Malik Allen named to coach Miami Heat in summer league
Malik Allen has been selected to coach the Miami Heat during the team’s summer-league appearances in Sacramento and Las Vegas.
Allen, 43, is coming off his second season as an assistant coach to Erik Spoelstra, working mostly with the team’s big men, assuming that role after Juwan Howard moved on to become coach at Michigan.
A 10-year veteran whose NBA career began with the Heat in 2001, Allen has been an assistant coach for seven seasons, four with the Detroit Pistons, one with the Minnesota Timberwolves and his two with the Heat.
The Heat are scheduled for two summer-league games in Sacramento, on Aug. 3 against a similar group of rookies, free agents and young players from the Los Angeles Lakers and then on Aug. 4 against the summer roster of the Golden State Warriors.
The Heat then will move on to Las Vegas for a longer schedule, in a tournament setting that will include all 30 NBA teams.
The NBA did not stage summer league last offseason due to the coronavirus pandemic and truncated turnaround between seasons.
Among those who previously have coached the Heat during summer league have been Spoelstra, Stan Van Gundy, Bob McAdoo, David Fizdale, Chris Quinn, Pat Delany and most recently Eric Glass, who went on to guide the Heat’s G League affiliate.
The Heat do not have a pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, but are expected to sign several prospects in the wake of those selections.
It is possible that former Heat draft picks Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala join the Heat’s summer program, depending on how deep into the Olympic tournament they advance with Nigeria.
Other potential summer-league options from the Heat’s season-ending roster include center Omer Yurtseven and two-way guard Max Strus.
The Heat’s most recent summer-league roster, in 2019, included Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and Chris Silva.
