Josh Richardson Claps at Heat Fans in Postgame Presser

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On Wednesday the Miami Heat opened their season with an impressive home win without Jimmy Butler.

His former team the Philadelphia 76ers did the same, dispatching the Boston Celtics 107-93.

Josh Richardson had 17 points and six rebounds in his debut for Philly, but his performance afterwards garnered more attention.

It seems like no matter the sport, when higher profile athletes leave Miami it doesn’t always leave them.

Now Heat fans catch a lot of, well heat, for punctuality and that one time in the playoffs something happened.

Miami time is a thing. So is South Florida street gridlock.

However make no mistake, Heat nation shows up night after night.

And the kids will be alright.

Philadelphia is an incredible basketball area on all levels, that should be stated.

That being said, it seems like J-Rich is already starting to trust a process that has yielded zero conference finals since his team was all in diapers.

If you follow the NBA and its players on social media, Twitter in particular, you know there is no love lost between these two organizations.

The difference is, one actually has the culture and the banners.

While the other has a process of playoff elimination annually.

Follow @5ReasonsSports and subscribe to the 5 on the Floor podcast for exclusive Miami Heat content all season.

Catch the 5 Reasons crew at their next watch party this Saturday ( yes, we know) when the Heat travel to Milwaukee to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

 

Get Used to Kendrick Nunn

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You’ll have to get used to Kendrick Nunn.

Maybe we’ve been hyping the wrong rookie.

Well, not entirely. Tyler Herro is 19. He will have much better nights than he did in Wednesday’s season opening 120-101 win for the Miami Heat against the Memphis Grizzlies, when he was often squeezed off his spots and tried to do much creating to compensate.

But it was his summer league backcourt mate, the one who has appeared polished in every game he’s played for Miami — Las Vegas to preseason to now the regular season — who shined the most.

Kendrick Nunn is 24 already. And the guard — snatched from Golden State on the last day of last season — matched his age with his scoring in his Miami Heat debut, a debut that came as a surprise starter. Not a substitute starter. That was Herro, in for Jimmy Butler, who missed the game with a personal issue (nothing to worry about). Nunn was supposed to start all along.

Think about that.

Nunn, who wasn’t drafted, who wasn’t valued enough by a thin Warriors team to be kept safe from poachers, who was an afterthought heading into the offseason, was given the starting job between Butler and Justise Winslow for the season opener at home. Ahead of Herro. Ahead of Dion Waiters, before Waiters’ complaining and IG stalking got him suspended.

Eric Reid, who has called 31 seasons of Heat basketball, tried to tell you on the Five on the Floor we posted just prior to the opener:

As Reid noted, this promotion wasn’t just about that 40-point game, mostly against Houston’s starters, in the Heat’s preseason finale. It was about the steady approach Nunn has shown for months now. His hesitation dribble is elite. He does not rush. He switches comfortably between both guard spots. He competes on defense. And he’s not afraid to pull up and launch when he sees some space.

The Heat have a long history of unearthing point guards. Anthony Carter, now on the staff, and Mike James had long NBA careers after no team really wanted either. But Nunn is a combo of the two. He shoots much better than Carter. And he’s more versatile and polished than James.

Also, the attitude.

Listen here:

 

 

Jimmy Butler out for Season Opener

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The Miami Heat announced late Wednesday afternoon that Jimmy Butler would be out for the season opener against Memphis.

 

The exact reason for the absence has not been specified, NBA writer Tim Reynolds had this from head coach Erik Spoelstra.

 

This obviously throws a monkey wrench into not only the starting lineup, but the entire rotation along with defensive assignments on the perimeter.

Justise Winslow and Tyler Herro among others will be asked to carry more of the offense, it will be interesting to see who Spoelstra opens and closes with tonight.

Tip off from the American Airlines arena is 7:30pm EST

Check back for more updates as we learn more.

Follow @5ReasonsSports for the latest Miami Heat news.

Charles Barkley loves Dwyane, Herro & Heat?

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What’s happening in the sports media world tonight?

