Tag Archive for: Erik Spoelstra

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Iguodala, Nunn

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The Miami Heat went through their last practice before game 1 of the playoffs on Monday afternoon. This media session included the playoff role for Heat’s rookie Kendrick Nunn. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Kendrick Nunn was asked about the different mindset of coming off of the bench or starting. He basically said that it doesn’t matter to him since he just will go out on the floor and play no matter what. This then lead to the question of if he’d heard if he would be starting tomorrow. He then confirmed that he will be coming off of the bench. This consequently means that Goran Dragic will be the starting point guard tomorrow, since Erik Spoelstra usually rolls with guys that he trusts.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Andre Iguodala talked a little about the importance of the veterans on this roster with the young guys, including Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, and himself. He said that they know how to deal with these guys when their going through tough stretches. But, you have to truly know your teammates since you have to deal with them all differently. He mentioned that he doesn’t deal with Bam Adebayo the same way he does Duncan Robinson. This leads right into a previous answer he said which was that his most important stretches come in between time-outs. His off-court leadership will become essential starting tomorrow.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Erik Spoelstra began the media session discussing the current status of Derrick Jones Jr. He mentions that he went through the walk through portion of practice today and that he’s not totally ruled out yet. But, it does seem like we’re going in that direction, since there is no reason to rush him back into a game that quickly. This may consequently mean that he will be back by game 2 or 3, and hopefully be a pivotal part in the second unit’s offensive and defensive success.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra was asked about the new defensive scheme that Indiana is using, which is to chase people totally off of the threes. This changed because they lost their all-star big man Domantas Sabonis, which lead to them going smaller and faster. Spoelstra said the most important thing is taking care of the ball and limiting mistakes, since they want to get out and run off of turnovers. He also mentioned that Indiana is top 3 in steals and points off turnovers in the bubble, which is why he will be stressing the idea of limiting mistakes. This may be another reason why Gorn Dragic will be entering the starting lineup for Kendrick Nunn, he wants his veterans in control of the ball.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Andre Iguodala got asked about the idea of Jimmy Butler’s new coffee shop in the bubble. Andre says that most people give out samples when they first start out with a business. But not Jimmy. He’s charging $20 a cup for small, medium, and large. Jimmy also said that he may raise the price to $30 for the playoffs. Andre ends the discussion with, “He’s trying to build a monopoly.”

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Butler, Crowder

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The Miami Heat had another media session after another early morning practice today. Jimmy Butler spoke on the Indiana match-up and the chances of this current Heat team. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler got asked once again about the TJ Warren match-up. He said, “I’m going to go out there and be the best player on the floor.” He also mentions that he’s not worried about anybody’s match-up. Jimmy seems to only be worried about one thing and one thing only which is to win. He has the utmost confidence in himself and this team in this playoff setting. He finishes his answer regarding the TJ Warren beef, saying “We can kill that. That’s something of the past.”

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jae Crowder seems to have the utmost confidence in his former college teammate Jimmy Butler in a playoff series. He says, “This is when he comes alive.” Jimmy Butler has always been a guy that saves himself for the playoffs, and explodes. He was shooting 15 shots a game in last years playoffs, which was more than he attempted during the season. This is because your best player has to show up in the post-season in order for you to win. And even though people have doubted his jump shot all season, he knows he doesn’t need it to win since he has the confidence in himself to attack the basket and score or get to the line every play.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler spoke about the first round of the playoffs against Indiana, and likes the chances of this team going forward. He said, “The tougher team is gonna end up winning in the end, and I think we have that in our corner.” This team is obviously full of a bunch of gritty and tough guys. This always seems to be the case for a Miami Heat team, but this one is much different. Every single player has talked about winning in their media sessions, which shows the amount of focus on this roster. Jimmy finishes with “It’s gonna be a dog fight, but I think we got some dogs.”

