Tag Archive for: Erik Spoelstra

Will The Bam Adebayo-Precious Achiuwa Duo Be Seen?

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The two guys that many fans have been waiting to get a look at on the floor together is Miami’s centerpiece, Bam Adebayo, and the rookie, Precious Achiuwa.

They have similar games, due to their high energy and versatility on the defensive end, which makes many people wonder about them on the court at the same time.

Erik Spoelstra was asked about it, and said, “Defensively they can wreck a lot of havoc just with their size and quickness and physicality. We’re just trying to simplify as much as possible with Precious.”

And that last part tells you why they haven’t been seen together.

One of Precious Achiuwa’s biggest staples this far into the season is that he plays his exact role no matter who he is facing, and doesn’t get rattled or flustered.

And the coaching staff seems to want to keep it that way. “Simplifying” his game has a lot to do with allowing Precious to do what he does best, without changing anything within his role or play-style.

Although Erik Spoelstra hinted at these two not being seen much together as of right now, he mentioned possibly utilizing it once in a while.

It’s pretty clear that Erik Spoelstra always keeps something in his pocket that he can use when most needed, and this may be his card this season.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t play them together in all 72 games, then throws them out there in the first round of the postseason.

And this year’s unplayable card is much more deadly than a 2-3 zone that he kept in his pocket last year. This is something that seems like the perfect fix when Miami needs a defensive boost, and it’s a low risk due to both players being so under control.

Miami knows they have something with each of these players individually, but the question becomes as a duo. And I believe it has much more to do with timing, than it does about simplifying.

Erik Spoelstra: “Different Group, Same Goal”

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Erik Spoelstra discussed a lot of things in his press conference this afternoon, as they get ready for the start of the season.

One of the first things that stood out was when he mentioned the veterans and youth heading into the season.

He started off talking about the veterans may need a bit more rest due to the quick turnaround, but the young guys are definitely ready. He said jokingly, “Our guys like Tyler, Duncan, K-Nunn were ready three months ago.”

He then threw Bam Adebayo into that discussion, mentioning that people need to remember how young Bam still is.

Bam Adebayo’s name seems to come up quite a lot in these zoom calls, but Coach Spoelstra elaborated on his extension a bit. He said, “I’m really happy for Bam and his family. He’s worked for this in the right way. He’s all about Heat culture and winning. In many ways, he’s like Jimmy…As I said a few years ago, my nickname for him is no ceiling.”

Coaches always seem to gas up their young players, especially ones who are the centerpiece of the team. But when Erik Spoelstra or anyone on the Heat team talk about Bam, it’s truly real and authentic. And that speaks volume.

This season will clearly be a unique one, which means a lot of things are up in the air. That includes Jimmy Butler’s exact minutes, since Spoelstra said “He’s not going to be playing the kind of minutes regardless, like he was in his early twenties.” Especially with the quick off-season, this will be the case, but ultimately it is Jimmy’s decision. And he’s going to push to be on the floor as much as possible.

And speaking of things being up in the air, the rotation is definitely an uncertainty right now. I’ve been saying that training camp will hold high value for the players to crack the rotation, but it’ll also be decision time for Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff.

He said, “It can be different a week from now, two weeks from now, two months from now.” And Miami has the luxury of looking at it that way because of their depth.

One of Miami’s interesting depth pieces is rookie Precious Achiuwa. When Coach Spo was asked about him, he said “His athleticism, quickness, fluidity, ability to play multiple positions on defense all jumped off the screem.” He also mentioned that he texted Mike Miller about him, who was on Memphis’ coaching staff, and he told him Precious would translate perfectly.

Erik finished off the media session saying that the first team practice will be on Sunday, and it seems as if he’s ready to get the season going. He said, “Different group, same goal.”

That has been his motto entering every season.

Many coaches can say it. But only few truly mean it.

Miami’s Building A Team for Erik Spoelstra

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There have been many roads that the Miami Heat have gone down with Erik Spoelstra running the show.

Big threes. Wild locker rooms. Wild personalities.

But now, he finally has his perfect group.