Dwyane Wade told us on Twitter that he got some good news Monday. But no one could have anticipated this.

Joining forces with Charles Barkley on TNT?

Is everyone forgetting the way that Barkley has treated Dwyane Wade over the years, to the point that even Wade’s buddy (LeBron James) and wife (Gabrielle Union) had to step in and talk back?

I mean, just click on this history of the Barkley/Wade feud.

And that feud has gone beyond Wade. Barkley has never ceased taking shots at the Miami Heat. He didn’t think James should have signed with them. Then he said James should go back to Cleveland. Then he said the Cavaliers title meant more than the Heat title.

And on and on and on.

Now, suddenly, Barkley and Wade are teammates.

And of course, Shaquille O’Neal — whose relationship with Wade has been hot and cold since O’Neal forced his way out of Miami in 2008 — is Wade’s teammate again now too.

But now, what’s gotten into Barkley? He’s not just making jokes at Shaq’s expense in favor of Wade — saying that Wade carried Shaq to the 2006 title, but he’s praising Wade’s heir apparent as the Heat’s featured 2-guard.

But here’s the thing: Barkley didn’t just start liking Herro. The Basketball Hall of Famer is also part of Turner’s NCAA Tournament coverage, on which he is forced to fake it most of the time. He was, however, high on Herro prior to Miami drafting the Kentucky freshman. Very high.

Look:

Herro calls it drip.

But whatever.

Barkley liking the Heat now is such a stunner that it will take some getting used to. With Wade classing up Turner, and Paul Pierce still polluting ESPN’s studio shows with his terrible (sorry Charles) takes, we know where we will turn first for NBA analysis this season.

 

Miami Heat suspend Dion Waiters before zero tolerance season

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“I let the culture slip.”

With those words — spoken after last season by Miami Heat president Pat Riley — you knew the next season would be different. Riley felt burned after he gave much-criticized lucrative long-term contracts to non-stars in 2016 and 2017 and then those players returned the reward by slacking on their conditioning.

And before it even begins, this season is different.

First, Riley banished James Johnson from training camp not for failing the conditioning test — he passed — but for failing to meet Riley’s special weight requirement.

Now, Dion Waiters, who had weight issues last season but got himself in better shape this offseason, has been told he isn’t “in Heat shape” by Erik Spoelstra (we posted that video), and has been steered toward a bench role as Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro have gotten preseason starts.

And he’s been openly unhappy about it.

So now he’s been suspended for one game.

Notice the language.

“Number of unacceptable incidents.”

Remember Waiters telling Ira Winderman that he wasn’t cool with coming off the bench, even after he flourished in that role against Charlotte in the third preseason game?

Remember this from Spoelstra about what he wants from Waiters, which Waiters then somewhat contradicted right after?

Here was Waiters:

There was some speculation that Waiters was away from the team for three days this week after Charlotte game because of a disciplinary action, though my sources did confirm an actual personal issue unrelated to his unhappiness.

Even so, it doesn’t seem to be stopping.

Here are some tweets that tell the story:

 

Instagram always remembers, and this doesn’t appear that it is going away anytime soon. Unless Waiters ends up elsewhere:

We know how this goes.

Just ask Hassan Whiteside. In Portland.

Herro and the Miami Heat Heels

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Tyler Herro’s meteoric rise has captivated the Heat fans and the national media. His elite shotmaking ability, a valuable skillset put on display throughout summer league and NBA preseason has the rest of the league taking notice.

However, on October 17th vs the Orlando Magic it was his toughness and his WWE heel-like trash talk that went viral on social media platforms.

 

 

It’s a toughness his teammates love and embrace.

Jimmy Butler once again expressed how much he “loves that kid” and Justise Winslow was the first teammate to console Herro, who didn’t need much consoling, after the scuffle. Winslow did it with huge grin on his face, akin to an older brother watching his little brother win his first fight. And Winslow he wasn’t the only one. There was a a noticeable slight grins on the faces of nearly all of Herro’s teammates and coaches.

