Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

5 Expectations for Miami’s First Preseason Game

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The Miami Heat are playing the New Orleans Pelicans in their first preseason game tonight, and there are a few things that I believe we see. Here are 5 things to expect…

1. Many outside the box Erik Spoelstra experiments.

Duncan Robinson spoke with media after shoot-around today, and one thing he mentioned a few times is Erik Spoelstra trying out lineups. That includes young guys, acquisitions, and I believe something else that we aren’t expecting. Obviously seeing new players individually get some run is important, but seeing how they mesh with other players will be the true test. And when I say outside the box experiments, I believe he may try out mixtures that are not expected, since ultimately this is the perfect time to try it. If Bam Adebayo plays tonight, which I’d guess he won’t, I believe we see a good amount of minutes with Precious Achiuwa next to him in the front-court.

2. A Kendrick Nunn stamp of approval.

There are a few layers to the importance of Kendrick Nunn’s play this preseason. For starters, he is looking to prove himself, to show the coaches that he deserves a good amount of minutes in the rotation. Secondly, confidence is always the most essential thing with Kendrick, which means if he plays good, it’s great for him moving forward. Lastly, from the Miami Heat’s perspective, increasing trade value definitely won’t be the worst thing in the world. The main thought is for him to perform to impact winning on this team, but if he begins to get hot, don’t be shocked if he’s used as a trade asset. Either way, I believe we see a big Kendrick Nunn game tonight.

3. Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala finally get some run.

The wait is officially over, since we will finally get a glance at the improvement of KZ Okpala, as well as the impact of rookie Precious Achiuwa. Although I think these two get run, I wouldn’t expect much scoring out of them. Bam Adebayo’s first three preseason games were 1 point, 1 point, and 7 points respectively. To that point, I won’t be shocked if we see something similar from Precious. His main attributes are defensive versatilities and rebounding, which I believe we will see great flashes of. Now, KZ has the ability to score some easy buckets if he plays the type of on-ball defense he showed in the G-League. It’ll be interesting to finally see these two young players get some minutes.

4. Veteran rest, even though it’s the first game.

Most teams around the league have been playing their star players decent minutes in the preseason, but the difference is that those guys weren’t playing in the Finals a few weeks ago. We’ve seen LeBron James and Anthony Davis sit out, which is why I believe we see the same from key Heat players. Many players have mentioned that training camp has not felt like they’ve started back up, but instead felt like a continuation. So, giving some veterans the night off clearly won’t be the worst thing, especially since you’re giving more minutes to the young guys trying to prove themselves.

5. Whatever strategic things you see from Miami, don’t expect again.

The Miami Heat have been working on some new things during this training camp, as some players have mentioned, but there’s a major reason why we won’t see most of it tonight. For one, it’s preseason. But more importantly, they’re playing the New Orleans Pelicans once again in 11 days. So if you think that Coach Spo will show some new adjustments in the first preseason game of the season, you are wrong. This means that Miami will either run some stuff from this past season, which clearly will still be used this season as well, or they may go through some unexpected defensive or offensive strategies. This goes back to the first expectation of experimenting, which is why Erik Spoelstra may be the person to watch in tonight’s game.

Bam Vs Zion: The League’s Future is Bright

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The Miami Heat are set to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight in their first preseason game, as well as on Christmas Day. Although there is uncertainty of who will actually be playing tonight, both of these teams have one intriguing headliner for the future.

Bam Adebayo is coming off an incredible bubble run, but more importantly an all star appearance at 23 years of age. As much as people around the Heat have realized his nickname, “No ceiling,” seems to be fitting, it is now apparent that others around the league are beginning to take notice.

Zion Williamson, on the other hand, has had a prety different route than Bam had coming in. The hype around him coming in was well deserved, due to his talent level at the high school and collegiate level. And even had an impressive rookie season, although he missed quite a few games.

These two players paths are clearly different, but it seems their endpoint is similar. The reason certain players are appointed special is when they have one certain quality that depicts them from others.

But with Bam and Zion, there is multiple special qualities that each of them have.

Aside from the basketball talent, they both have that certain personality trait that just makes them likable figures around the league. And when you have that plus the talent, it’s clear that the future is bright.