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Jae Crowder touched on their defensive tweaks as of late. He says, “I think it has definitely put pressure on our communication.” He continually reiterates the fact that he’s been pushing communication all season, since he think it’s the biggest thing with this team. Jae Crowder was clearly a big reason for these defensive tweaks, since he was put into the starting lineup over Meyers Leonard for more versatility. And with Meyers out of the rotation, this hurts their defensive communication since he was one of their biggest on court voices. Jae definitely isn’t stressing this too much since it’s an easy fix.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler was asked about this team’s recent success over Indiana and what they should make of it. He responds, “None of it.” He wants to make sure his team is completely focused and that they don’t get complacent with that mindset. He also mentions, “It’s a different style of basketball now.” This is obviously true since the two games played earlier in the season will be nothing like they are now. This also goes back to his previous comment of this team having a bunch of dogs. Although it’s a different style of play, it seems like it may benefit Miami even more.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Dragic, Adebayo, Jones Jr

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The Miami Heat had an early practice on Saturday morning, preparing for the start of the playoffs. They spoke with some media afterward, including some discussion on the health of Derrick Jones Jr. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Derrick Jones Jr started the session speaking about the injury of course. He said he feels good but just a little sore. This is definitely great to hear since it doesn’t seem as serious as first expected. He also mentions that he’s hopeful that he will be ready by the first round of the playoffs, but will take it day by day. He says that he just did not see the second screen on that specific play, and mentions “he came out of nowhere.” Spoelstra was also happy to hear the seriousness of it, saying “Thank goodness he has what he has today.”

 

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Bam Adebayo got asked about the match-up of him and Myles Turner, and if he reminds him of himself at all. He quickly added “no.” Then continues saying that he thinks of himself as “one of one.” He says that he’s one of those guys that can do absolutely everything on the court. Bam Adebayo will be looking to display the scoring side of his game during the playoffs a little more, since this team will be looking to him to score in tough stretches. And with Bam’s confidence at an all time high right now, I’d feel bad for anyone having to guard him in a 7 game series.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Goran Dragic seems to know as much as everybody else does when regarding the starting lineup for the first round. He says that he doesn’t care if he starts or comes off of the bench. As I mentioned before, it doesn’t matter to him because he has thrived in both situations. He has a natural ability to lead and score, which happens no matter who is on the floor with him. But with Kendrick’s recent struggles, it would be no surprise if Spoelstra started him in this series. And if he doesn’t start, he will see an extended amount of minutes off of the bench.

Post-Practice Comment #4

Bam got to talking about himself in today’s interview, including the different spots he could be utilized. He says, “put me on a starting guard.” I bet Erik Spoelstra would have no problem sticking Bam Adebayo on Victor Oladipo in this series, but that would be a huge risk for foul trouble. You are going to need Bam Adebayo in this series as much as possible, which is why there’s no need to risk this early. But, he might see some extended minutes on Oladipo down the stretch of games in the fourth quarter.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra gave a quick update on Miami’s Jae Crowder today. He said that he practiced today, which definitely is a good sign. He was tagged as questionable yesterday prior to the game, which seems to be a good sign that he will be ready for game 1 of the first round. Miami will need their versatile power forward in this series, especially since he spent a lot of minutes guarding Victor Oladipo in the game earlier in the week. And that’s not even discussing the amount of efficient three point shooting he has endured at a high volume. This Heat team needs a healthy Jae Crowder to make some noise in the playoffs.

5 Post-Game Comments from Spoelstra, Herro, Adebayo

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After another tough loss to the Phoenix Suns, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo talked about the game in a very positive way. This included a lot of high praise for their new starting point guard, Tyler Herro. Here’s what was said…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Tyler Herro has been playing shooting guard since his arrival into the NBA, since that is his main position. But, the Heat have seemed to want Tyler to expand his role into a primary point guard. Tyler says, “I felt comfortable.” That’s the most important trait for a point guard, especially one who hasn’t played much point previously. He also mentions that he’s been working on this aspect of game during the break. Spoelstra also says that he thinks Tyler did a solid job today, which may ultimately mean he will have that starting spot for good.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Bam Adebayo was asked about the Heat’s most important part of the team that needs to be fixed. He says, “Knowing how to win in close games.” This is definitely much harder to do without your best player on the court. Both Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic have been huge in second halves of games this season, since they slow the game down for the young guys on the team. As time goes on, Bam and Tyler will begin to pick up on things at ends of games, which is the best thing for this team in the long run.

