5 Takeaways from Heat’s Second Scrimmage Game

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The Miami Heat had an evening scrimmage game on Saturday, and they fell short, 101-99. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in this game, which was due to rest in preparation for the counting regular season games. Well, here’s what was seen in this game…

#1: Kelly Olynyk solidifying big minutes off the bench.

Kelly Olynyk’s spot in the rotation has been in question due to the Heat’s major depth. Well, Kelly proved he can definitely be utilized after he put up 27 points in today’s scrimmage. This was one of the major factors that the Heat were in this game, since the Heat’s starters struggled early. Kelly was a threat at all three levels on the offensive side of the ball, which then opened up the floor for guys like Jae Crowder. We know Kelly is capable of doing this on offense, but the question is consistency. If he can do this on a regular basis, he will be a major part of this Heat rotation.

#2: Tyler Herro bounces back after tough shooting game.

Tyler Herro was coming off of a game that struggled from beyond the arc. His shooting seemed to be back to mid-season form, but that’s not what stood out. What stood out was his play-making improvements. He seems to be getting much more comfortable with running the point, which is a role the Heat would love him to play. This has especially been the case at ends of games, when Tyler runs the offense and is the go to scorer. This is just a glimpse of what we can expect from Tyler in the next three years, where he may be the primary play-maker on the roster.

#3: Heat’s offense is choppy without Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy Butler took the day off on Saturday, after a hard practice the night prior. Something I mentioned after the first scrimmage game was how much more fluid the offense was when Jimmy was on the floor. This seemed pretty evident in this game since the offense was very choppy throughout, especially with the first unit. Though Tyler and Iguodala did a good job running the offense today, it just isn’t the same without Butler on the floor. Guys like Duncan Robinson and Meyers Leonard benefit when Jimmy is playing, since he constantly draws people in, which forces wide open threes. Don’t be alarmed by the tough scoring night by Miami, since this will be fixed quickly upon both Jimmy and Bam’s return.

#4: Turnovers become problematic for Heat rhythm.

The Heat seemed to make some mistakes throughout this game on both sides of the ball, but turnovers seemed to be a big one. We know the defensive mistakes that were made due to the lack of a defensively strong back-court. But, the offense will need to clean themselves up, especially in games that are tight down the stretch. This may be something else that falls under the Jimmy category without him running the offense, but there will be times without him on the floor, and they need to be trusted. This also may be due to the fact that most of the guys are trying to get back to their pre-hiatus form, but hopefully this won’t carry over into the regular season games.

#5: Heat’s bench unit seems to be Miami’s biggest advantage.

To end on a positive note, Miami’s bench unit seems to grow stronger and stronger every time they play. Between the Kelly Olynyk display, Jae Crowder shooting, and Tyler Herro play-making, it seems as if this will be the biggest match-up for other teams. At times it feels like the team is getting better once the bench enters, which is not the case for many other teams. Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala are two other names off the bench that will impact this team, especially when the playoffs get going. Even Soloman Hill had good stretches throughout the game with his perimeter defense. As repeated over and over about this team, their depth is going to be a huge problem for opposing teams.

