If recent workout videos are any indication, Victor Oladipo looks primed to return sooner rather than later. The former all-star guard will bolster a Heat lineup that already has the 7th best defensive rating in the league. Oladipo hasn’t played a game for the Heat in almost 10 months, but fans and players alike are eagerly awaiting his return. One aspect that gets lost in this excitement is figuring out who gets bumped out of the Heat’s rotation when Oladipo steps back onto the floor. While Miami has been regarded as one of the deepest teams in the league, multiple young players are likely going to lose minutes to Oladipo as a result.
One candidate to potentially lose minutes in the Heat rotation is Gabe Vincent, who has mostly been serving as the backup point guard. Vincent has been serving as the starter the past two weeks due to the absence of Kyle Lowry and has been mostly good. However, compared to Oladipo’s defensive presence and scoring potential, Gabe still has a lot to learn. He will earn a bigger role with the Heat in the future but, for now, it seems Oladipo will be taking his spot.
Another player who could lose minutes is, surprisingly, Tyler Herro. While Tyler has exploded this season on the offensive end, his defense could still use some much-needed improvement. Additionally, Oladipo is more experienced than Herro when it comes to being a primary ball-handler. It is still likely that Herro would be the first one off the bench for his scoring prowess, but a fully healthy Oladipo is sure to come into the game right after him.
Only time will tell how the Heat truly plan to implement Oladipo upon his return. They will likely give him limited minutes to start as he gradually shakes his rust off. Once he’s fully healthy, it’s hard to imagine anyone else coming off the bench before him besides Herro. While this is a good problem for Coach Spo to have, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles it.
