Heat gets creative to involve full front-office group (including Riley) in Disney practice
For most Miami Heat practices held at AmericanAirlines Arena, the viewing table next to the court is full.
Heat owner Micky Arison, CEO Nick Arison, president Pat Riley, general manager Andy Elisburg, assistant general manager Adam Simon, vice president of basketball development and analytics Shane Battier and vice president of player programs Alonzo Mourning are all frequent occupants of the seats at the table.
A look at the work Heat rookie KZ Okpala is putting in behind scenes: ‘I’m always ready’
But the Heat’s front-office contingent at the NBA’s Disney bubble is much smaller, so the team got creative.
With Simon the lone member of Miami’s front office inside the quarantine bubble for the resumption of the season, the Heat added cardboard cutouts of Riley, Elisburg, Battier, Mourning and both Arisons to the viewing table for practices at Disney.
“We miss them and we miss our table, our leaders. So we made those up,” coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday of the cardboard Heat executives during a post-practice video conference call.
(The real) Simon sits alongside his cardboard coworkers behind Clorox wipes and water bottles for practice sessions on the NBA’s Central Florida campus. While it’s certainly different than the feel of practices at AmericanAirlines Arena, the familiar faces watching on provide a sense of comfort.
“We’re going to have them with us at the table the rest of the way and try to bring some more normalcy to every aspect of what we’re doing in here,” Spoelstra said. “But we also want to let them know that we’re thinking about them. They are here not only in spirit, but they’re able to watch our practices. The technology is phenomenal, so they’re able to stream the practices live and feel like they’re still a part of it and this is just another aspect of it. I love it. It gives me comfort.”
Why is Simon the only Heat executive inside the bubble?
It came down to some difficult decisions, with each of the 22 teams participating in the restart limited by the NBA to an initial traveling party of 37 people. That number includes players and coaches, with the possibility that the traveling party can be modified during the playoffs.
Each team is required to have one senior basketball executive on site, and the Heat chose Simon to fill that role.
NBA owners, such as Arison, and team executives, such as Riley and Elisburg, who are not residing in the Disney bubble are permitted to attend games. But they must use separate entrances and exits in the arenas while remaining socially-distanced at least 25 feet from the court/players and coaches in the traveling party and wearing a mask at all times.
Riley and the rest of the team’s off-site executive and ownership group are not expected to be in attendance when the Heat opens its eight-game seeding schedule Saturday against the Denver Nuggets at 1 p.m. (Fox Sports Sun, ESPN) at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista.
But just because most of the Heat’s front office is not physically with the team doesn’t mean they aren’t able to provide their input.
“Technology has helped quite a bit,” Spoelstra said. “They’re able to watch practices, they get my daily notes. I communicate with them frequently through either FaceTime or just a quick call. That hasn’t changed. But there’s nothing like the human element of connection. I do miss that. We’ll make the most of it. These are not normal times. They all would love to be sitting here at the table. So we’re going to make them feel as much like they’re with us as possible.”
HEAT’S ANTHEM PLANS
Players and coaches from the four teams — the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers — that opened the restart Thursday night knelt behind the words “Black Lives Matter” on the court as the national anthem played before the game.
Spoelstra called the moment “incredible” and said the Heat is planning “something very similar” for Saturday’s seeding opener, as the organization continues to use its platform to speak out against systemic racism and social injustice.
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“The unified message in this fight against systemic racism and racial inequalities is something that our entire association is united to fight against,” Spoelstra said Friday. “That’s a powerful, powerful moment and statement. It has nothing to do with the politics or how we all feel about the flag. In my mind, this is an and. It’s not an either, or or a but. You can feel a certain way about honoring the flag and the country, and feel that there needs to be some significant changes in the system regarding racial inequalities.”
In recent seasons, Heat coaches and players have locked arms during the playing of the national anthem as their way of taking a stand against social and racial injustice. But the Heat is expected to take a different approach to Saturday’s moment.
“I think tomorrow you’ll see similar to what happened last night during the anthem,” Heat rookie Tyler Herro said Friday. “I think our team will do something similar, not really sure yet about what we’re going to do. But I’m definitely excited to have a voice and a platform to be able to speak up and continue the movement.”
▪ Spoelstra said he expects all 17 of the Heat’s players to be available for Saturday’s game against the Nuggets. That includes rookie forward KZ Okpala, who was limited in recent Disney practices and scrimmages because of right Achilles tendinitis.
Each team is allowed to have up to 13 active players for each game.
“Everybody will be available, so the head coach will have to make some tough calls and communicate that,” Spoelstra said. “Particularly in this situation, I just wish all 17 guys will be available. They’re not going to be in suits anyway. They’re going to be sitting there. You might as well have them available, but that’s not the case.”
▪ Just one day before the Heat begins its seeding schedule, All-Star wing Jimmy Butler said he’s still waiting on a definitive ruling from the NBA and National Basketball Players Association regarding his request to play without his last name on his jersey when the season restarts. Butler is also the only player on the Heat’s 17-man roster who opted not to wear a social justice message on the back of his jersey.
“To be determined,” Butler said Friday of his request.
