A look back at KZ Okpala’s first summer league with Heat, and what he proved on final day
Forward KZ Okpala has been busy this summer.
There were a few days dedicated to rest after the Miami Heat was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in late May, but then offseason workouts began. A few weeks later, Okpala joined the Nigerian national team in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. Then after representing Nigeria in the Olympics, Okpala flew straight to Sacramento join the Heat’s summer league team.
Taking part in the Olympics was an invaluable once-in-a-lifetime experience for Okpala, but finally having the opportunity to play in his first NBA summer league was also an important step.
After the timing of a draft-night trade kept him out of summer league as an incoming rookie in 2019 and COVID-19 forced the cancellation of summer league in 2020, Okpala participated in his first summer league just months before the start of his third NBA season.
The results forced Okpala to work through a few rough performances, as he totaled just 25 points on 8-of-34 (23.5 percent) shooting from the field and 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) shooting from three-point range, 27 rebounds and seven assists in his first four summer league games.
But Okpala, 22, capped off his summer league debut in Las Vegas with his best and most efficient outing of the week: 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting on threes, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in Tuesday’s 83-82 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
“He had games where he had been aggressive and I thought he was pressing,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Malik Allen said following Tuesday’s game. “And today just seemed much more relaxed offensively. He just kind of went out and just played. He just let the game to come to him, and he was much more relaxed. As time went on, he did sort of settle into his old self.
“I know it may not have seemed like it offensively at times. He was. And he just took what came to him and he was in a little more featured role today, and he was aggressive. And just tol wi him to be aggressive, make or miss. Just be aggressive and play your game.”
Okpala closed summer league with averages of 8.4 points on 31.1 percent shooting from the field and 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) shooting on threes, 6.2 rebounds and two assists in five games.
The overall shooting numbers were below average, but Okpala made the shot in Tuesday’s summer league finale that he will need to hit when the regular season begins to earn consistent playing time. After making a total of just four threes in his first four summer games, he shot 4 of 5 from deep in the Heat’s final game in Las Vegas.
“I think it’s just confidence,” Okpala said of his three-point shooting. “Confidence when I step into my shot, so being mentally locked in and just putting the reps in and keep working.”
At times, Okpala struggled to create space off the dribble during summer league. But a reliable three-point shot would help make him a bigger offensive threat, open driving lanes and help space the floor for a unit that includes two stars in Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, who don’t attempt many threes.
Okpala shot 12 of 51 (23.5 percent) from deep during the first two seasons of his NBA career. He also played more minutes in the G League (572) than in the NBA (473) during that time.
“I think today I was really working through the system,” Okpala said following the summer league finale. “Obviously, a lot of our scorers [Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, Marcus Garrett and Gabe Vincent] were out. So everybody gets more shots. So it’s just a matter of knocking them down.”
When the regular season begins, Okpala won’t get as many shots as he did during summer league. Most of his minutes will likely come because of his defensive versatility at 6-8 and 215 pounds and offensively he will serve as a relief option for the Heat’s primary playmakers in Adebayo, Butler, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro.
As it is, Okpala already faces an uphill battle in finding consistent playing time this upcoming season after the Heat signed veteran forwards P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris in free agency. Both Tucker and Morris are expected to receive minutes at power forward, and are more experienced three-and-D options at the position than Okpala.
But summer league did give Okpala the opportunity to prove one thing: He can work through a rough stretch and come out on the other side of it with a bounce-back game.
“The takeaway I have is he stayed with it,” Allen said. “Again, it wasn’t the start that he necessarily wanted, especially on the offensive end. But you got to keep working and keep at it, and he did every day while he was here. Outside of practice, he was in the gym trying to get himself back. And, again, it culminated on the last day. It was great to see. But for him, it was a work in progress. And it’s kind of good to be able to actually see at the end of this him play well in the last game before we break.”
With summer league in the books, the next big date on the NBA schedule is the start of training camp. The Heat, like most teams around the NBA, is expected to open training camp on Sept. 28.
Until then, Okpala will keep working.
“I know when I get out of here, I’m going to be working double overtime,” said Okpala, who is entering the final season of a three-year, $4.2 million contract. “So it’s going to be good, it’s going to be fun.”
A D.J. STEWART SCOUTING REPORT
The Heat announced Tuesday that it signed undrafted Mississippi State guard D.J. Stewart. The deal is an Exhibit 10 contract, according to league sources.
Exhibit 10 deals usually come with an invite to training camp, with the Heat’s preseason roster now at 15 players — 14 standard guaranteed NBA contracts and one Exhibit 10 contract. NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players during the offseason and preseason.
Exhibit 10 contracts also often lead to a spot on the organization’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
What intrigues that Heat about Stewart (6-6, 205)?
“There is something there. He’s long. He’s got good athleticism. He’s competitive,” Allen said. “And offensively he’s got a little ways to go, but just continuing to develop. But he’s an interesting guy. Listen, you go back to those first two games, he was just as much a part of those games we won in the fourth quarter as anybody. Even if you don’t look at the stat sheet, just what he did on the floor. He’s just one of those great intangible guys that has a lot of potential to keep growing in that type of role.”
