Loading...
Loading...

The Miami Heat have won five straight games, and All-Star Norm Powell has missed this whole stretch with a groin strain while Tyler Herro has played well. It begs the question, should Erik Spoelstra reinsert Powell into the starting lineup when he returns? And, if so, who goes to the bench? Wes Goldberg and David Ramil discuss the difficult decision that Spoelstra will have to eventually make.
PrizePicks
Download the PrizePicks app today and use codeLOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.
Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNBA
Quo
Make this the year where no opportunity - and no cutsomer - slips away.
Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to http://Quo.com/lockedonnba.
DoorDash
From tipoff to overtime, stay in your bag and order on DoorDash.
Get snacks, drinks, gear — whatever gets you through the season — delivered right to your door.
DoorDash. In your bag all season long.
Betterhelp
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA.
5-Hour ENERGY
Have your cake & drink it too. Birthday cake-flavor is back, no fork needed. Vanilla-y cakey flavor, caffeinated kick, and no sugar. It's party time. Order Now at 5-hourENERGY.com or Amazon.
Indeed
Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast
Gametime
Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.
FanDuel
FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a College Basketball Parlay Profit Boost.Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
All right, one more thing the heater playing well, but as it force some tough decisions about the rotation when norm power turns we'll talk about that next
You are locked on heat your daily Miami heat podcast part of the locked on podcast network your team every day
All right, welcome to locked on heat your daily podcast on the Miami heat part of the locked on podcast network now the number one supports podcast network
Whether you're tuning in on YouTube or on your hair podcast that thanks so much for making locked on heat your first listen every day join the cookie gang become an every day
Or that means subscribing tuning in every day one day through Friday and signing up for the every day or club with the link in the show notes
I'm West Goldberg host of locked on NBA daily and real GM radio
I'm here with David or mail both of us our credentialed heat media members who cover this team every day
Recording this Monday morning after the heat's big win over the Detroit pistons on Sunday night David and I recorded a
Great post game show after that one on Sunday night
So if you haven't checked that out it is up on YouTube and in your podcast feed
We got into a lot of stuff including what is really fueling Miami's five game win streak and what it means overall for their place in the Eastern
Conference standings and whether or not they can make a run in the Eastern Conference
But we got one more thing to talk about today, and this comes from our
Listener questions from the all access to you're on the every day or club
Thank you to the cookie gang as always for sending in those questions
We have a few stragglers that we didn't get to at the end of our post game show yesterday
This one comes from Alec Ai who writes in what a huge last couple of wins for this heat team has Norm Powell lost his spot in the starting lineup
When he returns from this injury what should the starting lineup be when everybody is healthy going down the stretch here and to end the regular season
We got another question about any idea when we're getting norm back and what do you guys think and what do you think if he comes off the bench so
Let's start with when norm comes back
I guess is maybe the most important part of your David. We don't know in classic Miami heat fashion
We've got Eric's pollster giving us though. Well, he's making progress every single day and
That's all that's all we're getting it is the growing strain that's held him out for the last few games
He was starting Tyler here was coming off the bench prior to this injury
Since norm went down Tyler hero has ascended to the starting lineup and he has made the most out of it
He looks every bit the all star that he was last year. He should 50% overall 40% from three
The playmaking has been really important something that we talked about over the last couple of games David
I don't know that you can take I mean, I know you cannot take Tyler hero out of the starting lineup at this point
There is a big question about what you do with norm when he comes back though
Yeah
Yeah, as far as the time lane is concerned
I mean, I'm trying to determine exactly when they would typically they'll bring him back for a home game on obviously you've got games
Three more home games are doing this stretch against
Washington Milwaukee in Orlando
Then you go off to a road game against the Charlotte Hornets
next Tuesday and then on Thursday you're back for a one game against the Los Angeles Lakers. So
I don't know. I mean, I think that the approach is a sound one because a groin injury is a little bit tricky
You don't want to rush him back and then have him kind of miss more time especially for the the playoff run and
Trying to do whatever it is that you can during the post season. So I'm fine with the approach regarding
Working him back slowly, but he's missed all five games of this win if he if his name was Tyler hero people would be doing the whole
They're only winning the title heroes injured and I'm not saying that that's the case with norm
I'm just I'm just making a point here
But but they are saying yeah like we have had some comments saying oh norm is when it should be traded etc
But I think so yeah, I think it's 28th a groin strain typically will take
Like a mild strain will take a couple of weeks
I'm more severe strain could take three four five weeks
and
Again, we have no idea what the level of strain is air exposure did say something that because they got ahead of it
He feels like that the recovery time might be shorter than it normally is sure
Which leads me to believe that maybe it's leaning on to the more serious side of the groin strain right maybe that three to five
Week timeline as opposed to the more minor one
So if it's let's call it three weeks that he's out. He's been out since the 28th. So it's been roughly a week so far
Um a little bit more than a week so far
That means uh
Maybe
I'm looking at a week at some point coming back. Yeah, I think it's I think it's beyond it
I think uh Monday the 23rd it tends to stand on your spurs at home
Yeah, you're right because like to your point you're in Houston 21st, right?