5 Main Comments from Media Availability with Spoelstra, Adebayo, Nunn

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Heat’s starters Kendrick Nunn and Bam Adebayo finally arrived to Orlando on Tuesday. And after 48 hours of quarantining, they’re back on the practice floor. After a light practice night for Kendrick and Bam, they got to talk with some media about both their readiness and this Heat team’s odds. Here’s what they had to say…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Spoelstra began talking about the availability of Nunn and Adebayo in Saturday’s scrimmage game. He said “I’m open to it.” This definitely means that both Nunn and Adebayo showed good signs in practice in the bubble if they’re already ready for the games. Spo did also say that “They worked intelligently today in practice,” and mentioned that they put a ton of time in May and June which put them in this position. Both Bam and Nunn add a huge spark to their respective sides of the ball. With the addition of Nunn’s scoring and Bam’s defense, it’ll be interesting to see how they come back.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Coach Spoelstra got asked about the fact that this environment may impact shooters in a much more positive way. He responded, “I believe in our shooters. Our shooters are elite.” This seemed to be evidently true in Wednesday’s scrimmage game against the Kings. Especially for Duncan Robinson. But Spo also added to this question saying that he’s actually heard the exact opposite about the shooting in this environment, but says, “I’ll take it.” Well, if it’s harder for some shooters, it definitely doesn’t apply to this Heat roster after what we saw in their first game back.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Nunn began his discussion with media talking about the process of having Covid-19. He said he had mild symptoms and he feels pretty strong. Nunn also mentioned one of the biggest helps during this stretch was keeping in contact with Bam Adebayo since it was “the same routine trying to get over Covid.” But on the basketball side of things, Kendrick seemed pretty positive about his return to the court. He said he will definitely try to “persuade” Spo to let him play tomorrow. This will be a very big improvement to the offense, especially since it brings a guy who can attack the rim and control the mid-range, which is something we didn’t see on Wednesday.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

After Adebayo talked about his experience with Covid-19 as well, which he described as “boring,” he began to talk about this Heat teams odds. He says their goal doesn’t change just because they took some time off. He says, “Our ultimate goal is to win a championship, that’s the mindset.” That is the “mindset” of this team in general since that is pretty similar to what Jimmy Butler said about this team a few days prior. It’s great to hear Bam continue to have this mindset even with the many distractions he’s had to deal with. He said he felt scared today during practice since he hasn’t played.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Adebayo got to talk about the expectation coming into the season for him and how that’s impacted him. He says, “Got my opportunity now I gotta produce.” That’s another great example of the “mindset” of this young star. He knows how good he can be, especially since the work ethic with him is no problem. Adebayo also says that the biggest motivation for him was the doubters that didn’t think he could be what he wanted to be.  He says, “I wanted to prove them wrong.” This is definitely what he did, since he wasn’t even looked at as a top 15 center coming into the season, and is now a top 5 center at only 23 years old. He ends his media session saying, “Alright everybody don’t forget, Black Lives Matter.” Though Bam says the ultimate goal is a championship, the real ultimate goal is to get this message across since it truly is “Bigger than Basketball.”

5 Takeaways from Heat’s First Scrimmage Game

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The Miami Heat got the win against the Sacrament Kings in their first scrimmage game in the bubble, 104-98. There were a lot of positives from this team throughout the game, especially the amount of talented depth on the roster. Here’s five takeaways on the Heat from this scrimmage game, heading into the regular season and playoffs.

#1: Duncan Robinson hasn’t skipped a beat.

Duncan Robinson apparently wasn’t fazed by a four month layoff with no basketball. He started the first quarter with four threes. This is something that is expected from Duncan, but not many expected it to happen this fast. Especially since Duncan didn’t have his running mate, Bam Adebayo, who usually sets him up for his three point attempts. This shooting display eventually impacted the rest of the team, which usually happens once Duncan gets going. It opens up the floor for the rest of the team. If he’s doing this after not picking up a basketball for 1/3 of a year, it’s a scary sight on what he will be doing in the next few weeks.

#2: Andre Iguodala is positioning himself for major playoff minutes.

If there was one guy that was a surprise in this game, it was Andre Iguodala. He seemed to be comfortable running the point throughout the game, and definitely slows the game down. He has a natural feel for the game, most likely due to the fact that he’s had plenty of playoff experience. He seems to have a pretty good on court connection with Heat rookie Tyler Herro. This seems to be a connection on and off the court, since Andre spoke about this relationship with media on Friday. Andre seems to fit right in with every lineup, which subsequently means he will be one of the first guys looked to off the bench when Spo is in a tough spot.

#3: Jimmy Butler forces a smooth running offense.

