Chris Silva was a key contributor in the Heat’s win over Memphis, and he only played 11 minutes
Ja Morant didn’t see Chris Silva coming on the play.
The Memphis rookie guard was barreling toward the basket in transition and launched himself off the ground for a dunk when Silva — the Miami Heat’s undrafted rookie center — caught him in the air.
Just as Morant had extended his arm, Silva blocked the shot, knocking the ball out of bounds and sending Morant crashing to the ground.
Silva needed just 11 minutes to make those types of plays in the Heat’s 120-101 season-opening win against the Grizzlies.
He provided a spark off the bench in the fourth quarter, tallying eight points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Silva later revealed that he was nervous when he first checked in during the third quarter of the game.
“But when I got a feel [for] the game,” he said. “I just let my emotions take over … Watching the game, I saw they like to go in transition. And I like to run, so … I just put the effort to try to impact the game.”
In addition to his block, he had an energy-igniting alley-oop dunk early in the fourth quarter during a 24-3 Heat run.
“Silva really came out and he gave us a great spark,” said Heat forward Justise Winslow, who finished with a team-high 27 points. “And that’s what this league’s about. You never know who it’s going to be on any given night. When you get the opportunity, you have to make the most of it.”
Silva was just signed to a two-way contract Monday after he averaged 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 9.8 minutes in all five of the Heat’s preseason games, including a 16-point, nine rebound performance in the Heat’s preseason opener.
And the 6-foot-9, 234-pound pro is used to making an impact on defense. He was the Southeastern Conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a junior at South Carolina and was voted to the SEC’s All-Defensive team in each of his final two seasons with the Gamecocks.
Silva said it has been a stressful process since leaving South Carolina for the NBA, but he has been embraced by everyone in the Heat organization since joining the team.
“I’ve had a lot of fun here,” Silva said. “From the equipment guy to trainers to coaches, everybody has really welcomed me here and made me feel like home, so I’m having a great time so far.”
He has drawn comparisons to Heat forward Udonis Haslem since entering the league, and the veteran congratulated Silva on his Instagram story following the Heat’s win.
“To one hell of a first NBA game,” Haslem’s post read.
With his two-way contract, Silva is expected to spend the majority of the season with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Skyforce, but he made the most of his NBA debut. And he was a part of a rookie group (including rookie guards Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn) that combined for 46 points on Wednesday night.
And Winslow said the same energy Silva showed on the court against the Grizzlies is what he brings to the team all the time.
“Sometimes he’s running around with his head cut off,” Winslow said of Silva. “But that was my role when I first got here, to come in and just impact the game with energy and defense. And you build on that. And for him, being a big, he can rebound the ball exceptionally well. His pick-and-roll defense has gotten a lot better, too, so when you can have an impact on the game without scoring, that’s a beautiful thing, and then you start adding those points and everything just opens up for you.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 3:33 PM.