Heat offer possible sneak peek of starting lineup in scrimmage, as they let it fly with 3s
While it begins as something closer to real on Tuesday night, when the Miami Heat open their exhibition schedule against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, there was a sneak peek Monday night at FTX of what is to come next.
The team’s Red, White & Pink Game, an intrasquad scrimmage benefiting cancer research, pitted Heat vs. Heat, with the 20 players on the team’s preseason roster split between the opposing teams.
While little is revealed in such moments, there still were a few notable takeaways from the event that drew 5,093.
Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s intrasquad scrimmage at FTX Arena:
1. For starters: The Heat opened the scrimmage with Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry starting for the Red team, which had been a projection for the team’s opening-night starting lineup.
“I wouldn’t look too much into that,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of opening with that alignment. “Right now, it’s about trying to look at different things.”
The starters for the opposing White team were Dewayne Dedmon, Haywood Highsmith, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson and Marcus Garrett.
It wasn’t necessarily a complete read, with Victor Oladipo and Gabe Vincent among those not seeing action, with Udonis Haslem also sitting it out.
Spoelstra said the preference with Oladipo, who is coming off three injury-limited seasons, was to have him available for practices. Vincent is nursing knee soreness.
2. Herro’s chance: The action was the first for Herro since the announcement of his four-year, $130 million extension that kicks in for the 2023-24 season.
“It was a number I couldn’t pass up,” Herro said, “and it wasn’t worth going into restricted free agency [next summer].”
The next goal is emerging as a starter, with Monday perhaps a step in that direction.
“I’m comfortable with that group,” he said.
Well, perhaps not as much with Martin, who suggested Herro buy Rolexes for his teammates. Herro said he quickly shot down that idea.
3. 3-for-all: In perhaps a hint of what is to follow, both Dedmon and Adebayo converted 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the scrimmage, with Martin also converting an early pair.
Later, while paired alongside Adebayo, Omer Yurtseven converted a 3-pointer early in the second period, with Adebayo following by banking in a 3-pointer.
The Heat are trying to replace the 3-point shooting lost from their power rotation with the offseason loss of 2021-22 starter P.J. Tucker to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
“They’ve been working on it,” Spoelstra said of his big men shooting threes. “They’re doing it in the context of how we want to play.”
4. Emotional moments: The players were introduced while paired with both cancer doctors and cancer survivors.
Of the survivors in the building, Spoelstra said pregame from center court, “You are an incredible inspiration to all of us.”
There also was appreciation for the medical workers in attendance.
“You really are amazing,” Spoelstra said to the crowd.
5. Opening act: The scrimmage opened a busy week that not only includes Tuesday’s exhibition opener against the visiting Timberwolves, but also road exhibitions on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets and Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Heat then close out their five-game preseason schedule next week with a pair of exhibitions at FTX Arena against the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets.
The Heat open the franchise’s 35th season on Oct. 19 against the visiting Chicago Bulls.
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