What’s the Heat’s plan for final preseason game? Don’t expect a ‘full dress rehearsal’ game
The Miami Heat’s preseason dress rehearsal for the regular season won’t happen in a game this year. Instead, that came on the AmericanAirlines Arena practice court.
After the veteran trio of Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala got the night off for Monday’s preseason-opening loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the expectation is a few Heat veterans will also be held out of Friday’s second and final preseason game against the Toronto Raptors (7 p.m., Fox Sports Sun) held at Amalie Arena in Tampa because of Canada’s strict COVID-19 restrictions.
“Everybody is approaching it in different ways depending on where you are,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the preseason following Thursday’s practice. “No, [Friday’s game against the Raptors] will not be anywhere close to a full dress rehearsal for us. Our last two practices were probably a better dress rehearsal than what you’ll see [Friday].”
While Butler and Iguodala’s status for Friday’s preseason finale is still unknown, Dragic said he expects to “play a little bit” against the Raptors. But Spoelstra said Thursday that “you will not see all of them” when asked about the availability of Butler, Dragic and Iguodala.
Dragic, who tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in Game 1 of the NBA Finals a little more than two months ago, said he’s “feeling good” entering Friday’s preseason contest.
Among Heat players who were available but also did not play Monday were Gabe Vincent, Udonis Haslem, Kelly Olynyk and Chris Silva.
“The last two practices were probably a lot more indicative of us preparing for that first game than what you’ll see [Friday],” Spoelstra said with the Heat opening the regular season in less than a week on Wednesday against the Magic in Orlando.
There are a few reasons for this preseason approach.
The Heat is entering the season after a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened offseason that lasted 71 days, which is the fewest between the end of a season and the start of the next season in NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL history, according to Elias Sports. The Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Oct. 11, and Miami began team practices less than two months later.
Also, the Heat is playing an abbreviated two-game preseason schedule this year as the NBA rushes back. Miami had five preseason games to fit in the dress rehearsal game last year.
“It is different,” Dragic said of the weeks leading up to this regular season. “If you look, this is the first preseason with COVID and everything. All this testing, all these protocols, and then of course only two preseason games. Then right away, we’re starting a new season after finishing the NBA Finals two months or a month and a half [ago]. So, it is different. But that’s our job. So, we need to be ready. [Friday] is going to be our last preseason game. Try to get good minutes and then hopefully be ready for the season.”
Spoelstra has compensated for all of this with intense intrasquad scrimmages during recent Heat practices to prepare for the start of the regular season.
“We played a lot of 5-on-5, 3-on-3, try to get back on defense,” Dragic said. “All these rehearsal, scrimmages that you usually get inside a game. It was really intense, but I think everybody did good.”
But most of the Heat’s young players are expected to play Friday, and that includes those competing for the team’s second and final two-way contract with cut-down day approaching.
With guard Breein Tyree and forward Paul Eboua waived Wednesday, the competition for Miami’s final two-way deal is down to its two remaining Exhibit 10 players: wings BJ Johnson and Max Strus. The Heat can also opt to fill the two-way spot with an outside player.
Guard Gabe Vincent is currently signed to the Heat’s other two-way contract.
While NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players on their rosters during the preseason, the Heat’s roster is down to 18 players after waiving Tyree and Eboua. Miami must make at least one more roster move to get to the regular-season maximum of 17 players (15 signed to standard contracts and two signed to two-way contracts) by Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
“I just take it one day at a time,” said Strus, who finished Monday’s preseason opener with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes. “I don’t think the games mean as much as people make it out to be. I think it’s every day in practice. Just making sure I’m doing everything I can to compete and showcase everything I can do to help this team out.”
Strus, 24, has impressed the Heat during practices in recent weeks. He averaged 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 13 games for the Bulls’ G League team last season before season-ending knee injuries last December.
“He’s intriguing with his ability to play in our system,” Spoelstra said of Strus. “He can play without the ball. He can space the floor, but he can also move without the ball and find open areas, come off screens, make plays. So you can see how that can fit with us. He has had some good moments in camp.”
Then there are also the Heat’s young rotation players such as Tyler Herro, who played 28 minutes in the preseason opener. He expects to play extended minutes again Friday.
“With the vets, the older guys who are a little bit older and have a little bit more experience than the rest of us, I think they’re able to slowly get adjusted to the new season,” Herro said. “It’s a quick turnaround. I’m sure they’re taking things a little more slowly and being a little more cautious. For me, I’m a young guy. We have a lot of young guys on our team. For us, it’s about getting better every day. Every game matters.”
This one-game preseason trip to Tampa also represents the Heat’s first time on the road under the NBA’s new COVID-19 health and safety protocols. One of the many guidelines in place requires every member of a team’s traveling party to wear a mask at all times for the duration of the flight/bus ride and outside their individual hotel rooms unless they’re eating or drinking something.
“There are a lot of new protocols, and then going on a plane,” Dragic said. “... So it’s a little bit of a concern. But for the first time, you’re always a little bit on the look out. You don’t know what to expect. But after this road trip, I think it’s going to be better.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 5:37 PM.
