ASK IRA: Is closing by committee a better path for Heat?

Q: Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson looked pretty good on defense in the fourth quarter. Maybe it’s time to put that narrative to bed. – Robert, Ocala.

A: It goes to bed when it also works with Jimmy Butler. Again, performances such as Friday night are inspiring because of how it came in the void of a leading man. But for the Heat to get where they want to get, it typically involves Jimmy. So perhaps with Duncan Robinson’s ongoing growth from last season, he and Tyler provide the components that were missing in last season’s NBA Finals against the Nuggets. For a regular-season game, Friday was inspiring. But for this team, it always is about something more. Something more with Jimmy Butler. So we wait on Jimmy’s calf strain, needing to see it all, and all at once.

Q: It’s so frustrating and disappointing with Jimmy Butler hurt again. I understand the meaninglessness of the NBA regular season but I can’t look forward to watching a Heat game when I know someone won’t be playing? It drives me insane, what I’ve been used to seeing for years. – Roy, Miami.

A: But that’s the thing, by now it’s almost the norm. And I find it hard to believe you didn’t enjoy a game like Wednesday in Orlando or Friday at home against the Hawks,, even without Jimmy Butler. You might have had a better argument with previous Heat rosters. But with Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Bam Adebayo, there still is entertainment value even on the nights that Jimmy sits.

Q: Ira, is Udonis Haslem the only player in NBA history to have his number retired that never made an All-Star team? – Roy, Miami.

A: No, there are plenty of nominal names hanging from the rafters around the NBA. But Udonis Haslem will not only be the first Heat player to have his number retired without an All-Star appearance, but also the first Heat player to have his number retired without being in the Hall of Fame.