Yeah, maybe maybe you're around there. So we're talking about mid to late March here
Yeah, so sometime um and that's fine. Let him recover. Let him figure it out and I like
Something that players do when they're hurt is and and norm has been at these games
So he's not just that he's there as an emotional support and like that like players
Especially veteran players like norm they can see things differently when they're on the sidelines
They can they see the the minutia of the game differently because they're not out there they're not involved and they can
Kind of understand what their role is and make those kinds of necessary adjust
But so when they do return they'll be able to figure it out
I think norm is smart enough to have that kind of self-awareness and to be able to kind of get
You know into the minutia like I said and understand exactly how he can develop a little bit differently
His chemistry with the players that will be available
I think as far as the overall question
Like I hate sounding like a prisoner at the moment because I was just fine with Tyler coming off the bench when he was
After he's returned after having missed a number of games
And that was when norm was available, but then norm gets hurt and obviously you have to bring Tyler back into the starting lineup
And he's thriving that role
So I don't want to just be a wishy-washy about it
But I just don't know how else you can put norm back in a starting lineup
I think there's concerns about that because
The defensive issues I've brought up before I think those are still going to be there
You can't have Tyler and norm out there because you're taking away
Dave your Mitchell you're taking away true Smith and Casper C. Equestrian is all of whom have been played much better defense
Than either Tyler or nor pal and those three guards are in heavily in the rotation
And they're bringing some defensive acumen to that position
And I think you'll be removing that from the starting lineup if you just reinsert norm back into the starting role
So I think that's a problem
I haven't seen what norm is like on the bench because well he just hasn't played off the bench this year
I don't know how happy he will be to receive what could be perceived as a demotion
Um, I don't know how he's going to play as you see the thing is Tyler thrived off the bench
When he was first coming back from injury because he wasn't able to develop that two-man game with Calil
He was a much more easy facilitator between him and Hyman etc
Norm is not that kind of playmaker. It's not to say that he can't but he is just not
The strongest part of his game. He's more of a you know what give me the ball
I'm going to launch it. I'm going to shoot. I'm going to drive through the rim etc
so you're kind of
Expecting him to develop into more of a playmaker
But at the same time you do have the plantma back a point guard who would be able to facilitate a little bit more
And Hyman has thrived in that regard as your back point also so he's a guy who can also initiate off and so
It this might be a convoluted way of saying it
But you have to look at the different ways that norms game can be maximized whether it's as a starter or as a bench player
And right now as you said I don't think you can bench Tyler
But I also don't think you can have both Tyler and Norm in a starting lineup
So I feel like you have to keep norm off the bench like I think so I'm not sure
It's not that easy and I know it's an easy choice for me to say right now
But I think that's the reality is as good as he's been haven't come off the bench at least for a few games
And then to see exactly how he kind of
Arrives or doesn't in that role and then make the adjustment at another time because I just
I'm concerned about the defensive issues that we'll cut up
You know, are you going to bench Pella Larsen? I guess that's an easy choice too
But Pella has been solid as it's not easy. Not yet. Not the way their polls in plan
Yeah, as a connector as a glue guy as a defensive player, etc