This shouldn’t be a shock to anyone who’s familiar with the Miami Heat culture. They like tough and serious players. It’s why after drafting the silly Michael Beasley in 2008 they’ve drafted players who are nothing like Beasley such as Winslow, Josh Richardson, Bam Adebayo and now Herro and KZ Okpala.

Butler is known for his tough love, and verbally challenging his teammates. The difference with Herro and why they’ve bonded so much in a short time is because Herro “talks back.”

Herro’s trash talking is nothing new, this is the same Tyler Herro who was walking into high school gyms getting booed by opposing fans, silencing them with his play on the court, all the while smirking at opponents. Often, they tried to rattle him first, but he didn’t back down.

And it’s not just Herro. Butler in an interview with Heat broadcaster Eric Reid said “Justise Winslow doesn’t back down from anyone.” If you recall, Winslow who’s usually stoic was the opposite of that in the playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. A technical foul for stepping on Joel Embiid’s mask, getting into scuffles, and screaming expletives at Ben Simmons thought the series.

There probably hasn’t been a team with this number of players who exhibit the Miami Heat DNA since the fights between the Heat and New York Knicks in the late 1990s. Udonis Halem has never been bashful, Dion Waiters can talk up a storm, Olynyk has been in skirmishes, and James Johnson almost used everything he learned from his MMA background on Serge Ibaka last year before cooler heads prevailed.

The “Big Three” of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade were hated but they wanted to be loved. The heel role didn’t suit them or their personalities. To the contrary, this heat team is tailor maid to be villains. Jimmy Butler said he wants this Heat team to be “hated”, with their physicality and their bluntness trash-talking, they’re well on their way.

NBA GMs love Spoelstra, like Miami Heat a little

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The NBA’s general managers have spoken.

The annual polling of teams’ primary decision-makers was released today on NBA.com and, as usual, there are some surprises. What comes across most is how balanced the league is this season, compared to recent seasons.

We’ll get to thoughts on other teams and players in a minute but, first, how do they see the Heat.

Well, first, no one sees them winning the title this season. Neither, naturally, do we. We do — or at least I do — see them contending for the third spot in the conference behind Milwaukee and Philadelphia. No GM does, however. The Heat received no third place votes, while 18 percent of the GMs have them finishing fourth. The consensus? Seventh, also behind Boston, Brooklyn, Toronto and Indiana.

So what about players?

The Heat did not get votes for MVP, player to start a franchise with, or player who forces the most adjustments. Nor did the Heat get consideration for any particular position, in terms of being the best in the league (small forward, where Jimmy Butler, is kind of loaded).

Bam Adebayo did receive votes in the “breakout season” category (Sacramento’s DeAaron Fox was first). And while Tyler Herro did not register in the Rookie of the Year thinking (tough season to do that), he did receive 7% of the vote for “biggest steal” at his draft position, which was 13th. And Derrick Jones Jr. got 7% of the vote for most athletic player.

Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Anthony Davis switched teams this offseason, so all beat out Butler in the biggest offseason acquisition category. Butler did receive a vote for best perimeter defender (Leonard and George outpaced the field). The Heat were not among the eight teams receiving votes for “most improved team.”

But this is where it gets interesting.

Remember when ESPN blowhard Dan Dakich said Erik Spoelstra was just another coach? While sitting in the same booth as our buddy Jorge Sedano?

Well….

Jorge has final say on this:

HEAT shuffle prospects with eyes on Sioux Falls Skyforce

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Today the Heat began the process of finalizing the prospects it intends to funnel to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Within hours of each other, the Heat announced that they have waived guards Jeremiah Martin and Mychal Mulder and signed guards Skyler Flatten and Bubu Palo.

Martin’s tenure in Miami started in July, while Mulder was signed a month ago. Neither prospect flashed enough to warrant consideration for two-way contracts.

Bubu Palo is a longstanding member of the Skyforce, playing the last five seasons in Sious Falls.

Flatten had a productive career at South Dakota State, starting every game of his senior season last year.