The Jimmy Butler narrative has seemed to be the same all season. Shooting struggles, but major play-making improvements. This was shown in the first quarter of the scrimmage when Jimmy couldn’t get in a rhythm shooting the basketball. But, once he went to the bench, the team looked kind of lost. He has such control of the offense with passing, leadership, and spacing off of the ball. Which when Jimmy checked back in the game in the second, the team looked much more under control. This isn’t too much of a shock since it’s always tough to get in a groove with your leader off the floor, but will need to be fixed in order to beat teams like Milwaukee or Boston.

#4: Miami’s defensive lineup looked effective.

One of the most intriguing lineups on this heat team is the defensive lineup of Jimmy-Crowder-Iguodala-DJJ-Bam. We got a slight glimpse at this lineup in the scrimmage, of couse excluding Bam, and it seemed pretty productive. The defensive veratilities of this lineup gave the Kings major trouble. One of the biggest questions with this lineup was the offense. And there seemed to be no problem there since Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Derrick Jones Jr looked pretty offensively sound. Now, adding Bam Adebayo to this lineup only makes it scarier, which means there’s a big possibility we will see Coach Spo pull this card in the postseason.

#5: Tyler Herro dusting off the rust.

Tyler Herro had to get through some rough patches in the first game back after a couple of months. Though he ended the game with 15 points, he had some trouble shooting the ball, going 0/7 from three. One of the only positives of his struggles, is that it’s a learning curve. Coach Spo left Tyler in the game throughout his difficult stretches, which seemed like Spo wanted him to figure it out. This is the only way for a young guy to get better of course. He continued to fight through his shooting problems, which caused him to attack the basket and play make. He began to draw fouls and get in a bit of a rhythm. These struggles in games like this, will only make Tyler more comfortable in a playoff setting.

Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn Back with Heat in Orlando

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Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn have officially arrived in the Orlando bubble to join the Miami Heat.

Both Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn were delayed to the fact that both tested positive for Covid-19. Now that they’ve arrived, they will need to quarantine for at least 36 hours and receive two negative tests.

Bam and Nunn will also not be playing in Wednesday’s scrimmage game against the Sacramento Kings. But if their quarantining goes according to plan, they should be ready to go by the second scrimmage on Saturday.

This news was reported by the 5 reasons sports network over the weekend….

What this means for the team?

Bam Adebayo is currently the Heat’s most irreplaceable piece on the team, which is why his return is so important. Bam’s defensive duties for this team goes without saying, but his presence is what is key. He’s an eye sore for other teams on both sides of the ball. And of course, his positive personality will light up the Heat’s practice room whenever.

Kendrick Nunn on the other hand is one of Miami’s talented go to scorers. He has been an important piece to this team all season since there’s been some rough patches with the point guard position. Though his jumper has been streaky at times, his ability to attack the rim and keep his confidence from midrange was revelatory for a rookie, as he broke through the rookie wall just before the Covid-19 break.

It goes without saying that it’s a big deal when two of your starters go out in any circumstance. But the most important thing with their arrival for this team is their locker room presence. This gives the team confidence that it has enough to compete with anyone. No wonder Erik Spoelstra’s been smiling.

Post-Practice Comments

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Haslem, DJJ Zoom calls

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The Miami Heat had an evening practice on Tuesday afternoon, preparing for Wednesday’s first scrimmage game. Udonis Haslem and Derrick Jones Jr spoke to the media on Zoom afterwards about the team’s current status and the preparation before tomorrow. Here’s five main Post-Practice Comments from Sports, UD and DJJ.

Post-Practice Comments #1:

There has been a lot of excitement from the players this week after practice as they get closer to the return of play. Spoelstra touched on this saying that’s all they’ve been talking about, especially for the game tomorrow. He also mentioned that every player in the bubble right now will get minutes tomorrow, which might mean no minutes upon the return of Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn. This then gives these guys the time they need to get back to 100%, and gives some of the bench guys an opportunity to earn a spot in the rotation.

