Heat closes training camp with ‘totally different vibe.’ Also, Caleb Martin limited and more
Erik Spoelstra’s 16th training camp as the Miami Heat’s head coach is in the books.
The Heat returned to Miami after wrapping up its five-day training camp at Florida Atlantic University on Saturday afternoon.
“I just think we got a lot accomplished,” Spoelstra said of the week of work. “We checked the boxes we wanted to coming into this. Started to build that connection. We definitely had some great competition and we ended on just a great note. Last night (Friday) there was the (team) barbecue and today finishing out with a good focused practice.”
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Most of last season’s Heat roster that made the NBA Finals returned, which helped to fast-track the learning process during training camp.
But there are also some new faces mixed in. After losing Udonis Haslem, Victor Oladipo, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Omer Yurtseven and Cody Zeller this offseason, the Heat brought in Josh Richardson, Thomas Bryant and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The Heat also has three players signed to two-way deals (RJ Hampton, Jamal Cain and Dru Smith) and five players signed to Exhibit 10 contracts that essentially represent an invite to training camp (Cheick Diallo, Justin Champagnie, Drew Peterson, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams).
“I really like that,” Spoelstra said of the Heat’s mix of new and returning players. “So it felt different enough, but we were able to move quick through things because we did bring a lot of guys back. The team definitely has a different feel. Every season and every team is different. But when you’re bringing back a lot of your main players, you tend to think that it will be quite similar. And it just had a totally different vibe, a different feel.”
Earlier in the week, Spoelstra said he felt the current Heat roster is “deeper” than last season’s team.
“It just feels like we have more depth and it might be because it’s more functional positional depth at specific positions,” Spoelstra said again Saturday.
Two important items on the coaching staff’s to-do list before the Heat opens the regular season on Oct. 25 against the Detroit Pistons: Settle on a rotation for the start of the season and complete the 15-man roster.
The Heat needs to add at least one more player to a standard contract before the start of the regular season because the new CBA makes it tough for teams to consistently carry fewer than 14 players under standard deals. The Heat’s roster currently includes 13 players on standard contracts, with those on Exhibit 10 and two-way deals competing for that open spot.
“In the preseason, I’ll have to balance all of that stuff,” Spoelstra said. “All the things that you have to do. We want to get guys into rhythm right away. We want to start to get a framework of what a rotation could look like. I doubt it will be all determined even by the last preseason game. I want to look at some of these guys and also reward them for the work that they’ve been putting in this summer and in training camp. Then we’ll evaluate players, as well. How many games do we have? Five. I’ll attempt to accomplish all of that in the next two weeks. We’ll see.”
Next up for the Heat is the “Red, White & Pink Game” intrasquad scrimmage on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Kaseya Center. Tickets for the scrimmage remain available and cost $5 each, with proceeds benefiting cancer care and research at the Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
The Heat opens its five-game preseason schedule on Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center.
THIS AND THAT
▪ When asked which one of the Heat’s young players impressed him during camp, Heat center Bam Adebayo pointed to Swider.
“Cole is really, really showing he can really shoot the ball,” Adebayo said. “He can play on different types of teams. He can play with the young fellas, he also can play with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love and be under control and learn how to flow in the offense.”
Spoelstra said Swider, Hampton and Smith stood out among those competing for a spot on the Heat’s roster.
▪ Heat wing Caleb Martin was a limited participant in Saturday’s practice because of left knee tendinosis, putting his status for Monday’s scrimmage in question.
▪ This marked the first Heat training camp since 2002 not involving Haslem, who retired at the end of last season. What was it like not having Haslem around this week?
“You don’t hear anybody talking [expletive],” Adebayo said. “I mean besides the obvious of 22 (Jimmy Butler). But other than that, it’s not somebody on the sideline just constantly telling jokes in the middle of practice. So it is different and then also you have a person who says the right thing at the right time.”
▪ After watching the Miami Dolphins score 70 points in a win over the Denver Broncos on Sept. 24, Spoelstra said he will again take his two sons to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday for the Dolphins’ matchup against the New York Giants.
