Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Could KZ Okpala be the Starter on Opening Night?

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It is not a coincidence that there’s a similar process that the Miami Heat put certain players through to make sure they’re ready.

Playing in the G-League throughout their rookie year, going back and forth from the Heat roster to G-League, uncertainty if they will crack the rotation, and then as Duncan Robinson did it, starting by opening night.

If we just saw this play out last season, what makes you think the same thing won’t happen again?

For starters, there is clearly not a lock at that power forward position, especially with the questions regarding Moe Harkless.

As of right now, Moe is interchangeable, and as some have mentioned, he’s a place holder. And even if Moe does get the starting spot, he probably won’t be on the floor for long after a few reach in fouls.

But even forgetting the role of Harkless, KZ looked to prove himself and more in last night’s preseason performance against the Raptors.

One thing I mentioned all week regarding KZ is that he just needed confidence. He seemed a bit scared on Monday and passed up a ton of good looks, which is why I said he’d come out with a purpose last night after watching film.

Scoring 24 points and knocking down 6 threes on 60% shooting from beyond the arc should not be taken lightly. That is an incredible stat line, especially for someone who hasn’t seen much floor time at the NBA level.

And as much as everybody will continue to harp on his offensive play, his defensive presence should not be overlooked.

He clearly doesn’t back down from a challenge, as Erik Spoelstra said, since he started the game guarding Paschal Siakam, and even switched over to Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet at times.

There were nonstop discussions last season about finding that perimeter defender to plug some holes, and he was at the end of their bench the whole time. The scouting department knew he had it in him for quite some time, which is why they should get a ton of credit once again following that performance.

But was that performance good enough to propel him to the starting power forward position?

Well, just remember, Moe Harkless was completely healthy last night. I know it is preseason but there’s a reason he got plugged in there yesterday.

Duncan Robinson jumped into the starting lineup when there wasn’t even a clear opening.

And it seems as if things are opening perfectly for KZ Okpala right now.

The starting position is up in the air, so don’t be surprised if he’s starting in the season opener on Wednesday.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Preseason Game Vs Raptors

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Well, the Miami Heat had a picture perfect performance against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, mostly since their young prospects stepped up more than anybody could’ve expected. Since it’s preseason, it’s obvious that my takeaways begin there, so here are my five takeaways…

1. Well, KZ Okpala has been unleashed.

Many Heat fans have been so intrigued by the unknown of KZ Okpala. And well, now it’s known. Before discussing his offensive showing, his defense should not be overlooked. His perimeter defense is clearly a huge strength for him, and that’s been Miami’s weakness as of late, especially against a team like the Raptors. Seeing KZ put an immense amount of pressure on guys like Paschal Siakam was a great sign, mostly since he truly knows how to utilize his length to his advantage. Now to the offensive side of things, I don’t think anybody could’ve expected him to come out firing like he did, scoring 16 first half points with 4 threes. The corner three seemed to be there and he took advantage of it. I mentioned we’d see an aggressive KZ after he looked over the film, and that’s exactly what he did. He was confident putting the ball on the deck and driving to the rim. A confident KZ Okpala is a dangerous KZ Okpala.

2. Max Strus comes out firing.

Max Strus’ name was getting thrown around following Miami’s first preseason game, but in a very different manner. He struggled a bit early on Monday, but many seemed to forget that he was getting thrown into the fire. But well, it only took one game for him to get acquainted, going 3 for 3 from beyond the arc once subbed in. One thing about Miami Heat youth is that they have something to prove. Those are the types of guys that Miami targets, and it was clear he was ready to showcase his worth. As I’ve mentioned in the past, we’ve seen this story before with the Miami Heat. And when they begin to rave about their performances in training camp or practice, it should be no surprise that they are talented. Now it’ll be interesting to see how he is utilized moving forward.

3. Precious Achiuwa makes the necessary adjustments.

The things I mentioned were necessary for Precious Achiuwa to adjust were things involving the dribble hand-off and pick and roll. He came right in and began to set good, hard screens, which was clearly something they went over in film. That is a great sign for his ability to learn and adjust fairly quickly. Those hard screen then lead to easy points around the rim, especially when Goran Dragic is directing traffic. Goran set him up a few times, since Precious’ burst of energy after setting a screen is unmatched. And as discussed previously, he has great touch around the rim, which is something that you can’t teach. It’s obvious after evaluating Miami’s three young projects that the Heat’s development program deserves an immense amount of credit.

4. Bam Adebayo, playing at 20% speed, still looked impressive offensively.

Bam Adebayo definitely wasn’t a main topic from this game, mostly since he didn’t need to be. He clearly wasn’t playing at the same speed as usual, which is a good thing, but still showed huge strides of his offensive game involving his jumper. He displayed different variations of it, including the jab step, dribble pull-ups, and more. Once again, there’s not much to dive into when discussing Bam in this preseason game, but these flashes of his shooting ability is really a great sign. The confidence level when attempting them is what stands out most, since that’s been the question when talking about his full offensive package. And once again, there’s still so much more that we haven’t seen.