Post-Practice Comments #2:

Udonis Haslem got asked about what he likes about this type of environment, he replied, “Ain’t nobody complaining. We got a no complain rule.” This is indeed true with this team, especially under their leader UD. Haslem has talked about this bubble in the past and always talks about one thing, focus. He wants their guys to be with their guys and essentially stay locked in. He also said “We got a short amount of time to get a whole lot of work done,” when referring to the return of play. Although we don’t know the minutes UD will get over the next few weeks, we do know he’s been putting in more work than most team’s starting lineups.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Derrick Jones Jr begins the discussion with the joy of getting back to doing what he loves. He said, “This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”

All of the guys feel the same way, but it’s a bit different for Derrick. He’s had a bit of a rocky road throughout this hiatus after testing positive for Covid-19. At the end of the day, he just wants to get back to basketball. Derrick will look to play some major minutes off of the bench for the Heat. He may be asked to jump into the starting lineup some nights for match-up reasons.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Andre Iguodala is one of the Heat’s most intriguing players entering the playoffs. His experience–His defense–His leadership. Which is why it was great to hear Erik talk so highly of him today after practice. He said: “He’s gotten better each day.” Spoelstra also says that this has been great for him since he didn’t have a training camp before the season. He also ends the discussion saying that he’s seen the different ways that he can impact a game to help the team win. Spoelstra will definitely look to Iguodala in tough spots since he’s a guy he can trust in a playoff game.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Spoelstra starts saying that at some point you can’t look at this situation from a basketball perspective. He says they are so grateful to partake in this since there are so many people around the world right now out of work. He says he’s talked to the team about this recently and thinks it’s important. Erik Spoelstra and the Heat have been using these zoom calls with media to touch on all of the important things going on in our world. They’ve discussed the pandemic, social injustice, and much more over the course of the last two weeks in hopes of getting their point across. They clearly have a bigger goal in mind beyond basketball.

Forgotten Heat in Miami: Bimbo Coles

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Only eight players in the 32 years of Miami Heat history have played seven or more seasons with the team. Only one is in the Hall of Fame and has his number retired. Udonis Haslem leads them all with his 17 seasons and counting, followed by the GOAT Dwyane Wade’s 15. Both will join Alonzo Mourning with #40 and #3 in the rafters soon enough. Then you have Keith Askins with nine, Mario Chalmers with eight, and finally Joel Anthony (really?), Grant Long and Bimbo Coles with seven.

“My cousin named me that when I was 5 months old. There was an old country song, ‘Bimbo, Bimbo, where ya gonna go-e-o’ and it stuck,” Coles told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph in 2018.  “I tried to get rid of it, but everybody was like nobody is going to remember you by your real name, Vernell, but people are going to remember Bimbo.”

Ummm…Bimbo? Bad news. It doesn’t matter what we call you. You are the brand-new inductee of the “Forgotten Heat” Class of 2020.

NO DUMB BIMBO

Coles was part of the team’s foundation and played for a Heat that stood (or at least tried to stand) in the way of MJ’s first Bulls dynasty between 1990 and 1996 . However, before we go all Vanilla Ice reminiscing about the 90’s in Miami, we must take a detour in Blacksburg, Virginia. More specifically at Virginia Tech University, where Coles is considered among the best to ever play for that school.

Bimbo was the prototypical high school stud at Greenbrier East High School in West Virginia. A four-sport superstar that was named All-America in football and could have played cornerback in college and got drafted as a shortstop by the Philadelphia Phillies, he chose to play basketball for coach Charles Moir at Virginia Tech after also being recruited by West Virginia and Maryland. That probably was the worst decision of his life.

Virginia Tech Days

Turmoil and scandal embroiled the Hokies basically as soon as Coles arrived. The team went from being 22-9 in the 1985-86 season to its first losing season since 1970 with a 10-18 record despite Coles’ efforts leading the team in assists as a freshman point guard.