For starters, it’s obvious that Jimmy Butler is the perfect leader for a team that Erik Spoelstra is coaching, while Bam Adebayo is the perfect centerpiece going forward. But most importantly, the entire roster is forming to his exact liking.

That is because of a bunch of reasons, mostly headlined by versatility and depth. He has the perfect mixture of everything you would want: Veterans and Youth, Offensive talents and Defensive talents. It’s clear he has options.

Many teams in the past have seemed to be built for a specific player, but finally he has his team. His ideal team.

This season will allow Spo to be the most creative he’s been in his career. For one, teams will need to adjust and be creative as they were in the bubble, since this season will be like no other.

Everything seems to be up in the air with the rotation. Does he start a second year Tyler Herro or a veteran Avery Bradley? Do the power forward minutes go to veteran Moe Harkless or rookie Precious Achiuwa?

And honestly, he might have to go to it all, but at some point decisions will have to be made. Spo’s initial evaluation on the roster later in the season will no doubt be the correct one, since he’s been doing it for years.

Lastly, he finally has a bunch of dogs to coach, so he doesn’t have to worry about a lack of effort or intensity. There have been some instances over the past few years where he’s had some players that did not have that same mentality. But once again, he knows his lead dog has the mental toughness that he’s been waiting for, and now it’s time to be unleashed.

Erik Spoelstra solidified his coaching status after the incredible finals run this past year, but he’s not finished. He has a group of guys that fit perfectly, and he’s looking to do much more than just making it to the Finals.

Erik Spoelstra: The Heart, The Soul, The Leader

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During this intriguing off-season for the Miami Heat, many players have been discussed through free agency and the draft. Although we have a good idea who Miami will be resigning for this upcoming season, there’s still a bit of uncertainty. But at the end of the day, their leader, Erik Spoelstra, will be ready either way.

If there was anything to take from this past postseason for Miami, it would be that Spoelstra is by far the best situational coach in the NBA. Many roster changes were made, including decreased roles for Kendrick Nunn and Meyers Leonard, even though they had so much success during the regular season.

The key word there was “regular season” though, since Spo knows what the playoffs are like after being apart of them for a while now.

He also had to make many game-plan adjustments, especially on the defensive end. Due to the fact that their rotation had a lot more versatility, he had the ability to mix it up and go to zone a lot more. And most of all, he let Bam Adebayo be Bam Adebayo.

Another thing about Spo is that he truly understands his personnel. And having that extra time in the bubble with his players allowed him to increase that understanding even more.

(And by the way, you can get the “Five Finals, Three Trophies, No Tanking shirt here)

As said before, although there’s uncertainty of what the roster will look like exactly, you must have confidence in Coach Spo to make it work no matter what. For example, if Giannis Antetokounmpo was to take his talents to South Beach, there should be zero doubt about a possible fit. Spo has done it before, and he will do it again.

And although he hasn’t gotten the respect that he absolutely deserved over the years, this past season put a stamp on it.

He put all of his trust in Jimmy Butler upon arrival in Miami, he built an offensive and defensive scheme around their cornerstone piece in Bam Adebayo, and he gave a rookie in Tyler Herro the ability to do what he does best.

This team truly is special, and that all starts with the leader of this team, Erik Spoelstra.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Erik Spoelstra