5. Just a friendly reminder that Jimmy Butler isn’t playing yet.

My main takeaway from this game is that their superstar, Jimmy Butler, wasn’t playing, and at times you may not have realized. One thing about Jimmy is that he has such a great impact when he’s on the floor, that he makes everybody better. And Miami getting some floor time without their leader may hold more value than you think. Duncan Robinson’s gravity is always being discussed, but what about Jimmy Butler’s gravity? When he begins to attack, it allows for Tyler Herro open threes or Bam Adebayo open dunks. So making Tyler and Bam have to create for themselves was important in these two games. Ultimately, Jimmy Butler will be returning on the first game of the regular season, which means every one of the players discussed will improve greatly.

5 Things to Expect in Heat’s Second Preseason Game

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The Miami Heat will be playing against the Toronto Raptors in their second and last preseason game. Now that they got a look at the raw talent of their young guys, there are now new expectations. Here are five things to expect tonight…

1. Goran Dragic getting some minutes, most coming with Avery Bradley.

Goran Dragic mentioned yesterday that he’s going to play tonight a bit, which most likely won’t be much. It’ll be good to see the exact level that his health is at currently, but if he’s playing in a preseason game, my guess is he’s fine. In those limited minutes tonight, I’d bet that Avery Bradley lines up next to him in most or even all of his minutes. For one, it’ll be interesting to see how Avery looks next to Goran, especially since we know how Goran plays next to the other guards. They will also be coming off the bench this year together most likely, which makes me think Spo throws that lineup out there. We will see what he does with these two tonight, but as I mentioned, the most important thing is the evaluation of Goran Dragic.

2. The young guys game-to-game adjustments.

As I’ve mentioned lately, I expect some adjustments to be made involving KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa. KZ Okpala seems to need a bit more confidence in his game right now, since he was reluctant in the first preseason game. If he tries to be involved a bit more offensively by attacking the basket, it would be huge for him. Precious Achiuwa, on the other hand, just needs to improve on the small aspects of the game, involving dribble hand-offs and picks and rolls. After him watching a bit of film, I think we see him begin to set some good, hard screens on the pick and roll, while giving better hand-offs. This is something the coaching staff definitely brought up heading into tonight’s game, which is why I’m interested to see if he fixes it right away.

3. A Kendrick Nunn possible bounce back.

I expected a better first game performance from Kendrick Nunn on Monday night, mostly since he’s the one guy whose role is unknown. After his struggles in the bubble, he needs to show people once again that he can make an impact on this team. One thing I noticed on Monday was that spacing was a bit of an issue when he was on the floor. And after some missed opportunities early in the game for him, that usually means it’s hard for him to bounce back. But if he comes out tonight with a purpose, and has confidence in his game to score the basketball, we may be having a different conversation heading into the first game of the regular season. But first, he needs to show the coaching staff and team that his scoring abilities can help this team right now.

4. A true Moe Harkless evaluation.

It’s hard to truly evaluate Moe Harkless from that first game, especially on the defensive end. He’s not going to be guarding Zion Williamson every night, since he’s just a unique player who can overpower his opponent once he gets the ball inside. Now Moe will get to match-up with Paschal Siakam, which will be a much more interesting defensive assignment, since he can showcase his perimeter play instead of his interior defense. The main thing that has been discussed when Miami signed him was that he can truly help guard the perimeter, since it was a need on this Heat team last season. The Raptors were one of the main teams that Miami struggled in that area against, due to their offensive perimeter play, as well as the two point guard lineups. This game will be a great one to evaluate Moe’s overall game.

5. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro play off each other offensively.

One thing that has never been discussed much with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson is their impact together, mostly since the lack of defensive abilities are hard to play together. But one thing I noticed on Monday was that they played off each other a lot more, utilizing the pick and pop frequently. Tyler has greatly improved his ability to attack the basket, which is why they’re able to use this a lot more. And when Duncan is on the floor, most defenses make it a priority to follow him wherever he goes. Consequently, Tyler’s improved passing abilities allow Miami to create a lot of offense out of this. We may not see it a lot tonight, since there’s no reason for Spo to show it in a preseason game, but what you can expect is these two guys playing off each other quite a lot.

FiveThirtyEight Makes NBA Standing Predictions

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FiveThirtyEight put out their 2020-2021 NBA predictions for the standings, which had Miami finishing tied for 4th in the East with the Raptors.

The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were predicted to tie for 1st in the East at a record of 46-26, only two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the West.