Things got even worse from there. You see, VT got put on probation by the NCAA and banned from postseason play until 1990 because Moir’s team was full of sham “student-athletes” who didn’t graduate -not a single one of them- between 1981 and 1986, and got false credits for classes they didn’t take. That tiny detail must have escaped Moir’s mind when he recruited Coles, and it meant that the best point guard in the school’s history would never be able to showcase his talents in the NCAA Tournament.

Bimbo briefly thought of quitting basketball to play football. Who wouldn’t? He must have felt so betrayed.

Moir left with a legacy as the winningest coach of Virginia Tech’s basketball history. Coles’ legacy was going to be in the shadow of scandal and championships that could never be won on the court.

However, he showed maturity beyond his years and persevered. Then he got rewarded as a member of the 1988 USA Olympic Team.

OLYMPIC FRUSTRATION

Coles had made a brutal jump as a sophomore, averaging  24.2 points and 5.9 assists per game and allowing Virginia Tech to bounce back with a 19-10 record under Frankie Allen in the 1987-88 season. That caught USA Basketball coach John Thompson’s attention, and Coles was called upon alongside David Robinson, Dan Majerle and Danny Manning to earn a gold medal in South Korea. He is one of just 10 Olympians in Hokie history.

Coles played in all eight games but struggled to adapt to FIBA rules, averaging just 7.1 points and 0.9 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. That team would go 7-1 but lose in the semifinals to the hated Soviet Union 82-76. Bimbo Coles went 2-for-4 with six points and two assists in 18 minutes in that defeat.

The bronze medal was bittersweet, and it gave way to what would become the 1992 Dream Team Coles would only watch on TV four years later.

THE JUMP TO THE PROS FOR BIMBO COLES

Coles endured two more brutal losing seasons at Virginia Tech after that, but he left the school as its all-time leading scorer with 2484 career points, a record that still stands to this day. His number 12 would be retired on March 3, 1990, shortly after he played his last game as a Hokie.

Coles had a choice to make after graduating and sending a message (“Bimbo Coles is not just a basketball player, he is a student as well”, since the California Angels drafted him in the 54th round of the 1990 MLB Draft despite not having played baseball since high school. In fact, he was one of nine future NBA or NFL players drafted that year. Only four of them signed contracts, but Coles wasn’t one of them.

Landing with the Miami Heat

Instead, he would become a second-round draft pick, 40th overall by the Sacramento Kings thar same year and then promptly traded to the Miami Heat in a draft day trade for Rory Sparrow. Maybe he would have been picked higher with the national exposure the NCAA Tournament never gave him.

Sparrow would go on to play a single season for the Kings, while Coles asserted himself in Miami as a backup point guard, never starting more than 65 games but also never playing in less than 68 of them.

The 65-game stretch as a starter came during a perplexing 1994-95 season. Coles averaged 10.0 points and a career-high 6.1 assists during that campaign, but he wasn’t in the game that faithful night in April that Glen Rice scored 56 points against the Orlando Magic.

The Heat were beginning their reset/rebuild and would finish 34-48 that year, 11th in the East. Miami never finished higher than eighth or won more than 42 games in Coles’ first tenure. But they did make the playoffs in 1992 and ’94.

The lack of stability at the head coaching position in Miami didn’t help him much. Ron Rothstein coached him as a rookie, then Kevin Loughery between 1991 and 1995. Finally, Alvin Gentry coached in an interim basis after Loughery’s firing in 1995. The Heat would have just three head coaches (Riley, Van Gundy, Spoelstra) in the 25 years since.

Traded Away from Miami

Coles would eventually be traded to the Golden State Warriors during the 1996 trade deadline fo Tim Hardaway.

He never made it past the first round of the playoffs or averaged more than 10.6 points per game. He does boast being fifth all-time in Miami’s history with 1961 assists, 19 behind LeBron James. Coles also trails Chalmers, Hardaway and Wade in that category. As a matter of fact, Goran Dragic will probably dethrone him from the Top-5 if he remains with the Heat next season.

There aren’t any Miami highlights of him on YouTube. As the old lady in Titanic would say, he only exists in our memory.

