Q: Mr. Winderman, I’m going to say it again: We are not scared or ducking anybody. Brooklyn doesn’t scare Miami. Maybe another team would be, but we’re not built to have fear. There are enough key defenders on our roster for those decisive fourth-quarter stops. We just need everyone in rhythm before the playoffs start and it’s Heat in 5. Tell your media friends in Brooklyn to start preparing their excuses for losing now. They will have plenty. — Swann.
A: I’m not saying scared. I’m just saying that there could be paths of lesser resistance. Yes, I appreciate you might have to go through all of the toughest challenges in order to get to the NBA Finals. But there is something to be said about advancing a round or two before an ultimate challenge. And while the Heat have myriad defenders, I’m not sure there is such a thing in today’s NBA as a Kevin Durant stopper (or even a Kyrie Irving stopper). That will have to be schemed. And even then, it will require the collective best. So, no, not Heat in five. In fact, with the Bucks holding out Giannis Antetokounmpo on Saturday and Joel Embiid to possibly sit out one of the next two for the 76ers, I’m not sure that anyone else necessarily wants No. 1 in the East. And perhaps they know of the potential trap ahead.
Q: You recently wrote, “and I’m not sure that Erik Spoelstra is willing to go 10 deep.” I don’t understand why he does not utilize what he has sitting on the bench and play them all. For instance, it’s pick-on Duncan Robinson day and he gets two quick fouls against him. So Spo sits him down and the substitute also gets two quick fouls against him. Does Spo sit him also? I say yes and go to the third man. These players are thought to bring value to the team. In the playoffs, everyone is ready to play, so play them, even if it’s only for five minutes. That way starters and second team have more of a breather. Your thoughts. — John, Pompano Beach.
A: First, thanks for reading. Now a bunch to unpack. Basketball largely is a sport of continuity. Different players bring different skill sets and require different approaches. So if you constantly are running players in and out of games, cohesion is lost. With some players, you play in transition. With others, it’s more based in the halfcourt. You can play big. You can play small. But you can’t be everything to everyone in 48 minutes. Plus, playing five minutes at a time does not allow for players to warm to situations. So, yes, if there’s foul trouble or an injury, of course you want everyone to be ready. But this is a league about stars, and in the playoffs, nobody matters more than your leading man. So you cater to them, even if it means the 10th man never gets off the bench. That doesn’t mean that 10th, 11th or 12th man can’t have a moment, shouldn’t be ready for his moment. It just means that all the planning goes into maximizing the top of your rotation.
Q: Ira, it seems like teams are sometimes waiting for when Bam Adebayo switches out to a guard on defense. More and more passes are going inside to Bam’s original matchup, who is now being guarded by Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry, etc. The result is an easy basket by the opposition. Probably the other team has strategized what to do when Bam switches out and leaves his cover to someone else. Do you think Bam should switch less or is a new strategy on defense needed? — Rich, Plantation.
A: But there also are cases where the preference is the opposing big man being the one with the shot, rather than a dynamic opposing wing (I would think the Heat would be more than willing to cede attempts to Andre Drummond if it meant fewer launches for Kevin Durant, for example). Erik Spoelstra has stressed that such switches are dependent on the opposition, matchups, and are not automatic. And when it comes to the playoffs, there will be a particular defensive scheme for each opponent, which, in turn will mean a distinct defensive scheme in each of those matchups for Bam Adebayo. Bam’s defensive versatility opens myriad options for Spoelstra, ones that likely will be fully explored.
()