Post-Game Comment #3:

Coach Erik Spoelstra talked about the improvements Bam has made and some things he already has instilled. He says, “Getting Bam to play winning basketball is not high, because he does that.” He seems to have the ultimate trust in Bam, but it seems as if Bam doesn’t have that same trust in himself at times. Bam always is reluctant to shoot the mid-range, which is something players and coaches have been urging him to do. He also gets slightly passive at ends of games, which when you’re the team’s best player on the court, you need to look to score. Bam also made a huge play at the end of the game which was a block that was called a goal tend, but Spoelstra thinks otherwise.

Post-Game Comment #4:

Tyler Herro expands on his ball handling conversation with some information on how this came about. Tyler says, “I’ve always had the ball in my hands, in high school, and in college some.” This is definitely true that Tyler was the point guard in high school, but he was a straight scoring point guard. He says this time in earlier years has helped him grow, and feels he can impact the game in other ways that shooting. He mentions it’s very tough to balance play-making and scoring, and says “I’m sure I missed some guys open tonight.” Even if he did miss some open guys, it doesn’t matter when you’re a 20 year old rookie with the amount of natural skills in his arsenal.

Post-Game Comment #5:

The Heat had some leeway with their seeding at the beginning of the bubble games, but after a few losses, these Indiana match-ups matter much more. Bam says, “This is bigger than (TJ) or Jimmy. We want to get in the playoffs and make a run.” This team is no longer worried about the petty fights that occured earlier in the season, it’s now time to win. Spoelstra talks about this Indiana match-up with the same exact mindset, saying “You know us, it’s who we are,” when referring to approaching these games with a winning mentality. This is not to say Jimmy won’t rise up to the occasion for this match-up, which very well may happen, but this team is much more concerned about falling to 6 than fighting with TJ Warren.

5 Main Comments from Media Availability with Spoelstra, Dragic, Adebayo

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The Miami Heat had an early practice on Friday, a day after a loss to the best team in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks. There’s also some injury statuses in question as we get closer and closer to the post-season. Here’s what was said on the call…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Since Miami is set to play Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, Erik Spoelstra spoke a little about him. He said, “We really liked him.” This was referring back to the 2015 draft where Miami had a chance to select Devin at pick 10. Erik also adds, “His game has grown.” The Miami Heat have definitely seen his game continue to grow, which is why they wouldn’t pass on this type of player twice. Tyler Herro has also been looking closely into Devin’s game, since he watches a great amount of film on him. Devin Booker is what all Heat fans want Tyler Herro to become, which can hopefully make up for the 2015 draft decision.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Erik Spoelstra also talked about the recent struggles from point guard Kendrick Nunn. He said, “He just needs more time, similar to Bam.” He also adds that it takes time to regain your rhythm and reminds everybody of how good Kendrick was playing before the break. Something that should be taken into account with these struggles is the recent virus that they contracted. There is still so much unknown to it, that it may impact their bodies even though they were asymptomatic. Bam also mentioned that his body isn’t responding as quickly as it usually does. If this is the case, Kendrick Nunn may be given the ultimate trust from this coaching staff to bounce back from this shooting slump. And as Spoelstra said, “We need him because he provides something that is different.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Goran Dragic also spoke with some media about his injury status. He said, “I was a little bit concerned, it was painful, I did it twice in that game…It’s day by day.” Although this team needs Goran Dragic on the floor to be successful, the most important thing is that he is totally 100%. It’s already a risk to play a 34 year old on a back to back, especially when they play a ton of minutes. Goran also mentions that he started shooting today and it’s a little sore, but he thinks he’s going in the right direction. With this injury information pretty clear, there’s still some other unknown injuries on this team, including Heat’s star Jimmy Butler.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo talked about yesterday’s foul situation and if he’d like to play through it. He said, “It depends on the situation and the game flow.” He says that if they are in a good rhythm than he would encourage the team to let him play through it, but in a situation like yesterday, “It’s a hard decision.” On a night where Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic are out, you need an offensively active Bam Adebayo, But since he got in foul trouble early, it definitely turned the tide. Bam Adebayo seems to thrive with his co-star, Jimmy Butler, out on the floor, which is why there shouldn’t be too much worry about this situation.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra made a decision at the beginning of this NBA restart, which was taking Meyers Leonard from a starter to out of the rotation. Spoelstra said, “These are tough situations…I had to treat that situation with an open mind.” This decision seemed to be made for versatility reasons. This team’s roster is filled with versatile wings that can defend, which has seemed to fix the defensive problems. But, it definitely was surprising that he wouldn’t be getting any minutes off of the bench. He also mentions that Meyers “helped us win” this season, but feels this is best for them right now. He says he’s open to change if necessary as time progresses.