He brings a different edge than either Tyler or Norm Wiggins is out obviously
So I think that you know, that's why my ring gardeners in the starting lineup now
And that's probably not going to stay that way either so I guess it all depends on at what point norm comes back
And whether or not Wiggins is available because he needs to be back in that starting lineup as well
Maybe you can tinker around with the back court to a certain degree
I don't know and am I crazy here and thinking that it's possible for Norm to come off the bench
As this primary score
And that's a hell for him. I'll I'll give you my answer at the other side of the break
But these injuries
They've sort of been helping Eric's bolster with these decisions lately
And you're hoping you get to the point where that's not the case anymore
But as we're discussing here it's a tough decision
We'll talk about it more after this
So
Today's episode of one more thing is brought to you by Fandall college basketball is non-stop big games tight spreads momentum swings every single night
From early tip-offs to late night west coast shootouts
There's always action on the board and now Fandall is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins
With a college basketball parlay profit boost you can build any college hoops parlay that you want rivalry games ranked matchups
Whatever fits your read you can mix spreads totals player props to match how you see the slate playing out
And then you can apply the profit boost and instantly bump up your potential payout payout the great thing about probably is
You're not limited to just one sport on Fandall you can talk about the NBA here as we do on this show
And I'm looking at the Fandall sportsbook here the Miami Heat
Plus 115 to win the southeast division
Those are the best Dodds that you're gonna find you can find them to make the playoffs make a playoff run
win 45 games
The best Dodds that you have of the heat kind of riding
This hot streak out to the end of the season is to win the southeast division
Currently their Orlando magic are still the favorites and the magic do of the tiebreaker over the heat for the season
That's probably a big reason
But if the heat just win one more game then the magic they're gonna go ahead and probably win the southeast division
Plus 115 those are pretty good odds right now you can go save you can go bold ride the team that you've been following
All season long and if you're listening to this it's the Miami Heat
It's your parlay your style now with more upside behind it head to fandall.com to get started that's fandall.com fandall
Play your game
Welcome back to locked on heat thanks for making us your first listen every day check out the full post game show
The heat twin over the pistons on YouTube or up in your podcast feed right now
David we're talking here about what you do with norm when he comes back. We've gotten a lot of questions about it
How you mentioned yet he could see it as a demotion
It's a demotion
And it might not be it's on his fault right he got hurt. That's not his fault that he strained his groin
But he was an all star this year this year like a month ago
He was in Los Angeles playing for team world during the all-star game and you're gonna bring him off the bench
that is a really tough sell and
I just wonder if you're a spo
The fact that you you're working them back from an injury and that it is something precarious like a groin strain right because this is something that can easily get tweaked again with one wrong step
You know, I do wonder if you're just like hey norm come off the bench
Tyler did it and he was an all-star last year
um
Do you just bring norm off the bench and say look we got to manage your minutes and you do that down the stretch
The problem with that approach is eventually that's just kicking the hand down the road eventually
Norm's gonna be like hey man
I feel great. It's been two weeks of me coming off the bench the minutes restrictions gone like what are we gonna do here?
