Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over San Antonio

The Miami Heat’s rotation may have looked a bit odd if you turned on your TV on Friday night. Many guys sit out for the typical back-to-back, but preseason back-to-backs basically leave coaches looking in the crowd for a starting five. That left Miami with 8 available players, beginning with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson running the show to start.

But five takeaways are still necessary, even after a game like this…

#1: Tyler Herro showing out once again, displaying expanded mid-range comfort.

Tyler Herro was clearly going to have the ball in his hands more than usual tonight with the long list of guys resting, and it feels we learn more and more about his updated offensive skill-set every preseason game. We’ve seen him get to the line more, shoot at a better rate off the catch, and now, an improved mid-range attribute. That elbow pull-up has always been there for him out of the high pick and roll, but the drifting feel once he steps inside the arc is something new. Step-backs, wild fade-aways, and many more lead-up combos seem to be the go-to in that area, and the key element is that he’s doing it both controllably and comfortably. This preseason scoring run is no fluke, since it’s just the product of a true off-season.

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#2: Increased minutes for Omer Yurtseven means much more controlled playing time.

When predicting forward on this team through the off-season, I felt Miami could end up using Omer Yurtseven a bit sooner than expected, following a fantastic showing in Summer League. But the transition hasn’t been as flawless as I may have thought. The scoring side of him hasn’t really been there since he’s still trying to fit in and play a specific role, but we saw a slight shift within that tonight. Who would’ve thought more minutes at this level would do the trick? Well, possibly all Heat observers. His offensive game begins with slick post work and pure outside spacing, but one of those has stuck out more. It feels like the reliance on the pop-out is the way to go, since his high release point is a match-up struggle for any opposing big.

#3: Max Strus continuing to keep his theme: consistency.

When you’re describing a spot-up shooter in this league, consistency is the best adjective there is. But when I’m using this term in this sense, I don’t just mean outside efficiency. Instead, it’s more about the consistency within the role of Max Strus. That’s been the case since day one, when it became a joke on the team that he somehow always makes his first shot no matter the circumstance. Now, it just feels like he’s putting his fingerprints on every game, practice, and scrimmage in the same exact way. You take a look at the stat sheet during a commercial break and his effectiveness almost comes as a surprise. Yes, it’s known that he’s playing well and putting the ball in the basket, but it’s still a bit unexpected for some reason. What does that mean? It means that the Heat have a straight shooter inside their rotation who shouldn’t have any limitations placed on him. Strus just consistently does the right thing with supreme confidence.

#4: A big picture takeaway: could Jimmy Butler at the 4 be coming?

Markieff Morris got some first half minutes tonight after being listed as questionable, and although he’s a veteran, there’s still some necessary things to showcase in terms of effectiveness and role. I’ve talked about using him as a roller/inside threat more than a spot-up outside shooter, and not one three was attempted in his minutes. Just 6 shots inside the arc, shooting 2 for 6 from the field. As we know, he isn’t the most efficient player, KZ Okpala is basically unplayable at this stage, and Omer Yurtseven still needs a bit more time. The point is that the front-court depth has a couple question marks at the moment, all relying on the health of PJ Tucker. An undeniable positive lineup wrinkle would be Jimmy Butler minutes at the 4, but it won’t be something looked toward a lot. But if it could be used from the 12 to 6 minute mark in the 4th from night to night depending on the match-up, then there’s definitely something there.

#5: In tonight’s exhibit 10 match, Micah Potter was the clear stand-out.

The Miami Heat were able to continue Summer League evaluations into training camp development, and in many ways, that’s what the preseason is for too. They all were given a path to extended minutes tonight, except for Dru Smith who was held out of the game as well. DJ Stewart and Javonte Smart are two young guards with offensive potential, but Yurtseven’s back-up for the night, Micah Potter, ended up being the one jumping off the screen. Between getting plenty of shots up down low and shooting that mid-range/three-ball with confidence, the coaching staff got a taste of his offensive game. He hasn’t been the greatest rebounder up to this point, but tonight was a different story. Aside from the numbers, his positioning principles actually stood out, and when evaluating the exhibit 10’s on the Heat, the small stuff matters. A lot.

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