5 Post-Game Comments from Spoelstra, Adebayo, Dragic

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After the Miami Heat had a tough loss to the Toronto Raptors, they talked with some media about the game. There seems to be one common mistake that they all think came up. Here’s what was said…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Spoelstra begins talking about the number one thing on people’s minds. Duncan Robinson. Spoelstra said that Duncan will need to figure out how to work through this. This definitely is true, but it’s difficult when the offense runs through your three point shot. This will cause Spo to adjust the offense into a different direction when this occurs. Another thing Spoelstra mentioned is that he thinks this will ultimately help Duncan in the long run. As mentioned before, this defensive scheme is going to come up a lot in a playoff series, once teams realize his importance. Hopefully he can develop his game on ball, which will ultimately help his game off the catch and shoot.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Goran Dragic talks about where the game went wrong and how to fix it. He said, “We were down 17, and we came back.” This comeback was all lead by Goran himself, since he seemed to be one of the only ones that could get his offensive game going. He also mentions that although they came back, they need to be careful how they got down by 17. This seemed to just be because of Miami’s inefficient shooting today. They looked pretty crisp on defense throughout, but went through long stretches without scoring the ball, which was evidently where the game got lost.

Post-Game Comment #3:

Goran Dragic also touched on Duncan Robinson’s inability to get his offensive game going. He said, “For us, it’s about us figuring how to get Duncan more open shots and get the ball in the paint.” This seems to lead back to the same conclusion as before. Adjustments. If they want to get him open looks, they’re going to need to take advantage of the other parts of the offense, which is something they didn’t do today. Goran also says he felt that they got open shots in the first half, but just couldn’t make them. He said that ended up affecting their defense in the first half, which expanded the lead to 17. These are definitely easy things to fix, but will need to lock back in for a tough game against Boston tomorrow.

Post-Game Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo gave some pretty straight up answers today in his media availability. He said, “We gotta execute, that’s the bottom line.” The problem with the execution today was in the first half. They looked to clean it up in the second half, but still wasn’t what they’re happy with. Bam definitely needs to be more active on offense in games like this, since he’s a major part of this team. He definitely was huge for Miami with his perimeter defense on smaller guards, but needs to be more confident in his mid-range. Bam also wasn’t too happy when he saw Duncan only took 4 shots. He kept emphasizing that this needs to be fixed and will look to get Duncan more shots.

Post-Game Comment #5:

Goran Dragic also got to talking about the most crucial play in the game. The final one. He says, “We want to be in this situation,” when discussing the dive pick and roll with Jimmy Butler. This is obviously a play that they’ve went over a bunch in practice, but ultimately wasn’t the best decision against this team. With the Raptors scrappiness and active hands, there’s no need to force a pass like that. You ultimately want a guy like Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro with the ball, since they can create for themselves. It was also an interesting move not to have Duncan in the game on the play, even if he was to just be a decoy. These situations will definitely be critiqued over the next few weeks, since Spoelstra will need to get late game possessions corrected for the playoffs.

