The preseason has officially arrived with the Miami Heat, as they take on the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City, Canada, on Saturday. There are multiple players looking to prove themselves during this highly anticipated preseason, but which names should we be keeping eyes on?
Here are my three names:
Ryan Conwell:
Skinny: Outside of Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, rookie Ryan Conwell has my attention the most. He beat Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters ever, in a shooting drill; a video showed him diving for a loose ball that created an easy Antetokounmpo transition flush; he was getting reps with the starters, and now has a clear runway at making a strong impression with Dru Smith’s calf injury.
Conwell was a gifted shooter in college. But where he impressed most during Summer League was with his defense, cutting off angles of opposing ballhandlers and not being hyper-aggressive on-ball, a bad tendency of his in college. If he can do the same in preseason, don’t be surprised if he’s relied upon early by Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Nikola Jovic:
Skinny: This is a big year for Nikola Jovic, who had a tumultuous fourth NBA season — another of which he didn’t play more than 47 games. He’s working more with the wings, which is where he belongs, and appears to have matured as well.
Obviously, his shooting efficiency, ball-handling and play finishing must improve. Results in the preseason largely don’t matter, but performing well could the perfect confidence boost he needs heading into a pivotal regular season.
Pelle Larsson:
Skinny: There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Larsson this summer — and rightfully so. The Swedish guard parlayed a strong sophomore season into a $60 million extension. Most importantly, I’m curious to see how he looks alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in the games they play together.
The Heat’s newest superstar has raved about Larsson’s game, and I’m guessing both will play with each other a lot. Larsson’s the better shoot, but hasn’t been a natural floor spacer through two NBA seasons. How clunky does the fit look offensively? Does Larsson assume some ballhandling responsibility away from Davion Mitchell? Can Larsson be a viable spot-up threat?
Those are all situations worth monitoring this preseason — and more.
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We should have a better idea where the players and team are by the end of the preseason. At this point, it looks like Spo has a lot to work with. There is no need to bring in a back-up PG just yet. The Heat has several players able to handle the ball.