Coles would make his basketball career come full circle as a 35-year-old. After playing for the Warriors, Hawks, Celtics and Cavaliers, Bimbo appeared in 22 games for the Heat in 2004. He started once for a young Heat squad that had a rookie Wade, Caron Butler and Lamar Odom.

That team did make it to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Pacers in six games. Coles watched all of it from the bench as part of the coaching staff. His last NBA game was on February 20, 2004 in a 125-92 Heat win over the Hawks.

With his legacy secure, Coles has settled down in Virginia coaching the Greenbrier high school basketball team. He doesn’t have his signature college mustache anymore, but his love for the game remains.

Home is where the heart is, after all.

5 Things to Expect for Heat’s First Scrimmage Game

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The Heat’s first scrimmage game comes this Wednesday against the Kings, which is exciting for one reason. Basketball is back. This will be similar to a preseason game since players will try to get their bodies back in game shape. 

Here’s five things to expect from the Heat’s First Scrimmage on Wednesday.

#1: Every player on the roster will be utilized in the Heat’s First Scrimmage.

This became pretty clear after this week’s zoom call with Coach Erik Spoelstra when he said: “Everyone available will probably play.” That means that the minutes will be pretty much split across the board. This allows the team to see which guys are in game shape, and more importantly playoff shape. Coach Spoelstra will also be able to get a good look on who he will be able to trust in a playoff setting. But for now, every player will have a chance to show that they can play a major role on this team.

#2: There’ll be an abundance of -point shooting.

Three-point shooting is something that has become essential due to the game transforming into that style of play. Well, it’s something that we will probably see even more in this format. The G-League and Summer League are two great examples of this since there are more three point attempts in these games than a regular NBA game. For one, these scrimmage games will have the feel of a pickup basketball game, which usually is a lot of shooting. And the second reason is that guys will not be attacking the rim as much when they’re trying to get their legs back under them. These first few scrimmage games may be sloppy, but that’s why they’re having them. Either way, be prepared to see a lot of shooting from beyond the arc, especially with this team.

#3: Spoelstra will “tinker” with different schemes during the Heat’s first scrimmage.

Another thing that Spoelstra’s seemed to discuss on zoom calls is the use of different possible schemes. As he’s said, this format gives them even more time to drill stuff like zone-defense or basic switching principles. We’ll definitely see this in the scrimmage, so Spoelstra can get a feel for what will work in this format. As there’s been a lot of talk about players getting acclimated to this unique style of play, the coaches have as difficult a task as anyone. Coaches will need to be very flexible with their approaches since this is something they’ve never seen.

#4: They will try to find fitting lineups.

This is one of the only things that the Heat have not been able to figure out yet that other teams have. This is only because they weren’t able to see Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard mix in with the new acquisitions in Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala. These scrimmage games will give the team the opportunity to try out different lineups that Spoelstra can trust in tough spots. The players also have an idea of what lineups work and what don’t. Meyers Leonard started raving about the defensive versatilities of a lineup with Jimmy Butler-Derrick Jones Jr-Andre Iguodala-Jae Crowder-Bam Adebayo. All the players on this roster are invested in finding the best lineups that will help them win. This is exactly what will be exercised in the scrimmage games.

#5: Bold Prediction: A Gabe Vincent display.

The game against Sacramento on Wednesday will allow all the players on the roster to get some playing time. This includes Gabe Vincent. There has been a lot of talk about guys like Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn playing in this type of environment. Well, the player who has played in this environment most recently is Gabe Vincent. Not only did he play in the G-League recently, he was outstanding.

He won the G-League’s most improved player award for this season. We’ve seen his capabilities of being a lethal shooter. Though it’s been slightly inefficient when he’s gotten playing time this season with the Heat. But, he’s one of those guys that can get hot or that can spark your team. This was displayed in early February against the Clippers when he hit 3 consecutive threes. Don’t be shocked if Gabe goes on a shooting tear in the scrimmage games. He may earn himself some minutes for the regular season and postseason.