5 Key Moments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Crowder

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The Miami Heat had an early practice on Sunday, before they get ready for a back to back against the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. Erik Spoelstra talked with media after practice, along with Jae Crowder. The team also released some information to media that was a bit of a surprise. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jae Crowder talked about the fact that Jimmy Butler had an excused absence from the team today. Jae said, “We want to talk to him as soon as he gets out of quarantine or whatever he is in.” This seems to point in a certain direction, but there is still much unknown of what the exact reason is. Jae also said, “It’s definitely a curve ball to us to hear stuff like what’s going on with him.” This definitely leaves the Heat on a negative note after a very positive win yesterday, but as Jae said, “You never know what to expect.”

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Coach Erik Spoelstra began his time with media talking about Heat’s star Jimmy Butler. He said he had an excused absence for the day and will not say whether he will play tomorrow against Toronto. Jae definietly gave a much more expanded answer than Spo may have wanted to, but still nothing was released. It was confirmed that he is currently still in the Orlando bubble, but this is the only information that will be released. The number one priority of the NBA is to make sure every player is 100% in this bubble, which is why he will be given as much time as he needs regarding this unknown circumstance.

 

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Erik Spoelstra touched on the offensive side of Jae Crowder he wants to continue to see. He says not only does he feel comfortable with him shooting contested threes, he wants him to shoot from even deeper to stretch the floor. This was the main reason he got the starting spot in Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Meyers Leonard will most likely be back in the starting lineup for Monday’s game against Toronto, due to match-up reasons against Marc Gasol. Jae Crowder may still get a starting position as well if Jimmy Butler doesn’t play in tomorrow’s game. This decision will be made on the fly, since this news has just been brought to everyone’s attention.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra got to discuss tomorrow’s match-up with the Toronto Raptors. He said, “They have a great defense and their team speed is unique.” This was definitely on display when the Heat and Raptors faced off earlier in the season. The score was 84-76, in an absolute defensive match. This will be replicated again as well, since the Raptors showed that they haven’t slowed up on defense in Saturday’s game against the Lakers. It’ll be much harder for the Heat to contain the Raptors game speed if Jimmy Butler doesn’t play, but the most important thing is making sure Jimmy Butler is both 100% healthy and doing well in his personal life.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra got to talk about a lighter topic than the rest of the media session. He mentions he loves dressing casual and he hopes the NBA continues it. He says, “Its a lot less to think about.” It definitely gives coaches a bit more freedom while coaching, and also provides much more option instead of the same old suit. This is something that will definitely be considered by the NBA to permanently be changed.

5 Main Comments from Post-Game Media Scrum with Spoelstra, Butler, Adebayo

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After the Heat’s impressive win against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, a joyful Heat team talked with some media about the game and their chances going forward. Here’s what they had to say…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler seemed pretty happy with how the team played in their first official game back, especially in the second half. Jimmy said, “We didn’t play our style in the first half.” It was pretty clear that they began to play their style in the second half, when they began to knock down their threes and most importantly attack the basket. This evidently lead to getting to the free throw line, which is definitely Jimmy’s “style.” He also mentioned that they had the mentality of not being complacent. It’s pretty tough to be complacent on this roster with the amount of leadership on the floor.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Bam Adebayo seemed pretty confident in this Heat team’s chances after the game. Bam said, “I feel we can go against everybody.” This attitude seems pretty familiar. Jimmy Butler had said that he felt they can win a championship a few days ago. And that’s because they play on a team with a winning mentality. It is true that they can go against anybody, but they will only go as far as Bam Adebayo takes them. If he plays the way he did today, they’ll be a tough out in this year’s playoffs.

