After starting the preseason 2-0, the Miami Heat took their first loss on Saturday evening with a final score of 125-124 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Unlike the first two outings— where Heat fans got a glimpse of what’s to come with Giannis Antetokounmpo and all the regulars— coach Erik Spoelstra opted to sit the starters and most of the regular rotation players for this matchup. Considering the Timberwolves will be Miami’s opening night regular season matchup, that decision from Spoelstra may have been strategic to keep the game plan away from Minnesota.
Instead, the Heat rolled out a starting five of Tre Donaldson, Pelle Larsson, Simone Fontecchio, Nikola Jovic and Nick Richards.
Despite this preseason version of a Heat-light type of lineup out there, the game stayed close throughout, led by rookie Ryan Conwell’s 22 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds off the bench. Miami also received solid contributions in the second unit from Myron Gardner and Vlad Goldin— as Goldin dropped 18 points and 6 boards in 23 extended minutes.
Besides the bench performances from the young guys, other potential regular rotation caliber players also looked sharp. Amongst a few more takeaways from the game includes encouraging play from Nikola Jovic, who added 16 points and 6 rebounds on an efficient 7 of 11 shooting. He also recorded 3 steals. Jovic will be hoping to break back into the real regular season rotation early on to begin this year.
Fontecchio showed that he is still a capable floor spreading option, as the 3-point specialist had 14 points on 4 of 7 from deep. Richards continues to show dominance on the glass this preseason, as he snagged 10 rebounds to go along with his 7 points, 1 block and 1 steal.
The Heat’s next preseason outing will take place against the Brooklyn Nets inside the Kaseya Center on Wednesday.
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Jimmy who?
Buffet? Page? Durante? Ellis? Johnson?
Hendrix
buffet meh paige f yes durante old school shnazola niko new school jimmy ellis boxer old school
johnson my fav jimmy coach canes .whos your fav jimmy hendrix pres carter?
And you don’t know rock. It’s Jimi.
I should have used Spell Czech.
Ha!
dont pay to much attention to spelling pay lots attention to the sound of rock more than spelling of artists names.but u r right on spelling of greatest guitarist ever imo.my first error of the new year.my goal this year is to be like my billy idol sm very few errors off to a bad start season hasnt even started
Jimmy Bob the banjo player in Deliverance. Sooooey
“When you have a coach like Erik Spoelstra, it makes the job much easier,” Antetokounmpo said. “You know that you’re going to be in the right places and you’re going to be successful when you play.”
Hmm, let’s see. Do I believe Giannis indicating that the coach definitely matters? Or someone else who says coaches in the NBA don’t matter? I think I’ll go with Giannis on this one.
Somebody has to hold towels when players taking shower.
Therefore coaches are not useless.
See, I knew they were important!
“A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.”
~ John Wooden ~
Coaching isn’t only about winning and losing. it’s about shaping people, building character, and inspiring growth in both sports and life. Coaches also serve as examples for anyone seeking to mentor or motivate others.
Great coaches:
Focus on unlocking potential and fostering independence.
Build character and leadership qualities.
Focus on preparation, consistency, and attention to detail.
Inspire players to exceed their limits and achieve more than they imagined.
Influence lives, while instilling resilience, confidence and lifelong lessons.
Coaching is about so much more than just winning and losing.
nah thats what parents are for lebron..coaching in bball is determined by the quality of your players .baseball pretty much also.football coaching really matters.just the way it is rc if you cant figure that out u dont know sports .dodgers in trouble lebron skuble yamamoto beaten .the billion dollar team might go down
That’s your opinion bro. I take Giannis’ opinion over yours 6 days in a row plus twice on Sunday.
John Wooden could have learned a thing or two from you.
who shaped your behavior more mr and mrs sm or your hs bball coach
Can’t lie. My mother. She provided my foundation and taught me right from wrong, love, compassion and many other things. Respect for her kept me out of trouble. I didn’t think I had a right to get busted or killed doing something illegal and breaking her heart. She didn’t deserve that. I’m not that selfish or cold hearted. Most criminals are. They don’t think about the people they hurt, especially those who are closest to them who will suffer most if something happens to them because of stupid decisions.
However, I did have a great little league coach who almost a surrogate father to me. Another kind soul.
Respect to all mothers of the world.
Amen. Pursuing a life of crime is the highest form of disrespect one can demonstrate to a loving mother.
Nicely said, left coast man!
Thangya vera mush.
Nice game. for Niko, this should be a typical stat line. From the rest, Gardner was good again, and Conwell shows something more. The best game from Goldin in Heats uniform.
These games allow younger players to acquire experience and demonstrate what they may have to offer. It’s possible a couple of them may crack the rotation. There were several positive signs, especially from Gardner and Conwell.
HSpo has the next 2 games and couple of weeks to firm up the rotation and identify the top alternates. So far it looks like Mitchell, Thompson, Wiggins, Giannis, Bam, Larsson, Hardaway, Jovic, Portis and possibly Fontecchio or Gardner.
The starting lineup is set, as first three subs with Portis, Pelle ant THJ. Niko will be part of rotation. Dru too, when healthy. This leave Simone, Gardner and Convell waiting for a chance, in that order.
I think more or less everything is set, the unknown are minutes.
Bam, Giannis, Mitchell and probably Wiggins will play big minutes and crunch time no matter what . The rest will play according their performance.
I wonder what Richards’ role will be. Is Spo going to play a rotation of 3 bigs with Giannis, Bam and Portis or will Richards crack the rotation, too?
Richards is insurance. He’ll play when one of the others is out, during blowouts/garbage time and if the team needs some muscle in the paint. I can also see him as the designated fouler when the Heat plays teams with poor front court foul shooters, e.g., Robinson, Adams, Claxton, Kessler, Capela, Diabate, Clingan, etc.
I forgot about Richards. He could get some minutes too.
Since Portis is also pf, I think having him and Richards on the court together keeps the 2 big lineups going. It probably won’t be necessary because Bam and Giannis will stagger at times, but it would work. Richards, Portis, Pelle, Hardaway, and Dru (or Jovic, with Pelle sliding to pg) would be a pretty good second unit.
I think Pelle sliding over to PG, Hardaway at SG, Gardner at SF, Portis at PF and Richards at C also works. If more offense is needed, slide Fontecchio in to PF and Portis to C.
Dru can compete for back-up PG and be used in small ball line-ups. I do still think Dru can make a good #2 PG if he can get his assists and ppg up a couple of notches.
i think if hfl can get his spelling and grammar up to your level aint happening either is drus offense young mans a certified brick layer.great defender to bad for him and us
You may be right. However, I wouldn’t throw him under the bus just yet, at least not until Miami has a legitimate #2 PG.