So at some point even if that's how supposed starts he's gonna have to make a decision at some point here
I wonder if the answer is all right bite the bullet just start Tyler and norm
Try really Tyler norm probably Pella maybe Davian still you make that decision wigs and bam
And you go that direction and then you quickly start staggering Tyler and norm and you say look
We're gonna start this way. We're gonna try to come out swing in offensively
We want norm and Tyler here to combine for 12 points in the first four minutes of every game
And that's sort of how we're gonna
Play to that strength
And then we're getting into our rotation pattern right away
And then we're gonna aggressively stagger norm and Tyler to make sure that one of them is on the court at all times without the other one
Because there is something to this infrastructure that they've built where it's hey
Even when you know Tyler was healthy coming off the bench and norm was healthy
They had one of them on the court at all the time at all times
And then that defense of guys like Davian and Pella out there on the perimeter along with Wiggins and bam
That is the infrastructure that is what is helping them win games right now
So do you just go that direction and then aggressively stagger and here's one thing that I was talking to people after the game last night about David
This new bam at a bio minutes pattern where he starts and then comes out quickly
Kalele comes in and then bam comes back into play with Kalele
Yeah, I do want bam was like I don't know about this minutes pattern
Like I'm kind of just getting my groove and then you're yanking me and then I come back in the game
I do wonder if that's almost like setting the tone
For some for Tyler or norm to kind of have that same minutes pattern to the point where
Okay, well, bam's coming out you're coming out with bam and if bam's okay coming out with this weird minutes pattern
So can you right like kind of bam setting the example right by his actions as we talked about so much with him
I wonder if that's something that they can do and then you're aggressively staggering Tyler and norm
So you've got one of your guards on the court of all times you're aggressively staggering as we know bam and Kalele
So if you got 48 minutes of room protection at all times you could go between Pella and Wiggins
So you have a great wing defender at all times you've got Davian and Drew
So you've got one of those point of attack defenders out there pretty much at all times other than when you start games
I think that's where it is the the problem with that David and I'm all acknowledge it right off the bat
Is I don't know that doesn't answer how you close games. Maybe that's just a hot hand match-up scenario
But that might be how you have to open games
I don't know I just I feel like you're creating a disadvantage for yourself that doesn't need to exist
I feel I understand that you want to
Put your best offensive team out there which norm definitely needs to be a part of and yet I think
We've seen Miami strengths over the last five games that they've won
Be the transition that's initiated by their defense being able to put pressure forced you know be active on the rebounding battle
Force turnovers and just ignite that fast break in order to be able to score points easily
And that's how they've been able to attack opponents regularly to create an advantage
And I don't know that that's going to be
Available to you if you start Norman Tyler at the same time. I just I don't see it and so I
I'm not sure if that's a good choice to be honest with you like I know these are tough decisions to be made
And I'm glad I'm not the one making them because your answer is bring norm off the bench then
That would be my pick right now. How do you sell that to a guy who's gonna get
Because he's still closing because he's gonna play a lot of minutes because
Their minutes will be staggered, but he'll also get the opportunity to shine as an offensive player
Um, and I think he'll be able
To still thrive like I mean he could still average 30 minutes off the bench
High miss minutes gets cut a little bit
You know less minutes for Casper's you know less minutes for Drew etc
And at some point you just kind of figure it out and you know you you can't uh
Wigs will have less minutes because he's he'll be coming back from injury as well
You need him for the stretch run
So you cut into his minutes a little bit and you just tinker with this everybody's been it to go down a little bit
And norm continues to play more minutes and he'll thrive in that role. I at least that's that's how I would have presented
Again, I don't know the nuances of how
Spowe is gonna be able to sell it to
Norpal and I don't know whether or not the relationship is strong enough or he could say yeah
Do you feel comfortable about this or not you know
But I don't see any other way of making it work like I feel like you're gonna put yourself in a whole
Offensively and defensively by starting those guys because we know how the defense ignites their offense
And I think that's what's led to a big part of their success over the last few games
And if you take that away by reinserting power into the starting lineup
Then you're back to what you were the middleing team that we saw not that long ago
And so I think that's a concern moving forward. Yeah
So in lineups according to cleaning the glass where the heat have
Bam and Wiggins on the court with pal and hero right because I think that's important
You get those two defensive guys out there Bam and Wiggins with pal and hero
The have a defensive rating of 114.9 that's obviously not as good as their regular regular
Their regular season rating of 111.4 defensively, but it and it would rank
Um, let me scroll really quick here
18th in the end of the pack right just below middle of the pack if that's a tough look but