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Erik Spoelstra spoke with media after practice today, following the game five loss to the Boston Celtics. He talked about some of their issues in the game, and went into detail about Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo, and Udonis Haslem. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about Bam Adebayo after practice today, even disagreeing with him taking the blame for the loss. He said, “He is one of the best players in this league. He’s going to become one of the best winners.” This is clearly the truth, especially since Bam has been the biggest contributor to all of Miami’s postseason wins. Game five of the Eastern Conference Finals though definitely wasn’t his best, and Bam recognized that when he said “blame me” after yesterday’s game. Spoelstra, along with Jimmy Butler and the rest of the team, totally disagreed with that statement, saying that it’s on everybody. Bam definitely wasn’t happy with his performance, which is why he will be coming out with a bunch of fire power on Sunday night.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Erik Spoelstra also touched on the team’s current three point shooting struggles. First off he recognized the fact that Boston does a very great job at defending the three, and getting them off of their normal rhythm threes. He follows that saying that “We’ve also missed some open ones.” He also said, “Our guys are extremely ignitable. It can happen just like that…They can explode at any time.” And as I’ve mentioned before, with the confidence shooting on this Heat roster, this shouldn’t be much of a worry. This also is another reason Kelly Olynyk can be a factor next game, since he’s such an ignitable shooter.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Udonis Haslem was seen in the huddle during a timeout in the third quarter of yesterday’s game, trying to bring some energy to the team. When Coach Spo was asked about this, he said “I can’t imagine being in a locker room or a game without UD…It brings this head coach great comfort when he leads the huddle.” He mentioned that it was hard enough not to have D-Wade in the locker room anymore, but he’s just glad to have that vocal leader in Udonis Haslem. This team has a bunch of vocal leaders on the sideline though, which Spo mentioned Andre Iguodala as well. This team must listen to their knowledgeable vets in order to stay locked in on finishing this series.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra was asked about Jimmy Butler’s personality with this team versus his past teams, which Erik said he doesn’t know since he wasn’t around him on past teams. He followed that saying that “If he screams and yells and snaps at us, we don’t take it personal. That’s our language. We kind of like it like that.” And it’s not just Jimmy who doesn’t mind yelling at teammates, Bam and Goran are always letting teammates know when they make a mistake. And that’s the beauty of this team. They truly don’t take it personal, and all take accountability for their actions, as Bam did after the game yesterday.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra finished off the session talking about closing out the series. He says, “We never expected it to be easy.” This team isn’t used to being in this situation, since they’ve been the underdogs all season long. But after that loss, it’s time for them to show that gritty and tough mentality in game six. It definitely won’t be easy, but if they hit open shots at a consistent rate it’ll make it easier. And once again it’s now time for the veterans to show up. Tyler Herro has had his moments to get them here, but ultimately it’s on Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic to close this thing out. Goran showed he was ready to do that in game five, and now it’s time for Jimmy to show it tomorrow night.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Crowder, Iguodala

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The Miami Heat basically went through a non-contact practice today, which everyone on the team attended. Afterward, Erik Spoelstra, Jae Crowder, and Andre Iguodala talked with media about their mindset after that game three loss and some minor mistakes they will need to critique. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jae Crowder spoke about the hot topic heading into into game four on Wednesday, Jimmy Butler. He said, “He’s a guy who is about action. You can tell if he’s in one of those moods where he’s going crazy all game.” He followed that saying that the Heat need a more focused and intense Butler. That is indeed the truth. Many people have been saying that it’s time for Butler to start being a primary scorer, but that’s just not him. What he can do is intensify the team through his on-court actions as Jae mentioned, which would speak more volume than any scoring he could do. He did say at the start that Jimmy doesn’t do a lot of talking pregame, which is why you never know what Jimmy you’re getting heading in. But on Wednesday, I’m pretty sure Jae Crowder and this Heat team know what Jimmy Butler they’re getting.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jae also talked about some adjustments they will be making, without going into detail. He said, “I don’t want to give it away through you,” when discussing some match-ups they will be searching for. This may be the spark for not letting the game get away from them early, which he expanded on starting games better as well. He said, “Our spirit is right, our heads are right, our energy is there. We just want to see how we can play a complete game.” There’s no question that this Heat team has been better in the fourth quarter in all three games, but the key is putting that out there in the first three quarters as well. That’s something else that has to do with intensity, since they finally get a burst of energy down the stretch it seems.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Erik Spoelstra touched on Duncan Robinson for a bit, mostly about the defensive side of the ball. He mentions that he “just has to do things with force and detail.” He knows that teams are going to continually try to attack Duncan no matter what, especially in the post, but he says that “he’s gotten much better at it.” There were many instances that Marcus Smart or Jayson Tatum would take Duncan to the rim, and Miami displayed zero help defense. Duncan struggles one-on-one defensively as it is, and with no help, it seemed problematic. Spo also mentioned that Boston came out with “great force off the dribble” and that they must do a “better job of that.”

