Podcast: Early preseason Miami Heat takeaways. And discussing what Giannis’ extension means
There are actual NBA games to talk about again.
The wait wasn’t as long as usual, with the abbreviated offseason lasting only about two months. But the preseason is underway, and the Miami Heat has already played one of its two preseason games in preparation for its Dec. 23 regular-season opener against the Magic in Orlando.
On the latest episode of the Heat Check podcast, the crew was a little short-handed with usual host David Wilson unavailable to record this week. But Anthony Chiang, the Miami Herald’s Heat beat writer, and Associated Press NBA writer Tim Reynolds held it down in Wilson’s absence.
Chiang and Reynolds discussed their takeaways from Monday’s Heat preseason opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, and how strange it was to cover their first game at a fan-less AmericanAirlines Arena amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
They also broke down Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision to sign a supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, and what it means for the Heat. Miami was expected to be one of the many teams that aggressively pursued Antetokounmpo if he had opted to become a free agent in 2021 instead of signing the extension.
How about disgruntled Houston Rockets superstar guard James Harden? Chiang and Reynolds also touched on the Harden-Heat situation.
They closed the episode with their predictions for one Heat surprise (good or bad) this season.
Listen below.
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 10:16 AM.