Once again, it is a bit uncertain of who will be taking the floor tonight, which means we may not see this match-up. But don’t worry, since this will be a battle that the NBA will headline for a very long time, since the trajectory of both at such a young age is unmatched.

Duke vs Kentucky

1st pick vs 14th pick

Showtime scorer vs dirty work defender

The league has something special with these two emerging players.

Precious Achiuwa: “Guys Really Care About Each Other”

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Precious Achiuwa got to speak with media on Friday afternoon, and it’s clear he’s one of the most intriguing players heading into this season for Miami.

When asked about the process as a whole, especially with the absence of the Summer League, he said, “I do feel like I’ve been fast tracked.”

He followed that discussing his level of readiness due to his time at Memphis under Penny Hardaway. He mentioned that they had a similar style of play at Memphis so it translates well.

He was asked about having Bam Adebayo and Udonis Haslem as leaders on this team. He responded, “It’s been really helpful, especially UD, but Bam as well…Whatever question I have I go to them right away and they tell me what I’m doing right or wrong.”

When asked about his first impression of this Heat team, he said, “Guys really care about each other.” You know statements like this are true when every single newcomer says it in their media session.

Lastly he was asked about his role with this team, but as expected, he said, “I’m just willing to play whatever role I’m given.”

It seems unrealistic that he will have a significant role, if any, right away since no Summer League is a huge impact.

Kendrick Nunn talked about the importance of the Summer League, saying, “You get a little more feel going into Summer League…But with the Heat here, they’ve done a great job of getting guys like him ready to play, so we won’t have that problem.”

Comments like this truly show the confidence that every player has in this organization. And thy retaliate with confidence in their players.

It’ll be interesting to see both Kendrick Nunn and Precious Achiuwa in the preseason, since as I’ve mentioned, will be like a showcase for Miami.

And Coach Spo seems to think so as well, saying, “We will use some of it to evaluate.”

Miami Heat Preseason: A Youthful Showcase

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The Miami Heat are set to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans in their first preseason game on Monday, and well, it holds more value than you may think.

Something that has been discussed quite a lot lately is that the absence of Summer League, as well as the G-League, will ultimately take a toll on most rookies. Especially with a guy like Precious Achiuwa, since Miami’s developmental program allows guys to evolve rather quickly.

Due to not seeing any of them play in any type of NBA level game speed, the preseason games will be utilized as a type of showcase, especially for Miami.

The Heat’s rotation seems uncertain heading into the season, since not only do they have a lot of depth, but they have a lot of youth who have a chance at making yet another jump.

That starts with Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala, since giving them NBA level reps is the most essential element.

When Erik Spoelstra spoke about KZ, he mentioned that he just needs to put it all together. And the only way to do that is to get some quality minutes so he can get a taste.

Another guy that may benefit from the preseason games is Kendrick Nunn. He’s one of the most interesting names on the roster heading into the season, since on paper he’s probably the 5th guard, but he also is coming off a very impressive rookie season. There is a bit of recency bias after his play in the bubble, but he is still a quality rotaional piece who is still developing.

But as I mentioned, the preseason will be a showcase for the players, as well as an evaluation period for the coaches. If Kendrick shows offensive flashes as he did early in the regular season, there is no doubt that he will be utilized frequently on this Heat team this season.

Most of Miami’s players have pretty much proven themselves, but those three can definitely increase their value in these limited preseason games.

The coaching staff will not be making any rotational decisions that will be set in stone, which means if somebody shows some flashes, they can be inserted at any time.

This is the young guys time to shine. Go prove your worth.

Moe Harkless: “It’s A Brotherhood”

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Moe Harkless spoke with media on Thursday afternoon following training camp, after having the day off on Wednesday.

When asked about being a part of a Miami Heat training camp compared to others, he said, “It’s probably a little bit better than expected. The guys really put their heart and soul into it.”

But when asked a follow up about the exact grittiness in Miami’s camp, he added, “People exaggerate a bit.”

He then talked about the chemistry of this Heat team, saying “I have to give credit to what they’ve created here. It’s a brotherhood.”

He also mentioned that many of the guys have embraced him, which was clear since both Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson said that they fit right in. Erik Spoelstra discussed that earlier in the week, which he said that they’re the type of players who fit in anywhere.

