ATLANTA — The immediate move was starting Duncan Robinson at the start of the second half after Tyler Herro went down Wednesday night in Memphis with his sprained right ankle.
Now, with time to digest what will be missing these coming weeks and how the Miami Heat rotation can best be adjusted, Erik Spoelstra has decisions to make.
The loss of Herro comes at a time when Spoelstra actually had grown comfortable enough to term the trio of Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as a big three.
In the short run, the escape hatch could be pushed for even more from Butler and Adebayo, while also upping the ante with Kyle Lowry.
“With Tyler out,” Spoelstra said, “we don’t know how long that’ll be, but Kyle’s going to have to be really aggressive and give us some other options to be able to play some pick-and-rolls, and for him to create and get into the paint and do what he does.”
All while accepting that Lowry also is 37, with the need for a mindful eye in light of the early-season workload last season that led to an extended midseason absence by Lowry with knee pain.
Beyond starting Robinson in the second half of the victory over the Grizzlies that evened the Heat’s record at 4-4 ahead of Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, the second stop on this four-game trip, Spoelstra also reinjected former two-way player Dru Smith into the rotation after holding him out the previous four games.
“I think especially here, with this organization, we always emphasize every man be ready, next man up, just having the right mentality,” Smith said of being pulled from the deep freeze on short notice. “So I mean it’s definitely tough when you’re sitting there, you don’t know whether you’re going to go in or not. When we’re fully healthy, I know that necessarily I’m not going in. But just doing my best to stay engaged in the game, so that way whenever you do step in, you can step into the schemes, you know what we’re doing.”
For Spoelstra, no Herro means a variety of direction he can turn, with what he has stressed is among the most versatile rosters he has coached in years.
Among the options:
Duncan Robinson: This would help provide the spacing that Herro did with his 3-point shooting, an essential element in a starting lineup that needs to keep the paint from being packed against Adebayo and Butler.
While Robinson’s defense has been an ongoing concern, it’s not as if he would be replacing a defensive stopper, with Herro with his own limitations on that end.
Robinson, however, was scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting in playing Wednesday’s second half in place of Herro.
Josh Richardson: Initially viewed as a potential starter upon his offseason signing in free agency, Richardson has been slow to come around from preseason foot issues.
Plus, with an inclination to attack the paint, it could make things particularly crowded for Adebayo and Butler.
As it is, Richardson has been playing as the Heat’s backup point guard, a rotation Spoelstra might be reluctant to adjust,
Caleb Martin: This wouldn’t be immediate, with Martin yet to play this season in the wake of preseason knee pain.
But if the Herro absence is extended, and if Martin can regain his legs, this would add another defensive component to the first five, which would stand as a lockdown unit alongside Adebayo, Butler and Haywood Highsmith.
Martin’s 3-point shooting also could boost the Herro-less first five.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Jaquez played as a closer Wednesday with Herro out, converting a decisive 3-pointer in the final seconds.
But as was the case in Memphis, it remains likely that the first-round pick out of UCLA will not attract defensive attention at the arc.
Yes, Spoelstra has gone to Jaquez twice as a starter before, but opening as a Herro replacement might be a stretch.
Kevin Love: No, Love wouldn’t be starting in the backcourt, but he could slide back into his opening role at power forward, with Highsmith shifting to the wing.
Such a move would inject 3-point shooting and spacing into the first five, with the Heat still with ample defensive deterrence in that lineup. Plus, it would be a way of getting Love back in the mix after being held out of the past four games.
Dru Smith: While Smith wouldn’t move into the starting lineup, he could remain in the rotation after Wednesday’s return, particularly if Richardson is cast more as a wing option.
Cole Swider: Again, not a starting option. But with Herro and his shooting removed from the equation, it might make sense to recall Swider from the G League to have additional 3-point shooting available.