Post-Game Comment #3:

After another offensive display by Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler talked a little about his impact. Jimmy said, “We told Duncan it’s okay to dribble the ball once or twice.” This was pretty clear in today’s game. Duncan seemed much more comfortable in all of the other aspects of the game. His passing improved, his shot-creating improved, and even cut to the basket more times than normal. Jimmy also said that he’s “not just a shooter,” which is something that’s been taken for granted this season. Jimmy ends with “I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Post-Game Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo talked about their defensive strategy when he was on the floor with Jae Crowder. He said, “It became a hassle for the other team.” This was one of the major reasons that their perimeter defense was much better today. After Coach Spo started Jae Crowder over Meyers Leonard, it added much more versatility, and clearly helped Bam Adebayo on the defensive end. Bam also talked about his conditioning in the game. He said, “I did get a little winded,” which will slowly improve the more games they play.

Post-Game Comment #5:

Coach Spo talked about Meyers Leonard regarding a couple of different topics. He began saying, “This is one game. I have not forgotten about Meyers.” He will definitely be utilized based on different match-ups, especially against Brook Lopez and the Milwaukee Bucks. Spo also talked about Meyers standing for the National Anthem. He said, “He has the backing of everyone in the locker room. Everyone knows where his heart is.” Meyers has repeated supported this movement throughout the process and will continue to do so, but will clearly do it in a way that he feels comfortable.

5 Key Moments from Media Availability with Spoelstra, Dragic, DJJ

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The Miami Heat had an earlier practice than usual on Thursday, while other teams are preparing for the first regular season game of the restart tonight. This was the first official practice for the Heat that will prepare them for these types of regular season games. Well, here’s what they had to say about their preparation for Saturday against the Denver Nuggets…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Coach Erik Spoelstra talks a little about the preparation for these regular season games coming up. He says the plan is to “adjust and play the depth as necessary.” This is definitely a major advantage for the Heat, as mentioned many times. It seems pretty clear that depth is the biggest strength of their team. Sometimes it seems as if Spoelstra has a little too much depth to mess around with, but this is definitely a good problem to have in this format. He also says “I have to remain open to pivot as needed.” Spoelstra is one of the only coaches that have the ability to adjust quickly and succeed at it. As there’s been many different x-factors discussed for this season, Spoelstra may be the biggest one.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Goran Dragic seems pretty excited to get back out their on the court with the team in games that count. He said, “I can’t wait to start.” He also mentions that today’s practice was really intense, which means they’re starting to ramp stuff up a little more. These practices are being utilized right now as a type of scouting format. The coaching staff is trying to find the guys that are in the best shape right now and who they can trust. This very well may be Goran Dragic. As mentioned before, it’s been very obvious that veterans are made for this format more than young guys. Plus, Goran is one of the Heat’s primary play-makers, which will begin to be needed more and more over the course of the next few weeks.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Derrick Jones Jr got to talk with some media today after practice as well. He starts it off discussing the Heat’s primary struggle. Defense. He said, “We just got to get a little bit better rhythm playing together. Just getting locked in on defense.” Derrick Jones Jr is one of the few guys on the roster that has the ability to fix this problem. It’s been obvious that the defensive struggles have come from the lack of defense from the Heat’s guards. And well, DJJ has the ability to match-up against other guards, which he mentions, “I want to guard the best player every night.” But, there’s a lot of question marks around what he will be able to offer offensively. It seems pretty clear that Spo will have to make a decision on what he wants to prioritize.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Spoelstra talks a little about the importance of these scrimmage games for this Heat team. He says, “We didn’t play particularly well in our last game, but there were moments in each game where we made progress.” The Heat’s final scrimmage game was definitely a bad note to leave on, but as Spoelstra said, they’re focusing on the positive moments. These scrimmages have helped Spoelstra find the right lineups, defensive schemes, and mainly the type of environment. Last game’s disaster may be the best thing that could’ve happened to the team, since that makes them practice that much harder and truly understand what it takes to win these games.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