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra was going into great detail about their young star Bam Adebayo. He said Bam is genuine and real, but on the court he’s as nasty as anyone in the league. “One of the best competitors on this planet.” That statement was on full effect in game three, when Bam was giving it his all even when they trailed by 20 points. Jimmy even recognized it post-game on Saturday, saying “He did everything he could to try to will us to this win all game long.” Spo also transitioned into selecting Bam on draft night, saying “He was the guy we wanted to take. We were just hoping he was going to be there.” He then said that he’s the “Anti-AAU player,” since he never played AAU basketball. Spo ends with “He’s wired differently, which we like.”

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Andre Iguodala touched on what it has been like to mentor Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and others. He said, “I had really good vets…I like to take no credit at all.” He also said, “Once you master something, it’s your duty to teach it. So it’s my duty.” Bam Adebayo having Udonis Haslem as a mentor and Jimmy Butler taking Tyler Herro under his wing has shown to be very essential for this young group. Andre also talked about his recent play, which has been tough due to some issues with back spasms. He said, “One thing you don’t want to be is a detriment to the team.” He says that the Bubble “has been more good days than bad days,” but today is one of those tough days. He finishes off with “We are really built for this environment, it really puts us in an advantage.”

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Herro, Robinson

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The Miami Heat are coming off an absolute game one thriller, but still remain as focused as ever. Erik Spoelstra, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson talked with media today following that game. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra was asked about an overall evaluation of their game one win. He said, “We need to play better.” He also mentioned that Boston was clearly outplaying them throughout, saying “We were getting our asses kicked going into the fourth.” Miami and Boston each had good and bad stretches, Miami owning the second and fourth quarter, while Boston handled the first and third. He thinks they can be better on both sides of the floor which is indeed true. They definitely didn’t have their best game shooting the ball, and defensively there were a couple of small mistakes. Most of those issues on defense occurred with Bam on the bench, since he was flying around the court in both zone and man defense in game one.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Tyler Herro started off his session with media speaking about missing the All-Rookie team by one vote. He said, “I felt I could have been on the first team but am happy with what I got.” It was expected that Tyler would make the second team, since this was a regular season award and he missed some time. Now, if this award carried over to the bubble and playoffs, he’d be the clear top rookie. But ultimately that’s not the case, and although he made that comment, he’s truly focused on much bigger things, as is Bam. Tyler Herro is currently on an unbelievable playoff run in his rookie year, while the other players from the All-Rookie team are watching his games from home. This just truly isn’t a big deal to him.

Post-Practice Comments #3:

Tyler Herro talked about last night’s near triple double stat line. He said, “I didn’t know I was close to a triple-double.” Its continually been talked about that Tyler is improving more and more with his play-making abilities, but most of his attributes aren’t teachable. He has a natural feel for the game, and also a high basketball IQ which rounds out his smooth overall game. Also, the other part of that triple-double with 11 rebounds proved to be essential as well. His elite rebounding abilities for his height is something that isn’t discussed much. Not only does he grab a bunch of rebounds, but he grabs them forcefully. Tyler just does so many things at an A level, which was not expected to be the case by many heading into this season.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Duncan Robinson touched on his shooting in game one, which it definitely wasn’t what it usually was. He said, “Truthfully, I feel like I’m getting good shots. I think I’m taking good shots.” Duncan was getting absolutely blanketed against the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, but that wasn’t the case in game one against Boston. Most of his shots were open shots, but they just weren’t going in, which is unusual for Duncan Robinson. This definitely isn’t something that should be a concern, since Duncan is one of the deadliest and most confident shooters in the league right now. He should have a huge bounce back game on Thursday.

Post-Practice Comments #5:

While Duncan Robinson was talking with media, Soloman Hill decided to join in and yell “Shoot it.” While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, this is how the entire team feels when referring to Duncan Robinson. They don’t care if he’s missed his last 20 shots, they want him shooting that next one with confidence. This is also because he is one of their main keys to winning, since he’s the start of allowing their offense to run smoothly. And once again, he has not had a back to back bad game all season, which is why he should bounce back in game two, to try and put Miami up 2-0.

