Kyle Anderson Goes From Afterthought to Vital Contributor For Miami Heat

It took longer than it probably should have, but Kyle Anderson has made himself an invaluable part of Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation. 

Initially viewed as a throw-in in the deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State and got the Heat back Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and a first round pick that will end up being outside the lottery, Anderson played 12 or fewer minutes or received a DNP in 15 of his first 21 games with the organization.

Spoelstra initially barely giving Anderson playing time isn’t anywhere near close to the primary reason that the Heat lost 10 consecutive games, but it didn’t help. The 31-year-old veteran forward wasn’t feeling 100 percent at times during his first six weeks with Miami, but inexplicably sat the bench at times when he could’ve helped. 

Over the past few weeks, Anderson has since become an important part of Miami’s resurgence, which began with playing an important role against his former team in Butler’s “revenge” game. After seeing no action against Charlotte on March 23 despite not being listed on the injury report, Spoelstra turned to Anderson for 20 minutes of work against Golden State. He made all three of his shots, tied for the team lead with two steals and finished a plus-24. 

The guy who earned the nickname “Slo Mo” back at UCLA over a decade ago due to a deliberate style and never looking rushed has started to hit his stride in South Florida. He feels he’s a point guard who outgrew his position. As 6-foot-9 forwards go, if you’re looking for him to bang in the post, he’s not your guy. It’s on Spoelstra to find how to best utilize Anderson’s gifts, which include efficiently setting the table for others. 

“I could pick like three or four different things that he does that just leads to winning,” Spoelstra said following Saturday night’s OT loss to the Bucks. “He’s a winning basketball player. He’s a smart basketball player on both ends of the court. Some of these cool, different actions that we’re getting to with whatever percentage of our upset, Kyle was kind of spear-heading a lot of that. I’m grateful that we have Kyle.”

Anderson hasn’t played fewer than 18 minutes in getting into every one of Miami’s last eight games. The Heat have gone 6-2 in those contests entering their crucial matchup in Chicago. Anderson has averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a steal since becoming a fixture, and he matched a season-best with two blocks in Monday’s win over the 76ers to go along with eight points, eight boards and eight helpers.

It’s that stat-sheet stuffing versatility that Anderson brings off the bench that Spoelstra will have to continue to let breathe via playing time even if Nikola Jovic is able to return from a broken hand at some point over the next week. Ironically, the Heat’s most reliable reserves down the stretch have been Mitchell and Anderson, who have barely been with the team two months.

Anderson is under contract through the ‘26-‘27 season, so he could play a prominent role in Miami getting back on track to competing for more than avoiding road play-in games over the next few years. As for whatever is left of the Heat’s season, look for him to continue serving as one of Spoelstra’s top reserves, having effectively played his way into the mix.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com