Q: Hi Ira, please remind me why the Heat chose Precious Achiuwa over Tyrese Maxey in the 2020 NBA Draft. – Mark.

A: Because they already had met their quota of former Kentucky scoring guards, with Tyler Herro already in place? Or because they had to get someone that the Raptors would want in a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry? Look, it’s not as if Precious Achiuwa in any way has been a draft bust, with the Raptors enthused about his future. And it’s not as if 19 other teams didn’t pass on Tyrese Maxey, either, before he went No. 21, one pick after the Heat took Precious. And I’m still not sure that the real error wasn’t bypassing Desmond Bane, who went No. 30 in that first round. Look, Tyrese is special, as he showed in the Heat’s final regular-season meeting with the 76ers and then again in Wednesday night’s Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal series. Still, it’s one thing to have taken Precious Achiuwa over Tyrese Maxey. But imagine if you were one of the teams who instead took Killian Hayes, Kira Lewis or Aaron Nesmith over Tyrese? So, yes, it might sting for the Heat. But it stings even more for others.

Q: Duncan Robinson scored 27 points, with eight threes, in the first game of the Atlanta series. He has played a total of one minute in the first two games of this current series. Don’t you at least have to get him into these upcoming games to see if he has the hot hand again? – Bob, Davie.

A: No. Why mess with what’s working? Again, different players can have different values in different series. In this series, the Heat need Caleb Martin’s defense against James Harden, to provide relief for P.J. Tucker. And in this series, Victor Oladipo has taken another step forward. That doesn’t mean Duncan Robinson can’t be an alternative when adversity hits. But so far in this series, no adversity. And the 3-point shooting was just fine without Duncan on Wednesday night.

Q: A few games ago there was no room for Victor Oladipo in the rotation. Now he has played his way into a role where even when Kyle Lowry comes back, Oladipo should be getting a good chunk of minutes. I know Lowry will start in place of Gabe Vincent, but what will Erik Spoelstra’s rotation look like with his newfound embarrassment of riches? – David, Sunrise.

A: It likely will be as basic as Kyle Lowry is back as a starter and Gabe Vincent potentially is dealt out of the mix. It is a reality that Gabe has dealt with all season, and one he has handled well. That, too, is part of what has made him such a meaningful component of this mix.

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