 

Spoelstra

5 Comments from Spoelstra, Butler, Robinson

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Erik Spoelstra hopped on another zoom call with media after practice tonight, along with Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson. The Heat had a bit of a break in tonight’s practice after an intense scrimmage yesterday. And with Kendrick Nunn and Bam Adebayo nearing return, this team is ready to get back at it on a regular basis.

Anyways, here’s what they had to say after practice today…

Comment #1: Spoelstra

One of the big question marks around this team heading into the postseason was their defense. Though it seemed as good as any at times early in the season, it began to tail off. This Heat team has a bunch of guys that are elite perimeter defenders, but most of their offensive talents lack in such areas. But, Erik Spoelstra seems to be confident in fixing that, saying “I see great potential in our defense.” And this is definitely true, but they will need a bit more from their guards on the defensive side of the ball if they want to take that next step.

Comment #2:

Jimmy Butler seems ready to go for the scrimmage on Wednesday night and has a few things in mind for the game.  For one, he says he wants to “Just get comfortable hooping again.” This seems like the clear task for everyone since most players haven’t picked up a basketball since early March. He also says another plan for the scrimmage is “Making sure we are still playing for one another.” This is one of the main factors of a winning Heat team, which is why it’s great that their leader, and Spoelstra, is keeping this a priority.

Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler got asked about the news that got released late last week about a noise complaint being reported on him. He responded to it with, “I get a lot of knocks on my door…None of it really surprises me.” He also says that most of the knocks are his teammates, except this particular one of course when it was a security guard. Jimmy seems to actually like the notion of people knowing his working saying “To know my work is being noticed is not such a bad thing.” That right there defines Jimmy Butler. He knows he will outwork any competitor, and he wants them to know.

Comment #4:

There’s been a lot of discussion about some players needing some time to get back in to their prior selves. Well, Duncan doesn’t seemed to worried about it when talking about his shooting, saying “I don’t feel like it goes anywhere. That didn’t disappear over quarantine.” The most important attribute to a consistent shooter is confidence. This is something that Duncan has which is why he won’t have any problems getting back into the swing of things. He also says that you have to build synergy with your teammates and “that’s a process.” This basically reiterates what Jimmy said earlier when talking about the scrimmage games. This seems to be the most essential part of getting back to their prior selves.

Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler got asked about his shooting struggles throughout this season and responded “I’m just fine with how my game was…If we win a championship, I guarantee no one will be talking about my jumper.” There seems to be a current notion that you need to be able to shoot to be successful. Jimmy has shown that he’d rather put most of his efforts into defense, play-making, and attacking the rim, and leave the shooting for the rest of the team. This style of play seemed to be pretty productive all season, which is why Jimmy has no worries about changing his game now. And if the Heat were to win a championship, I’m sure there’d be a lot of things people won’t be talking about when discussing Jimmy Butler.

5 Key Moments from Interviews with Spoelstra, Vincent, Leonard

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The Miami Heat had another intense practice in the Orlando bubble late Sunday night. They got to do a lot more 5 on 5 work tonight, since they’re getting closer and closer to the return of play. Well, here’s some things that were said after practice…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

There has been a lot of talk this week from Spoelstra about the different defenses that may be used heading into the postseason. Well, he took a different approach tonight saying that they “created an identity and found some success with that.” He’s not worried about forming new defensive schemes as much as he’s worried about improving the current ones. One of the main defensive changes we may see will be the different defensive lineups that Coach Spoelstra tends to lean to. Will it be a veteran in Andre Iguodala or a young guy in Derrick Jones Jr? Only time will tell.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