The shuffling of prospects throughout preseason to get looks at different players is not foreign operating procedure for the Heat in recent seasons.

The organization is widely regarded as one of the teams who has utilized the G League in many of the most forward thinking, innovative ways since 2006.

 

 

Do the Miami Heat have a Dion Waiters issue?

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Dion Waiters had a great game on October 9th, scoring 19 in a preseason rout of the Charlotte Hornets.

The problem came after it.

It was reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that Waiters is not happy with anything short of a starting role this season. To be clear, Waiters made no public demands. Waiters, like Hassan Whiteside (traded to the Portland Trailblazers in the offseason) aren’t by any accounts bad guys. But both, perhaps Whiteside more than Waiters, have reputations for putting individual success first. And that maybe they aren’t your prototypical Heat guys.

Waiters can help the Heat if he’s in shape, which he appears to be. His ballhandling, shooting and swagger are useful attributes. But only if he buys in. So will he start? And how will he react if he doesn’t?

The Heat don’t typically throw rookies in the fire right away, but there Tyler Herro was, opening Monday’s win against Atlanta as Waiters was inactive, and scoring the Heat’s first 14 points. Herro is making a compelling a case, with hsi shotmaking and playmaking, to start alongside Justise Winslow and Jimmy Butler in the backcourt.

It should be noted that Waiters did what he was supposed to do this summer: he got in better condition. Is he in “Miami Heat shape”? Spoelstra said at training camp Waiters wasn’t quite yet, an assessment Waiters didn’t seem to appreciate. But, as every knows by now, Miami Heat shape requires more effort to tone and condition your body than is necessary for the average NBA team. And even that doesn’t guarantee anything. You still need to fit with your teammates on the floor. The Heat have made a point of Herro’s gym rat nature. Is Waiters meeting the same standard? It’s not enough for a veteran of several seasons to just shave off a few extra pounds.

A starting spot should be determined by your level of play, chemistry with your teammates and how all of that correlates to overall team success on the court. Waiters does have chemistry with Goran Dragic; we saw that in the 2016-17 run. So it might be prudent to keep 7-11 duo intact. Waiters improved his three point shooting last year, especially in catch and shoot situations last year with Winslow and Josh Richardson handling most of the ball handling situations. However, now it’s a different team and it’s also Jimmy Butler’s team, so he’ll need to continue to build off of what he did last year and what he did Wednesday night vs the Hornets.

Yes, Waiters worked more this offseason.

But even with that, and the improvements he’s made, Spoelstra is famous for these five words: It doesn’t guarantee you anything.

Looks like the Miami Heat have a lineup

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We sort of called this one.

No, it wasn’t expected quite this early, but Tyler Herro joined two other newcomers — Jimmy Butler and Meyers Leonard — in Miami’s starting lineup Monday against Atlanta.

And you shouldn’t expect it to change, after Herro scored 23 in 25 minutes in another rout, this one 120-87.

The lineup gives Miami the spacing it requires around Butler and Justise Winslow. It also allows Erik Spoelstra to reunite Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters (old 7-11 from the 2016-17 run) as what would now be the best backcourt pairing in the league, provided that Waiters gets back on the floor in the right frame of mind. Waiters is back after having gone away for “personal reasons,” coincidentally after he said he didn’t want to come off the bench. (He wasn’t active Monday).

When Kelly Olynyk returns from a knee injury, he can slide in as the versatile backup big, with Derrick Jones Jr. rotating between forward spots, and James Johnson (once in condition), Kendrick Nunn (who looked great again Monday) and Duncan Robinson (who continues to struggle with his shot) getting spot duty.

Spoelstra was noncommittal about whether he would keep the lineup together, but it would be unusual for the Heat to elevate Herro so quickly, watch him play so brilliantly and then slide him back to third team.

Not happening.

Not with support like this from Butler.

So get used to it — fans, media and, of course, Dion.

Check out Greg Sylvander’s column on Tyler Herro, the big bucket of hope.

Herro ball: Tyler’s a big bucket of hope