The Miami Heat have just released some new shirts on the social justice issues. The team wore them in practice today, which include “Enough is enough,” “Silence is compliance,” and much more. Derrick Jones Jr talked a little about the shirts, saying “I love it.” He says there are some people that aren’t very comfortable speaking about this matter, so the shirt does the talking for them. Erik Spoelstra also spoke about these shirts, saying “This is the shirt that resonates with me,” when speaking about the “Silence is compliance” shirt he was wearing. This team continues to be vocal with their stance on social justice aspects, which is one of the main reasons they wanted to get back onto the highest stage possible.

5 Main Comments from Media Scrum with Spoelstra, Adebayo, Crowder

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The Heat had another late practice Monday night, in preparation for the Heat’s third and final scrimmage game. Coach Erik Spoelstra gave a clearer outlook on the Heat’s lineup for the scrimmage game, while Bam Adebayo touched on a much more important topic. Here’s what they had to say…

Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about the return of Bam Adebayo to the lineup after he tested positive for corona virus. He said, “He’s had several good days of rock solid work.” This was one of the main reasons Bam didn’t play Saturday. He had just arrived and didn’t have a chance to get in game shape. But now, he’s starting to look like he’s in mid-season form since he stayed in shape during the hiatus. Spoelstra also adds, “He will play.” This is one of the biggest things Heat fans want to get a look at again. They want to see their developing superstar back out their on the court wearing that red and black.

Comment #2:

Spoelstra mentions that everyone will be available tomorrow for the scrimmage, except rookie KZ Okpala. This seems to clear up a lot of misconception for Heat fans since they’ve been waiting to see him get some minutes. It’s like fans fully expect him to be a star, and how can you blame them since it seems every young guy the Heat get turns into one. KZ will most likely not see the court during their time in the bubble, but it’s probably for the best. Not only give him time to fully heal, but also time to fully understand the league. Duncan Robinson didn’t see the court in his rookie year, which he spent doing exactly what Okpala is doing now. Don’t be surprised if KZ Okpala comes out of no where next year to be a key player off the bench.

Comment #3:

Spoelstra talks about how this environment has been treating them and what he expects from the team. He begins saying that he’s been telling players to leave their rooms or stop playing video games. This almost seems as if this was aimed at a particular person. Maybe not. But either way, as long as they are producing on the court, that’s all that really matters. He also says he suggested players to go out and play golf. Goran Dragic seemed to take advantage of the opportunity which he played golf for the first time ever. Spoelstra ends with, “It’s been easier to focus on your team. And even for the guys. Life is simple here.” Although it’s all focus for this Heat team, this may not be the case for every team in the bubble. The teams still here in October will be lead by guys that are the most mentally tough and “focused.”

Comment #4:

Jae Crowder got to discuss tomorrow’s scrimmage as well, which he seems to know a lot about. When Jae talked about playing his old team in Memphis, he said “I’m going to take it very serious.” He adds that they want to put it together as a team and play the right way in these games. Kelly Olynyk has seemed to “play the right way” in these games, which Jae said has really helped him out with the second unit. He raves about Kelly’s versatility since they can use different sets against other defenses. He also began to rave about Tyler Herro, which he said his confidence is what surprised him so much. What I took from what Jae said during this time is his positivity in himself with the second unit. Between his high praise in Kelly and Tyler, and his learning from Goran and Andre, he truly believes this will be a X-factor for this team.

Comment #5:

Bam Adebayo got to talk with some media tonight as well, but in a much different sense. He took the road of answering every question with getting justice for Breonna Taylor. Getting this message across to both media and fans is truly essential. He wants to make sure that this stays on people’s minds, especially since this is a much more important discussion than talking about how practice went. Bam and others have been vocally active on social justice issues since their arrival, which is the main goal for the NBA as a whole during their time in the bubble. Bam ends with the quote that everybody not only needs to support, but act upon. “Black Lives Matter, people.”