Moe then got into detail about Pat Riley, saying that he called his mom following the first meeting and told her he reminded him of the Godfather. He added that Pat’s door is always open, and that he doesn’t say much but when he does people listen.

Another person that Moe mentioned is important to listen to is Jimmy Butler, saying that he is the “head of the snake.”

He ended off his session talking about the unique bond of this team, mentioning that it’s all serious when they’re on the floor, but off the floor it is all laughing and smiling. He said, “Kind of like a family.”

Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic each had quick media sessions, but one thing stood out in each.

Goran said that his “foot is fine,” and that he feels great. He mentioned that coaches have urged him to take some reps off to pace him a bit, but today was the first day of 5 on 5.

Duncan briefly mentioned the development of his game, saying that using one or two dribbles into a mid-range can “diversify” his game, which is something I’ve been saying all off-season.

The mutual takeaway from all of today’s zoom calls is the word chemistry, since every player believes it is important with this current Heat team.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo Top 15 ESPN Rankings

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ESPN has released their top 100 players recently, which 11-50 came out on Wednesday morning.

For the Miami Heat, Duncan Robinson landed at 75, Tyler Herro landed at 59, and Goran Dragic landed at 58.

Those can be debated either way, but the main rankings that people were looking for were where Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would land.

Well, Jimmy Butler ended up at 12, while Bam Adebayo followed right behind at 13.

Jayson Tatum was at 11 right above each of them, which is questionable after Miami dominated in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Joel Embiid came in at 14, which means that Bam Adebayo will be ranked as the 2nd best Center, only behind Nikola Jokic.

It’s hard to truly break down a list like this, since it is just plainly all over the place, which is expected since it isn’t easy to make these type of lists.

But seeing a guy like Zion Williamson be ranked at number 19 over players like Paul George, Bradley Beal, and many others just doesn’t feel right.

But back to the Miami Heat, it’s great to see Bam Adebayo getting the credit that he deserves. But seeing him at 13 and Zion at 19 makes me think they’re projecting forward, which makes sense.

Jimmy Butler being behind Jayson Tatum can be debated, but other than that it’s a decent ranking for Miami.

After seeing 11-50, that means 1-10 will consist of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, and Luka Doncic.

And by the way, if you asked Jimmy about the rankings, his answer would probably be that Bam Adebayo should be way higher than him. And that right there is why this team had so much success.

Udonis Haslem: “Make Sure Nobody is Slacking”

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Udonis Haslem also got to speak with media, which a good portion was discussion about the coaching staff, in particular Caron Butler.

He said, “Caron was my OG. Although we’re so close in age, he took me under his wing.” He also was asked about many coaches on the Heat’s staff being former players. He responded, “We’ve been able to take Heat culture and apply it to other parts of our life.”

He also mentioned some differences in training camp this season, but said once you step on the court it’s normal. He said, “I make sure nobody is slacking,” which is obvious since that is UD’s main goal.

There was also a lot of talk about Bam Adebayo, since UD took him under his wing when he arrived. He was asked about Bam now trying to take Precious Achiuwa under his wing, and said, “That’s what I’ve been molding Bam for, to be that leader…I hate when people waste my time. And Bam hasn’t wasted my time.”

Udonis then mentioned the comparisons between Bam and Precious, saying “I see so much of Bam in Precious. Precious has a little more skill than Bam had coming in, and shoots a little better.”

That is a very good sign for the development of Precious, since even Erik Spoelstra mentioned today that his work ethic will lead to his success.

Finally, it ended with a question about people calling Miami’s past season a fluke. Udonis responded, “We don’t like people who throw rocks and hide their hands…If you don’t tell us who said it we don’t care.” He followed that saying “Was it some people we probably beat?”

Udonis is continuing to withstand his role on this Heat team, by being the go to guy in the locker room, or in this case training camp. But his ultimate goal is for Bam to end up being the go to guy, and it seems as if that is soon to come.

Avery Bradley: “They Don’t Take Plays Off”

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Avery Bradley spoke with media this afternoon following the third day of training camp.

There were a few things that were mentioned many times throughout this presser, which was the word “intensity.”

