So, with the last post about starters, the idea of playing Ware & Adebayo obviously came up. There was also this poll on Twitter that I saw that asked should Ware start alongside Adebayo and it was a perfect split.
Not specifically to Ware, but this has been a long discussion about playing someone big next to Adebayo to have more size as the league continues to get bigger. & seeing as the Heat have been throwing out 6'5 guys next to him instead, it does make sense to want more size – at least start with someone that's 6'8. But getting size just to get size isn't ideal. Those players with size still must have skills that fit with how games are played now. It's still emphasising shooting, spacing, & movement.
Most commonly, fans use these examples for teams that play "double bigs":
- Wolves: Gobert + Towns/Reid
- Celtics: Kristaps + Horford
- Knicks: Robinson/Hartenstein + Randle/OG
- Bucks: Lopez + Giannis/Portis
- Magic: Carter Jr + Paolo
- Cavaliers: Allen + Mobley
& although they do play guys that have actual size(some are near 7ft), but most of the "2nd" big doesn't have a similar role to them. The only way they'd count as playing double bigs is if you consider position/role by the players actual size rather than their skillset or how they're used.
That's why I looked at those teams & looked at how each of them are being used by looking at their screening volume, 3pt volume & playtypes. There is a clear distinction
To see if one plays a traditional role of a big, a good proxy I found that is their screening, 3pt volume, & the ratio of spot up vs cut/dumpoff/putback frequency. That obviously shows how much involved they are screeners in on-ball actions and where they are on the court when they're off-ball.
Despite all those teams playing "double bigs", no team is running a big that has a similar profile(outside of the Cavaliers). It's only "one" big doing that and then the other is used a lot on the perimeter. 11 of those bigs have a 3pt volume of 7 3s per 100 possessions. 10 of them also have a spot up freq of 30%+.
That's what you need from one of the "bigs" to do.
So, going back to the poll asking if they should start, that's a question of where does either player fit on that chart above?
That's what it only comes down to when it comes to starting or playing high minutes together. Because right now, what we have seen from Adebayo is him being in the traditional big role(look at his stats vs IHart, Lively, Turner, Carter Jr). He has high screening volume, very low spot up or 3pt volume & high cut freq. He's towards that group.
Based on what we've seen from Ware in the summer league and his college stuff, I'd also envision him being similar to that role. Just as a rough picture, I'd say he'd fit closer to the Lively profile above than someone like Chet or Jackson Jr.
This is where my reluctance about them either starting or seeing high minutes together. I don't know how realistic it is for either Bam or Ware to either have one of them chuck up 7+ 3s per 100 or have both take 4-5 each. Because if they can't do that, that's going to cause more issues than whatever issue you think you're fixing elsewhere.
Now, Bam has been working on adapting his game, which shows some potential & promise, but that still feels very unlikely to have such a quick turnaround in just one season(if he does, HUGE CREDIT to him) because this the need isn't to just adapt the game, it's completely changing it. For him to play like Reid or Jackson is significant change.
There are also defensive concerns. You can afford to have 2 bigs that may cause some issues(Brook/Giannis, Mobley/Allen) if you're getting that back on the defensive end. I don't see that with these two, mainly because of Ware. I have my doubts right now for a rookie BIG to have a clear impact defensively as he defends PNRs in various schemes or on switches. It's really rare for a rookie big to do that right away.
Plus their defensive issues have less to do with not having a 7fter protecting the rim(the Heat have been elite at paint & rim protection) but moreso about having a 6'5 player next to Bam instead of a bigger wing like DFS, Cam Johnson, Jerami Grant type players.
This does eliminate the chances of starting. I don't see either player changing enough for me to see them paly 12-15mpg together. BUT I do want to still see it… at least in spot minutes.
I do want to see how it would even look period. I want to see whether Bam will change his playstyle & to what extent. If there are potential signs there & it looks positive, then that will be encouraging as the season goes on. Same thing Ware. I'd also like to see how he'd look on both ends too.
This should all just be spot minutes & not much more to begin with, though. They 100% should see the court together to at least see what you have. But until there's any sample of them together, there is absolutely ZERO reason for them to start together. Why throw yourself into that situation from the start? There's no benefit there, especially when you already have a player that fits. This needs to be a long term thing, so I think the best bet is to gradually start building on it. Start with spot minutes, then more if it's encouraging & so on, with the eventual goal to make it work full time.