As the Miami Heat continue to figure out the right rotations to turn the season around, especially after the team suffered a 98-86 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, there was an eye-opening aspect that happened on the bench. With Heat star Terry Rozier amid a disappointing season, he didn’t log a single minute for the team Monday as head coach Erik Spoelstra explains his reasoning.
Monday night continued a dreadful stretch for Miami as the offense couldn’t find any momentum as they shot 32.1 percent from the field and only made seven three-point attempts out of 40 attempts. Many fans have pinpointed Rozier’s season-long slump as being a reason for the shortcomings, but after the loss, Spoelstra would hone in on the fact that not playing the veteran is part of “searching” for answers according to The Miami Herald.
“It’s just one of those things right now,” Spoelstra said. “We’re searching. It’s not an indictment on anybody necessarily. I feel for the guys that haven’t been able to play — Jaime the couple games before this and Terry. It’s not anyone’s fault. We’re all in this together. But we do need to find something. So, I’ll continue to use the depth of our roster, however we feel like we need to.”
Spoelstra was even asked before the game about what needs to be done to get the former Charlotte Hornets guard in rhythm according to Ira Winderman.
“We just have to stay with it throughout our rotation,” Spoelstra said. “We’re just looking for consistency however we have to get to it. I know he wants to do more for the team. He really cares, that’s what I really admire about him. And we just have to stay with it.”
Heat’s Terry Rozier looking to find his way back to the rotation
Rozier was traded to the Heat before last year’s trade deadline in exchange for a first-round pick and Kyle Lowry where many have seen the deal in retrospect as a failure. It remains to be seen if Rozier can turn his season around, but like with Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., Rozier could sit some games as Spoelstra looks for answers, especially in what he considers to be a “tough stretch” after the loss to Atlanta.
“This is a tough stretch right now,” Spoelstra said. “I feel like we’re making progress, but it’s frustrating when it doesn’t lead to wins because you’re not in it just for moral victories. But we do have to recognize when there are tangible improvements and we are seeing some of those. We have to work for our breakthrough.”
So far this season, Rozier has been averaging 12 points, four rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range.
Heat’s Erik Spoelstra does see aspects to “build on”
However, there are many flaws with the team that go beyond Rozier as the Heat have suffered late-game collapses where they build up double-digit leads, all for it to be erased by the end. Still, Spoelstra believes they can “build on” their “collective spirit” that has been shown.
“A lot of these games, some of the games were before the trade, some of the games guys were out,” Spoelstra said. “So it doesn’t really matter. It’s just about doing what’s necessary to get a win. It’s hard to win in this league. I appreciate that. I really appreciate that this season. You have to fight and have a desperate collective energy that’s consistent all the way through and there has to be a collective spirit, which our group has.”
“That’s the part I think we can build on. There’s a spirit in our locker room,” Spoelstra continued. “That usually indicates that things are going to start going in your direction. It doesn’t guarantee anything, because it still is decided in between those four lines. But there are some intangibles in this locker room. Guys care about each other, they want to play well for each other. We just have to put it together.”
At any rate, Miami is now 26-30 which puts them ninth in the Eastern as the team returns home for a rematch against the Hawks on Wednesday.
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