He started off by saying, “You can just feel the energy and intensity in practice.” He followed that discussing the reason he thinks Miami is the perfect fit. He mentioned, “The way they approach the defensive end and all play for each other.”

Defense is clearly the main attribute when discussing Avery Bradley, but he isn’t thinking about individual defensive goals. He said, “We have a goal to be one of the top defenses in the league.”

That mostly had to do with playing with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, since he described how they can be successful together on the defensive end.

Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Kendrick Nunn came up as well, which Avery said, “They’re great players, but most importantly they’re just great dudes.” He went on to say that he admired them for a while throughout the bubble, but getting to know them was what stood out even more.

Erik Spoelstra mentioned yesterday that Avery Bradley can guard 1-4. When Bradley was asked about guarding opposing 4’s, he responded, “I do think the way the league is going, most 4’s are playing outside…I do like the challenge, my whole life I’ve been guarding guys taller and bigger than me…That’s what made me the defender that I am.”

The overall consensus from the media session is that he truly admires the Miami Heat’s body of work, and has been for a long time, since he said, “My family and friends always said you need to play for the Miami Heat.”

And well, now he’s here. And as he said, he’s ready to get started in that first preseason game.

If Bam is the Engine, Jimmy is the Steering Wheel

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When Jimmy Butler spoke about Bam Adebayo in his media session, he said, “He’s the engine.”

This has been a statement that Jimmy Butler has been saying since he arrived in Miami, and it clearly is the truth. He’s the heart and soul of this Heat team, which is why he’s the centerpiece of the franchise.

But if Bam is the engine, Jimmy is the steering wheel.

Bam may be the one who “makes this team go,” but he also needs his leader to push him in the right direction. If Jimmy sees something on the floor or even in film, the team rallies behind him since they value his decisions.

Then of course you’ve got the tires, which sometimes could be new, but also could be used. Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, and others represent that, since even though they’re going to milk the use out of the used tire, a new tire will ultimately replace it in the long run.

The point is that every part of the car is needed for the thing to run, and that is what the Miami Heat represent. They hold each other accountable for a reason, and it’s because every piece of the team is necessary for the team to win games.

The media sessions with players is a circle effect. The leaders of the team praise the role guys, while the role guys praise the leaders. And that is exactly how it should be, especially since Coach Erik Spoelstra mentions chemistry in the locker room is one of the most essential elements.

And of course you have Pat Riley, who is the mechanic. If there is an issue with the roster going forward, a change will be made for the better, just as the mechanic improves the well being of the car.

And the well being of the car begins with the main elements. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo seem as ready as ever to start this season, since that run to the Finals was not just a “fluke.” It was a product of hard work, which was just a glimpse of what the future holds.

Jimmy Butler: “I’m Here To Win”

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Jimmy Butler got to speak with media this afternoon for the first time in quite a while.

He started off by looking back at his performance in the bubble, saying “We play this game to win and we didn’t do that. That’s all that matters…We get another crack at it now.”

He then got asked a follow up question, which was if losing in the Finals made him want it even more. He responded, “I didn’t have to make it to the Finals and lose it to realize how bad I wanted to win it.”

It’s pretty clear that this media session was Jimmy Butler at his finest, which was every answer having to do with winning, since that truly is all he cares about.

When asked about how he feels after the short off-season, he said “Nobody really cares. I have a job to do…Still go out there and compete, still go out there and win.”

He then began talking about specific players, starting with Bam Adebayo. He said, “That guy is what makes us go.” This is a statement he has said since his arrival and he’s sticking to it, especially since it’s even more viable this season.

He also spoke about Precious Achiuwa, mainly about giving him any advice. He said, “I try to give my knowledge to everyone I can, but I also like to ask others questions because I don’t know everything.

Then he finally got into this team as a whole. When asked about the past season being called a “fluke,” he responded, “I don’t pay attention to the outside, they don’t wear the word Heat across their chest…Me of all people, I couldn’t care less about what the outside thinks.”

He closes the session saying, “I hope we all learned that we belong, because we’re one of the best teams in the league.”

And when he says that, he truly means it. He’s as confident as ever with this Heat roster, no matter the uniqueness of this NBA season.