The third team in the East was the Philadephia 76ers, surprisingly, finishing with a record of 45-27. It seems as if FiveThirtyEight is trusting the process, or maybe they’re assuming the 76ers make a trade for James Harden, since having them four games above both Miami and Toronto seems a bit odd.

Phili has definitely made some upgrades, by adding some shooting to their starting lineup with Danny Green and Seth Curry, but is that enough to make Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid work together? Well, I don’t think so.

The Miami Heat being ranked at 4 in the East isn’t much of a surprise, since they always seemed to be ranked in that area. But coming off of a Finals appearance, you’d think they would at least be given the respect of a top three seed.

I wouldn’t be shocked if they end up finishing there though, and run the table once again upon arrival to the playoffs.

The Toronto Raptors were tied with Miami at 41-31, which makes sense since I believe Toronto will still be a very solid regular season team. And the playoffs, I think will be a different story.

Although we can dive into their predictions of the regular season, the playoffs are clearly what matters. And well, this is where things get a little questionable.

They have Miami at a 9% chance to make the Finals, behind the Celtics at 27%, the 76ers at 24%, the Bucks at 22%, and the Raptors at 10%.

As much discussion Giannis Antetokounmpo has gotten as of late about the low chances of winning a championship in Milwaukee, there’s absolutely no way they have a lower chance than the Philadelphia 76ers.

And for a Miami Heat team to have a lower chance than a Raptors team who just lost Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, just seems a bit off.

Well, like Jimmy Butler said the other day, “I don’t give a damn.” This entire team doesn’t care what anybody thinks of them.

They aren’t thinking about making the finals, they’re thinking about winning it.

Precious Achiuwa Making Game-To-Game Adjustments

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Much like the adjustments I mentioned KZ Okpala will need to make, the same goes for Miami Heat rookie Precious Achiuwa.

There are two totally different changes that each player will be making, but they are equally important.

Precious showed many flashes of his defensive versatilities that many have raved about, as well as great feel once he gets the ball around the rim.

But there are some minor fixes that I believe we see tomorrow night, involving dribble hand-offs and pick and rolls.

Passing definitely isn’t his best attribute, but that’s something that will slowly develop over time. Bam Adebayo had a natural talent involving those types of things since he’s basically a guard trapped in a big man’s body, which is where Precious differs.

There were many instances on Monday night where Precious would give a lazy underhand pass on a dribble hand-off, which obviously needs improvement since it’s something Miami uses religiously.

And when discussing his activity on the pick and rolls, he did a great job of slipping off the screen to try and get a bucket. But the issue is that all he did was slip off the screen.

I think the coaching staff will want to get a glimpse of his screen setting and rolling in tomorrow night’s game, since now that they got a look at his talent level in his first NBA game, it’s time to see how he reacts to the film.

And I’m very positive he adjusts well, mostly since he has mentioned quite a few times that he wants to learn the game and dive into film as much as possible.

We’ll see what he does in the last preseason game tomorrow, especially since Coach Spo will plug him in different spots to see where he works best.

What is the Next Step for KZ Okpala?

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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.

Jimmy Butler: “I Don’t Give A Damn”

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Jimmy Butler spoke with media this afternoon, which was headlined by the usual “I’m just here to win.”

He began speaking about Bam Adebayo’s improved mid-range jumper in yesterday’s game, saying “He can shoot the three too.”

That statement clearly gets many Heat fans going, but a lot of the time it’s a confidence thing with Jimmy Butler. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t mean it, since he does, but instilling confidence in your young centerpiece is always good to do. He followed that up saying he wants Bam to “shoot 50 of them.”

He also got into the overall improvements that Bam is looking to make, saying, “I know that he’s better than he was last year…Bam is just gonna be Bam.” That always seems to be his opinion when speaking about him, since he knows what Bam is capable of.

Jimmy was then asked about the continued doubt that this team endured, saying, “I would like to think we have some decent players on this team…I don’t give a damn, Bam is learning he better not give a damn either.”

Finally, he got asked if he was surprised about the extension of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He replied, “Nope.”

He got into the fact that he’s excited to battle with him in the future, saying, “You can’t go around him. You can’t go around LeBron either. You have to go right through them.”

He began mentioning all of the teams in the East, such as the 76ers, Raptors, and Celtics, saying they have to go right through them as well.

Jimmy isn’t avoiding any type of match-up. Instead he’s just going to go out there and win basketball games.

 

Miami’s Free Agency Acquisitions: Adjusting Some Things

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Not to dive into one preseason game too much, but newcomers finally hit the floor for Miami, which gave a better look on how they should probably be utilized.

To start off with Avery Bradley, he’s a solid player who even showed some things that weren’t expected. He’s a much better passer than originally expected, as well as his ability to facilitate on offense.

