What is the Next Step for KZ Okpala?

After finally seeing KZ Okpala hit the floor with the Miami Heat for solid minutes in the first preseason game, the question now becomes what is next.

The topic with KZ has continually been what is the first step, such as evaluating his overall game and abilities. And well, now it’s time to see how he adjusts.

One thing that stuck out in his first performance was hesitance. There were plenty of times that he seemed almost scared to have the ball in his hands or put it on the floor, which obviously needs to change.

Once again, this is not to over analyze Okpala’s first game, since confidence is something that will slowly increase over time. But I believe Miami’s coaching staff is telling KZ one thing heading into Friday.

Play loose.

The reason he had such great impact in the G-League was because he played so freely. He wasn’t afraid to grab the ball off the rim and take it coast to coast.

This is the time to just leave it all on the floor, since showcasing the level of potential is essential.

It was good to see him knock down that corner three once he came in the game, but I have a feeling we see a much more attack heavy KZ Okpala on Friday.

There are not many preseason games to really get a good look at him, so utilizing these two were going to be important, since although training camp may improve his game, there is nothing like real game speed.

KZ is still one of the most intriguing players on the roster, so it’ll be interesting to see him take the training wheels off a bit on Friday.