5 Comments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Stevens, Tatum, Walker

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Both the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics talked with media today after practice, one day before game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Brad Stevens had positive things to say about this Heat team, and basically denied the rivalry. Here’s what they all had to say today…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra spoke about Miami’s preparation for the Celtics once again today. He said, “You have to find a way to get to the competition and play more consistent basketball than the opponent.” And that right there is the best possible summary of this series. Miami absolutely will need to be the most consistent team, since Boston at times can be streaky on the offensive side of the ball. And Miami does have a bunch of guys that have shown constant consistency, including Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder, and Bam Adebayo. There are advantages in Miami’s favor that they will need to capitalize on, and there’s a good chance they will.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Coach Brad Stevens gave Miami some very positive comments talking with media today. He said, “Probably the closest team in the East that we’ve seen to the Warriors with regard to their cutting and shooting.” And well, Miami has the closest thing to the Splash Brothers right now with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Stevens doubled down on his comment on Miami’s elite cutting abilities, calling them “one of the best cutting teams in the NBA.” A lot of that has to do with Bam’s ability to take opposing bigs out of the paint and utilize his elite play-making. He finished off saying that they must keep Miami off of the line, saying “easier said than done.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Kemba Walker touched on the history of the Boston and Miami rivalry. He said, “I’m just trying to play basketball…It’s going to be war. I’m looking forward to it.” It just truly isn’t the same rivalry as it has been in the past, since these teams have the utmost respect for one another. Kemba was complimentary of the Heat culture as well, saying “They play hard…I know those guys are going to be ready, but so are we. It’s going to be a fight.” It indeed will be a fight, and it might be most essential with who throws the first blow. And a lot of that will fall on the energy of Heat center Bam Adebayo.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Gordon Hayward’s status will become very important in this Heat series, which there was a bit of an update this afternoon. Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum mentioned that Gordon “looked good,” but he’s not entirely sure of an exact return date. The absence of Hayward gives Miami a much bigger advantage over Boston than they would’ve had. The defensive match-ups for Miami wouldn’t be as favorable, and Miami’s bench would have issues with Marcus Smart coming off the bench. Stevens said that he’s “getting better,” and some say that he should return at some point in the series. But if Miami throws the first punch, it may be too late.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Jayson Tatum reflected back on the series with Toronto a bit, since he thinks there are some issues that can be fixed. He said, “We were a half-a-second from being up 3-0. We know we need to close out games when we can.” And when discussing closing games, there’s a question mark next to who is the go to closer for Boston. Is it Jayson Tatum? Is it Kemba Walker? Either way, Miami knows that the ball will be in Jimmy Butler’s hands on a final possession, which is important this far into the playoffs. And these games will be close down the stretch most likely, since Miami hasn’t been involved in one blowout playoff game yet. This truly will be very essential in this series.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic

