kel'el Ware. He alluded to leaning on starting him against the Magic until a minor ankle sprain injury occurred in practice the day before.

The Heat's main issue throughout the Jimmy Butler era was the lack of size. Then, towards the second half of last season, the Heat ran a double-big lineup with Adebayo and Ware. In today's league, size matters.

The Cleveland Cavaliers revived the importance of it in the 2022 season, when they had Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen in the starting unit.

Ware is the only seven-footer on the standard roster, also a strong rebounder, shot blocker, and rim protector.

As Jovic was saying in Media Day that he sees himself as a starter, perhaps a sixth-man role would fit best. He finished with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, an assist, and a block in 27 minutes on Friday against the Grizzlies, while coming off the bench. The 22-year-old can carve out more opportunities with the second unit, which currently consists of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith, and Simone Fontecchio.

Jovic has shown tremendous progress in building strength, which helps when driving in the paint, posting up, and guarding bigger players. However, he still isn't a strong rebounder, which Ware provides. If Jovic's minutes align with the starters, the former first-round pick can fit alongside them when needed.

As the Heat look to play at a faster pace, Spoelstra can run with either Jovic or Ware. Both players are in their early 20s, and given the organization's history with its condition tests and standards, they won't have issues keeping up with running up and down the court.

Jovic could also carve a Sixth Man of the Year campaign. He can score on all three levels and defend, but his abilities can be showcased more with the second unit. It's a similar situation to Tyler Herro when he won the award in 2022. He came off the bench, averaged 20 points per game, played big minutes, but found tremendous success in his role.

Jovic would be a massive spark off the bench. On any other team, he's more than likely a clear starter, but on the Heat, it's all about buying into the role assigned. As mentioned, on any given night, Jovic may find himself in the starting lineup, but there's more room for him to grow as a sixth man.

The Heat will face the Knicks tonight, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, who will be without their projected starting center in Mitchell Robinson, due to left ankle injury management. However, they still have size, so another Adebayo-Ware starting duo could appear again.