Tyler Herro or Josh Richardson might be the Miami heat starting ball-handler, according to the report.
The Miami Heat’s backcourt position will remain a mystery unless Damian Lillard is acquired soon. According to a person familiar with the Heat’s thinking, Tyler Herro or Josh Richardson may start as the team’s “primary ball-handler” if Lillard isn’t in the mix.
The only natural point guard on the Miami Heat roster is Kyle Lowry, but if the team is unable to sign Lillard before the start of the season, a person familiar with the team’s thinking said he won’t be surprised if the Heat chooses Tyler Herro or even Josh Richardson as its starting primary ball handler.
“In that case, Lowry could continue to play off the bench.”
Last year, Lowry had some success coming off the bench.
He averaged 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in 44 regular season games as a starter while shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from outside the arc.
His per-game statistics decreased in his 11 regular season games as a reserve (as one might anticipate), but he greatly improved his efficiency, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from outside the arc.
In addition, he continued to be far more productive during 23 postseason games (22 of which were bench appearances), shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from outside the arc.
Richardson was a starter earlier in his career, notably during his initial stay with the Heat, and Herro also have starting experience.
Of course, the Heat’s ideal situation would be to ultimately sign Lillard, who would address several of their backcourt issues. The seasoned player shot 46.3 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from outside the arc last season, averaging 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game.
The idea of a Lillard-Jimmy Butler-Bam Adebayo trio is one that rival teams have reportedly expressed concerns about, and it’s hard to blame them considering the amount of talent a Big 3 like that would possess.
With training camp getting closer, the Heat and Blazers may start to put the pedal to the metal in trade talks soon, opening the door for Lillard to be in South Florida before the season begins. But that’s no guarantee, so it’s unsurprising that the Heat may be coming up with contingency plans for their backcourt behind the scenes.
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