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The Miami Heat are officially playing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals starting Tuesday, after Boston took down the Toronto Raptors in game seven. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic spoke about the match-up with the Boston Celtics with media today after practice. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Goran Dragic discussed Miami’s defensive match-ups with the Boston Celtics. He said, “We have a lot of guys who can guard multiple positions and I think we have the right guys who can defend their guys.” This mainly has to do with the amount of two-way wings that are on this current Heat roster, especially since they acquired Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala at the trade deadline. Boston’s biggest strength is the amount of versatile wings as well, but with Gordon Hayward out, it hurts that depth slightly. Goran also mentioned that he thinks they can still improve on the defensive side of the ball, which is something that Bam talked about yesterday.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Goran also touched on the planning for Jayson Tatum, as they did for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He said, “We cannot just throw the whole defense at him and forget about the other guys.” And that’s what they did against Milwaukee, since the Bucks role guys are not as offensively sound as Boston’s roster is. He also said, “They have a lot of guys who feed off of him and he’s proved he’s an all around player. It’s gonna have to be team defense.” And a lot of that is going to start with the defense of Goran. He is someone who struggles on the defensive end, which will allow Kemba Walker to attack and do what he does best. But since Boston runs a lot of stuff through a high pick and roll, it’ll allow Bam to step up on different guards, which is where he thrives. This is what Goran means when mentioning “team defense.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler got asked about the talent on the Celtics roster, and he gave a very Jimmy like answer. He said, “They’ve got some really good players, as do we.” But not only does Miami have talent, they have dogs. Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. That’s where Miami gains their advantage. Jimmy also mentioned that “We damn sure have to take it a game at a time.” This is what they’ve done all throughout the playoffs, which has led them to an 8-1 record, but now it’s even more important. Game one will be a clear indication on how Miami must play the rest of the series, but ultimately their going to try and prepare the same way they have all season.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Jimmy Butler also talked about the Eastern Conference Finals from a larger perspective. He said, “We all think that we’re the better team, we all think that we’re supposed to be here.” Many players say this about their own teams, but Jimmy actually means it sincerely. He has the ultimate amount of trust and confidence in himself and his teammates. He also said, “Going into these games, it’s about us. We control our destiny right now.” This is basically what Jae Crowder said yesterday, when he said the only way they can be stopped is from within. Jimmy knows they control their own destiny, and now it’s up to him to step up against Boston.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler capped off his media session today talking about being underdogs. He said, “That’s a term that everyone else uses. I think we can have a chip on our shoulder…We’re supposed to be here. We’re not underdogs, we’re competitors.” Every player on this team likes to find an edge to give them a mental advantage, but ultimately Jimmy and others hold themselves to a higher standard. They’re “not embracing underdogs,” since they knew they’d be here. And this isn’t the final destination. A finals appearance isn’t the ultimate goal either. Winning an NBA championship is what they are aiming for, and they won’t be satisfied otherwise.

5 Comments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Crowder, Adebayo

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The Miami Heat closed out the series with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, and are officially in the Eastern Conference Finals. Erik Spoelstra, Jae Crowder, and Bam Adebayo talked with some media today about the chance of a Finals appearance and more. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about the improvements from all of their young guys while in the bubble. He said, “They’ve gotten better every single month…High pressure situations certainly helps their confidence.” When talking about the young guys, a lot is referring to Heat’s rookie Tyler Herro. He also mentioned that a big part of Herro’s improvement have come from the support of their veterans. I’ve mentioned quite a few times in the past that Goran Dragic has been a huge help for Tyler. We continually see more of Goran in Tyler’s game every game he plays.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jae Crowder spoke about the chances of this Heat team reaching the NBA finals. He said, “Honestly I feel we have a great chance to do it. But it falls on us. We are the only team that can stop us right now.” This is indeed the truth. As I mentioned before, Miami must totally forget about the last two tough performances, and press the reset button. Since if they get into their own heads, that’s the only way they can be beaten. Jae Crowder knows what it takes to win playoff games, which is why he will be key in this next series.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Bam Adebayo spoke a little about the thing that Heat fans love to hear about. Heat culture. He said, “You can only understand it if you’re in it. So for the people trying to figure it out, you can only figure it out if you’re in it.” The thing about Heat culture is that they’re not formed into that mindset when they arrive. The guys they acquire have had that mentality their whole lives. That’s a big reason Pat Riley puts so much trust in John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats, since they hold their players to a high standard as well.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo was also asked about some of the award voting that he’s been in the conversations of. He said, “I don’t care about Most Improved Player if we win a championship. Because I’ll have a ring.” This answer seemed sort of familiar. When Jimmy Butler was asked about his shooting struggles early in the bubble, he said that they won’t worry about that if he wins a championship. This is another clear indication of that Heat culture. This team shares a mutual mindset, and it’s a winning one.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Bam Adebayo finishes off the session talking about his main focus heading into the next round. He said that it’s mainly about cutting down the turnovers. This will be an absolute key for the series, since you can’t give a talented team like Boston or Toronto easy points. He also mentioned that they have the capability of getting to a whole other level defensively. He said, “I don’t think we’ve played a whole 48 minutes yet.” And now tonight’s the night Miami finds out their match-up, which Bam mentions he will be watching very closely, since he can see “some of their tendencies.”