ASK IRA: Can Heat’s Gabe Vincent-Victor Oladipo pairing endure when roster is whole?
Q: The most encouraging thing for me in Thursday night’ s win over the Bucks is having both Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo playing at the top of their games. I loved seeing them playing together.– Roland, Borrego Springs, Calif.. Can Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo be the same players when Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro also are playing?
Q: The most encouraging thing for me in Thursday night’s win over the Bucks is having both Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo playing at the top of their games. Gabe has not been right for much of the year. And we all know what a struggle Victor has had. I loved seeing them playing together. – Roland, Borrego Springs, Calif.
A: And it certainly was heartening and encouraging. But there also is a bigger picture of what happens when the rotation is whole. That’s what the Heat still don’t know. Can Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo be the same players when Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro also are playing? Would Erik Spoelstra keep a Vincent-Oladipo second unit intact at that cost of minutes for Lowry or Herro, when they typically cycle back? Until we see it all together, we basically have not seen anything.
Q: There are so many variables that have to go in the right direction for an NBA team to get through the season and achieve a beneficial playoff position, let alone win a championship. This year’s Heat injuries, last year’s Nets’ problems are prime examples. So isn’t it that much more important to surround Jimmy Butler with the players he needs now and not waste what productive years he might have left? – Bob, Davie.
A: First, the Heat already made a major move/concession in that direction by adding Kyle Lowry. So that, alone, should have sated Jimmy Butler. Plus, there are dual realities, including the one where you also have a core of the future with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. So to sell off future assets would diminish the possibilities with those two. It is a fine line to walk, but one that is necessary.
Q: How can they not cut Dewayne Dedmon? – Bill, Palm Beach Gardens – Bill, Palm Beach Gardens.
A: Because in the NBA, salaries matter. So even if possibly not viewed as a contributor going forward, Dewayne Dedmon’s salary still could be utilized to help facilitate a trade. You can’t allow spite to get ahead of the personnel game.
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