When they play those four with Davy on Mitchell in over 200 possessions this year. So small sample size but something
There are plus 7.2 net rating
When they've got bam Wiggs Davy on Mitchell hero and pal
If you take Davy on Mitchell out and replace him with pal arson
They're plus 32.8 per 100 possessions, which is ridiculous. They've only played that's only in 33 possessions
So it's basically nothing they want they basically scored a
They outscored they're opponent by a point every minute that they were on the court
Um or every possession that they were on the court rather
Um, according to cleaning the glass really small sample can't take much from it
But those would be the options if you were going to start pal and hero right over either one of Davy on or pal and so that's the only data that we have
Um right now in terms of the background of those lineups
It's not an easy decision. I don't know what Eric's bolster does
um
It's a fascinating thing and maybe the best thing for them is just the hope that one of these guys
Is always hurt so you don't have to worry about it
Yeah, I mean, I know supposed response is going to be it's a good problem to have
We've heard that from him a number of times
But it's it's a challenge nonetheless like I understand what he's trying to say by it and trying to put a positive spin on it
But he does have to find the best combination and
You know, I know a some injury whether it's Tyler or to Wiggs or to somebody is going to affect the decision because that's just and
And invariably how it always plays out with his team
But uh, you don't want to tinker with something too much
That takes away from what we've seen over the last five games because they play really good basketball during the stretch
And you want to continue to build off that and so I think you you're in danger of
Upsetting what has worked so well the chemistry that has worked so well and the the style of play that has led to this success
By returning him to the line with the politics part of it. You're also in danger of
Upsetting a locker room where two guys Tyler hero nor pal who were both are all stars legitimate certified all stars
Both going into a summer where they're going to be asking for new contracts
And so as much as you might up end the chemistry on the court
And I do I would never accuse hero or pal or causing a problem in the locker room
But you just not intentionally never want to feel bad. Yeah, right. So
Hey, this is why spoke it's an extension. This is why hey, it's a test of all of it, right?
And we'll see what I do and I also do think that there's a fair question to be asked of okay from a basketball sense
Yeah, what's the best version of this team because it's easy to say you can't do anything different
While you're winning five straight games, but when they stumble if they do stumble
Then maybe it becomes and that's why I think maybe they are being as patient as they need to be with norm pal is hey
We're winning games right now. Let's not rush him back
Let's make sure that he's totally healthy when he comes back
And let's just get more of a sample size of what this things look
This thing looks like without him so that when he does come back, maybe we can make a more informed decision
Conversely though, the flip side of that is you don't want to wait to the last second
You don't want to have like two or three games left in the season be like all right now you're back to starting and everything falls apart
And you're like okay, we're ready for the playoffs, you know
I hope he's having conversations now like if I can not I would never
Expect Eric Spulstra to take lessons from me on how to be a good locker room leader
But I feel like one thing that has to be said is that he should be communicating now
Get it done as early as possible just start talking to norm like he's there be like so what do you think you know
What's writing pick his brain and see you know how he feels about it and maybe get a kind of accurate read on whether norm is
At least amenable to the option of coming off the bench where he's not going to create a sticker feel too bad about it
Because you know what I think they're the flip side of
Maybe norm is upset by it could be the opposite where he's like I don't care
I've you not seen what they're looking like out there
They're winning and I can go in there and I can still get my points and I can do what I have to do
Was it two years ago that Westbrook was like it was my idea to come off the bench when he was playing with the clippers
I think it was like it was my idea to come off the bench
That could be the way to spin it where it's like it was actually and by the way, I have my doubts about that
But whatever it's like
It could be it was pal's idea like you get these conversations pal's like look. Let me just come off the bench
Let me come off the bench. This is Tyler's team. I'm not going to try to step on those toes
And then that way when your pal and in your is agent and you go into for agent say by the way
This is not a six-man guy
He volunteered to come off the bench after coming back from a groin train, but he is a starter and he was an all-star last year. I don't
Fascinating and tricky
And interesting and something that we will for sure be talking about
Again, thanks for tuning in today to one more thing on lockdown heat
Make sure you subscribe fall locked on heat so you get all the latest episodes
You're going to want to tune in tomorrow a deep dive on Bam out of bio and his all-nba candidacy. That's right
All-nba for bam potentially
If you're never miss an episode the every day or club is built for you join the cookie gang and get locked on heat
Add free plus members only discord access and more and to lock down heat.supercast.com to join the club
Locked On Heat - Daily Podcast On The Miami Heat



