What is Spoelstra doing for first time to prepare for Heat scrimmages? And Iguodala on Herro
The Miami Heat has already played 65 regular-season games, but coach Erik Spoelstra believes the team’s scrimmages at Walt Disney World will feel like preseason games.
Prior to restarting the season on Aug. 1 against the Denver Nuggets, the Heat will play a three-game scrimmage schedule that begins Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings (8 p.m., Fox Sports Sun) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Miami’s other two scrimmages come on July 25 against the Utah Jazz and July 28 against the Memphis Grizzlies, with players at Disney working their way back into shape after a four-month break from game action amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think it will be like a preseason,” Spoelstra said during a post-practice video conference call Friday night. “I’ve already talked to [Jazz coach] Quin [Snyder] and [Kings coach] Luke [Walton] about trying to work on some things, again, because you have to fast track so much before you get to that eight-game regular season. We’ll approach it that way and play probably everybody available. We’ll definitely work on some things and do a little bit of evaluating, as well.”
How common is it for Spoelstra to talk to opposing coaches about their matchup days before the game?
“I’ve never done it before, not like this. I bumped into Quin in the lobby and we had a discussion about this,” Spoelstra said, with both the Heat and Jazz staying at the Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. “Otherwise, I don’t know if we would have. That’s what makes it a little bit unique. But everybody is trying to get their teams ready and trying to fast track, and those three scrimmages will be important for that.”
Spoelstra has made it clear that he plans to use an extended rotation when the season restarts, with 15 of the Heat’s 17 players currently with the team at Disney. Center Bam Adebayo (who turned 23 on Saturday) and guard Kendrick Nunn remain away from the team, but they are expected to join the Heat in Central Florida soon.
Even before the Heat plays its first scrimmage Wednesday, Miami’s practices at Disney have included plenty of five-on-five intrasquad scrimmage work.
“I see some rhythm and conditioning that still needs to happen,” he said. “But I’m encouraged by the work and the guys’ competing in five-on-five.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ Veteran Heat forward Andre Iguodala raved about Heat rookie Tyler Herro following Friday’s practice.
“Got a chance to see Tyler Herro and a huge fan of his,” Iguodala said. “So really trying to help him, find a way to help him, because it’s going to be hard to help him, because he just listens to everything. He’s a guy you don’t have to tell him twice to do something. He just wants to really be great. And he wants to get better. So every day I see him, I’m just like, ‘Whoa, this kid has got a ton of potential and he really loves the game.’ ”
Iguodala continued: “He just doesn’t want to be complacent with being really good. He wants to be really good, he wants to be great for a really long time.”
▪ The NBA told teams Friday that none of the “seeding” games will be taken into consideration for any postseason award. Voting for these honors — like All-NBA, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year — will be completed before the season resumes on July 30.
In a piece published on May 31, a panel of ESPN’s NBA reporters and analysts said that Adebayo should win the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Adebayo received 53 percent of the first-place votes from ESPN’s NBA journalists who participated in the survey. Asked who will win the Most Improved Player Award, the panel predicted Adebayo and Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans would be co-winners.
Asked who should win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the panel voted Nunn third with 28 points, behind Ja Morant of the Grizzlies (166 points) and Zion Williamson of the Pelicans (83 points).
▪ After a week of morning and afternoon practices, the Heat began Friday’s session at 6 p.m. The NBA is slotting different three-hour practice windows for each of the 22 teams at Disney.
“I think everything about being in this bubble, it just requires you to be open and flexible to everything, and not be so rigid about your expectations or routine or the schedule,” Spoelstra said. “I think it has been good and offers something different, when you have different practice times. From my seat, I actually have found it a little bit relieving that there are less decisions you have to make, in terms of when to go to the gym, when to have practice, when to watch film. It’s basically slotted for you every day. You just show up.”
The Heat did not practice Saturday, but is expected to return to the practice court Sunday.
This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 10:27 AM.
