Yurtseven taking lessons from Heat leaders, including Haslem. Also, Spoelstra’s Michigan visit
Omer Yurtseven is the only rookie on the Miami Heat’s 14-man roster. That means he has some extra responsibilities in the locker room.
“Hanging towels in the lockers and that kind of stuff,” Yurtseven said.
But Yurtseven has also carried additional responsibilities on the court recently because of the Heat’s injury issues. The 23-year-old center entered Sunday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons with appearances in 10 straight games after spending the first month of the season out of the Heat’s rotation.
With starting center Bam Adebayo not expected back until mid-January after undergoing thumb surgery, Yurtseven has played a consistent role off the bench behind fill-in starter Dewayne Dedmon. The Heat’s veterans have been helping Yurtseven along the way.
“On the court, especially, they lead you so precisely,” Yurtseven said. “[Kyle] Lowry and P.J. [Tucker] have been so vocal, especially with the other veterans being out. And OG [Udonis Haslem], he has been on me since I came here. But he intensified when Bam hurt his finger and I had to step into the role as a backup five. His mentorship has been incredibly helpful. Even going through the drills, him crashing the glass and me working on my box outs, he’s still wiry. It’s amazing for his age.”
Yurtseven (6-11, 275 pounds) played 20-plus minutes for just the third time this season in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic. He struggled to finish around the basket, as he shot just 2 of 8 from inside the paint but managed to grab a career-high 12 rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
“[Haslem] has been in my ear as long as I’ve been here,” Yurtseven said. “He has been helping out with the rebounds, with the box outs, with everything. These games, they’re tough and they’re physical. When you take the contact of that physicality to them is when you win and when you initiate it is when you win. That’s another thing that I kind of picked up from P.J. These are growing moments and I think there’s a lot to learn and that’s what I’ll do and that’s what we’ll do.”
Yurtseven, who was signed by the Heat to a guaranteed contract for this season after impressing as a member of its summer league team, has averaged 4.8 points on 45.2 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 12.9 minutes over the last 10 games.
Yurtseven’s best game came in a Dec. 3 road win over the Indiana Pacers when he totaled a career-high 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes. But Yurtseven has shot 19 of 36 (52.8 percent) from inside the paint during this 10-game stretch — a percentage he and the Heat would like to see improve.
Yurtseven is also still learning the nuances of playing defense in the NBA.
“There’s going to be a learning curve,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There’s going to be ups and downs and everything in between. But these kind of pressure moments, where there’s real context to it. I just think it really speeds up the development for young players.”
Then there are the film sessions on the day after games that prove to be invaluable for young players.
“It’s always easier to go over teaching points when the guys have actually played in the game and have played meaningful minutes, where it’s not just those minutes at the end of a blowout game,” Spoelstra said. “There’s a lot of context and teaching points to those minutes.”
HEAT’S MICHIGAN VISIT
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Pistons, Spoelstra, forward Duncan Robinson and assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Octavio De La Grana attended the University of Michigan’s home win over Southern Utah on Saturday.
Robinson’s connection with Michigan is obvious since he spent most of his college career there. But Spoelstra, Quinn and De La Grana’s visit was in support of former Heat player and assistant coach Juwan Howard, who is in his third season as Michigan’s head coach.
Spoelstra addressed Howard’s players in the Wolverines’ locker room following Saturday’s game.
“If I was any good at your guys’ age, I would want to be sitting right where you all are right now, in this locker room, playing for this guy at this program,” Spoelstra said to Howard’s players. “He’s the best mentor in our Association. He was that way as a player. He has been my best mentor. As an assistant coach and player, he mentored me. He’s bringing that mentorship and leadership and coaching to all of you.”
Spoelstra and the Heat contingent sat next to Michigan’s bench.
“I wasn’t thinking about it, but obviously I saw him,” Howard said of Spoelstra. “I was so locked in and engaged in the game. To take away from his time and know that he has to prep for an important game tomorrow versus Detroit Pistons, it just shows that he’s so selfless in so many ways and so supportive. What he has done and helped me in coaching has been special.”
▪ The Heat will remain without Adebayo (thumb surgery), Jimmy Butler (tail bone contusion), Caleb Martin (health and safety protocols), Markieff Morris (whiplash) and Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) on Sunday against the Pistons.
Tyler Herro (right quadriceps contusion) and Marcus Garrett (left eye bruise) are listed as questionable.