One thing that stood out as well though was shot selection. Now, he may just be trying to get some shots up to get back into the swing of things, but some jumpers weren’t shots the coaching staff would want him taking on a regular basis.

I believe he has some offensive limitations, but he didn’t look bad when running the pick and roll, which goes back to his passing abilities.

I also believe his defensive presence was looked at in a different way than what he actually is. Many portrayed him as the point of attack defensive fix, but he actually strived in other areas. Obviously it seemed crazy when Spo said he can guard 1-4, but what he meant is that his physicality allows him to do it.

Overall though, you can see how he can fit in with this group, and just wait until he gets the other veterans around him.

Moe Harkless, on the other hand, has been getting called the Jae Crowder replacement since his signing in Miami, while I’ve been saying that he’s much more of the Derrick Jones Jr replacement. And that mostly has to do with the physical aspect, since he just doesn’t have the same size that Crowder had to guard bigger guys.

Moe hit a corner three early in the first quarter, and that’s exactly what you need him to do. If he can hit the open corner three efficiently throughout the season, then he’s automatically fit the role.

Both of these guys are “plug and play” guys, as Coach Erik Spoelstra has said, but I feel like seeing them on the floor finally means they will adjust some things in their game.

Don’t be surprised if we see Spo utilize them both in different ways than they were last night, and that ultimately can be a huge leap for this team before the beginning of the regular season.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s First Preseason Game

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The Miami Heat faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night in their first preseason game of the year. As expected, we got to see some run from a bunch of young guys, and even the improvements the rotational guys have made. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Bam Adebayo’s jumper looks fluid.

It is obvious that the first takeaway had to involve the centerpiece of this Heat team, Bam Adebayo. We can talk about his heart on every single play, diving for loose balls in a preseason game, but we knew he had that already. The thing we’ve been waiting to see in his game though is the mid-range jumper, and he seemed to make it an initiative to go out there and shoot it. The first play of the game was a mid-range jumper from Bam, but a little bit down the line, the jab step into an elbow jumper gave some Chris Bosh flashbacks. Once again, the thing everybody has been saying is for him to have the confidence to attempt them, and if he continues to shoot them like he did tonight, his development will take yet another leap.

#2: Tyler Herro comes out firing, but once he cooled off, he turned into Goran Dragic.

Tyler Herro came out with a purpose to begin the game on Monday night, scoring 8 points early in the first. After that though, he and the rest of the team seemed to cool off from beyond the arc. These are the moments that many want to see, since it’s important to see the reaction from a young player. And well, he decided to get into his Goran Dragic bag of tricks. Whenever he attacks the rim off the dribble, he utilizes the backboard the exact way that Goran does. It’s no shock, since Goran is a mentor for his game, especially when attacking the basket. But seeing him really take a step in that area, as well as the ball-handling and passing, was a great sign in his development as well.

#3: Free agency acquisitions get some run, and both use themselves in different ways.

Many automatically labeled these two acquisitions as players that do one certain thing. Moe Harkless was labeled as the Jae Crowder replacement, but as I’ve been saying, is more like the Derrick Jones Jr replacement. And that is not a bad thing, it’s just that his size does not allow him to guard bigger guys like Jae Crowder did. Avery Bradley was labeled as a point of attack defender, which may be a bit of an overstatement. He can get in the opposing guards grill and be a disruption one-on-one, but where he really showed himself was in all of the small areas. He was a surprisingly impressive passer and a great facilitator on the offensive end. Obviously it’s not great to over analyze one pre-season game that they were involved in, but I believe adjustments will be made with them to make it an even better fit.

#4: KZ Okpala finally gets some playing time.

KZ Okpala was the most intriguing name heading into this game, since it’s been a long wait to see his game at this NBA level. An early corner three showed some great signs, but other than that he didn’t make much of an on-ball offensive impact. One thing that was shown though was his room to grow. He showed great flashes defensively and it’s obvious that there is still so much more room to improve. But what was seen most from him was his energy. If you’re following him on the court, he’s just constantly running. Coach Spo mentioned previously that it’s just about putting it all together, and that’ll come in time. But as of right now, he’s a very good perimeter defender who can be utilized right now.

#5: Precious Achiuwa enters in the second half, and looked like a rookie.

Miami’s rookie, Precious Achiuwa, got some run in the third quarter, and seemed to thrive when the ball was in the hands of Tyler Herro. I don’t know if those off-season workouts made it more fluid, but either way, they utilized the pick and roll well. Not to depict his game too much though, there is some work to be done with the dribble hand-offs. At this level, lazy under hand passes will not get the job done, but he will figure that out over time. His defense proved to look good, both down low and on the perimeter one-on-one, but on a tough night defending the perimeter it’s hard to totally dive in. Ultimately, Precious still has a lot of room to improve, but without a G-League this year, it’ll be interesting to see how that comes about.

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.