The fully healthy Miami Heat suited up tonight for a NBA Cup match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tyler Herro and Norman Powell debuted together, a starting lineup decision was made with Kel’el Ware to the bench, and a 10 deep rotation was on display.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out late for the Bucks, which definitely changes the approach to this game from Miami’s perspective.
So let’s get into some takeaways from this one:
1. Evaluating the new look Heat rotation.
Nov 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half of an NBA Cup game at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
After seeing the starting lineup result with Davion Mitchell getting the nod with the primary four guys, the next question up to bat was who the next guys off the bench would be. Not only did the Heat go ten, they went to a full bench unit of Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio, Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr, and Kel’el Ware. That means Nikola Jovic was on the outside looking in. That move doesn’t feel like a long term one, as it has a lot to do with force feeding the primary guys to play together to fast track missed time. They will continue to test the Powell-Herro combination, but the end result is them being staggered across the game as well.
2. Bam Adebayo-Kel’el Ware isn’t going anywhere.
Nov 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) defends Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA Cup game at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
As I mentioned before, Kel’el Ware going to the bench had some worried with just how well he’s been playing. But if I’m being honest, that starting unit doesn’t matter as much as it’s made out to be. Even though that starting front-court of Ware and Bam Adebayo was stripped away, the key is that they still find pockets of the game to get to that pairing. They did that in the second quarter as Adebayo didn’t enter for Ware, he entered with him. Those two bigs combined for 19 points and 11 boards in that first half. If starting isn’t in the cards, it needs to be a priority to still play them together. They’ve just been too good to go away from it.
3. I’d say Tyler Herro fits the offense.
Nov 24, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) warms-up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Not even halfway into the fourth quarter, Tyler Herro faked a nasty behind the back pass into a floater, bringing him to 27 points on the night. This time it wasn’t just that short push shot, it was everything. Transition pull-up threes, step back threes, mid-range work, and stuff at the rim. It never felt like things were being forced, as his play-making flashed for most of the night. Maximizing both Herro and Powell together is a work in progress, but seeing them with the ability to run off points in a hurry individually is always good to see. With all the worry about Herro in this system, it seems to be working fine for him so far.