The Miami Heat’s first scrimmage game is this Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Spoelstra seems to be very eager for this match-up saying, “I have to tell my staff to tell me to calm down.” He says before he jumps into it, he needs to see who will be available. Then adds, “Everyone available will probably play.” This game will be taken as a pre-season game, which is essentially what it is. But the Heat will be taking this game as serious as any other, since Spoelstra says he has a bunch of things to accomplish.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Gabe Vincent got to talk to some media after practice tonight and seemed pretty confident in his role with this team. He first discusses the amount of elite level shooting in the NBA, which lead to him watching a lot of film on some of the best spot up shooters. He also says that he thinks he can be utilized the same way that Duncan Robinson is now and Wayne Ellington in the past. He also considers himself a major threat to pull up or create on the perimeter. Be ready to see a lot of minutes from Gabe Vincent in both the scrimmages and regular season games, especially since he has the capability of getting hot. Very hot.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Meyers Leonard was asked how to define the Most Improved Player award. He responded, “It’s Bam.” He also adds, “You talk about a young guy developing into a superstar right before our eyes.” Meyers continues to rave about how great Bam is, but I’d like to think Meyers may have a little something to do with his improvement. The assistance of Meyers on and off the court this season for Bam has been absolutely tremendous. His ability to stretch the floor for Bam and give Bam the ball where he is most comfortable has been a huge part in the growth of this developing “superstar.”

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Meyers talks about the amount of versatility there is across the board on this team. He says, “Imagine a lineup of Jimmy-DJJ-Jae-Andre-Bam.” The pure excitement that Meyers shows when he talks about his teammates is absolutely unmatched. It shows the amount of confidence they have in each other every single night. This statement also refers back to the Erik Spoelstra comment on improving their current defensive schemes. Playing around with these types of lineups in a playoff setting will be key since there are some vulnerabilities on the floor at times on defense. Either way, this entire team will be ready for their name to be called on any given night.

5 Takeaways from Post-Practice Interviews with Iguodala, Dragic, Spoelstra

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The Miami Heat finished up a late practice tonight in the Orlando bubble. Afterward, Andre Iguodala, Goran Dragic, and Erik Spoelstra spoke with some media as they get closer and closer to their first scrimmage game this Wednesday. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about the current status of Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn and if they would return in the next few days. Spoelstra responded with the words “we’ll see.” It seems as everything is “we’ll see” when discussing the circumstances of Covid-19, since there is truly so much unknown. Although, there seems to be a bunch of optimism upon them returning pretty soon, which will be much needed for this Miami Heat team to succeed.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

There’s been a lot of talk about players being able to talk with players from other teams, but there hasn’t been a lot of buzz about coaches. Erik Spoelstra said that he talked to some opposing coaches, including Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, about different game plans in the bubble. This is something no coach has been able to do before or thought about doing, especially Erik. But, Spoelstra has used the word “adjusting” many times over the last week which is a clear clue that he will adapt to whatever circumstances.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Andre Igudala discussed Heat’s rookie Tyler Herro today in a very positive way. He says, “He wants to be great for a really long time.” This has been proven true through his clear hard working attitude and winning mentality. Andre talks about how he wants to help Tyler both on and off the court. He says he is there for him if he needs help with the approachment of things like endorsements and social issues. This is another reason why having a veteran guy like Andre Iguodala on this team is so essential.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Since two veterans got to talk with media tonight, there was a lot of talk about the young guys. Goran talked about Duncan Robinson, saying “He’s always first in the gym.” When the team usually talks about Duncan, it usually is about his lethal shooting. But not today. It’s about his hard working attitude. It seems like the players have an even more locked in attitude than usual. He also says that Duncan always wants to improve, which if he was able to improve his defense and shots off the dribble, he’d be an even bigger eye sore for teams.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Coach Spoelstra also got to talking about the different defensive schemes we will see after this long hiatus. He says that this type of environment benefits this because they have more time to drill the zone defense. This is something that we most definitely might see more of in the playoffs. Either if its to lock up a 76ers team in a first round match-up or to catch the Indiana Pacers off guard. It seemed pretty productive this season when it was used, especially to help Heat bigs like Meyers Leonard. Spoelstra also said he will be drilling the basic switching principles over the next few practices to make sure his team is 100% ready.