Observations from Heat’s summer win over Celtics, as Marcus Garrett and Mychal Mulder shine
The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 88-78 on Saturday at Cox Pavilion to open its five-game stint at Las Vegas Summer League. Here are some observations from the Heat’s win in Las Vegas:
▪ The Heat used a starting lineup of Kyle Allman Jr., Javonte Smart, Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jovic and Orlando Robinson.
Guard Mychal Mulder, who holds one of the Heat’s two-way contracts, played off the bench on Saturday after starting in each of the first three summer league games. Mulder finished with a game-high 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 shooting on threes.
Three-point shooting is Mulder’s elite NBA skill, as he has shot 38.9 percent on 7.2 three-point attempts per game in four G League seasons. To keep his two-way deal with the Heat, he’ll need to continue to make threes this summer.
Saturday’s efficient shooting performance came after Mulder hit just 5 of his 23 (21.7 percent) three-point attempts in three games in the California Classic to open summer league.
“He was due,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Malik Allen said of Mulder breaking out of his mini shooting slump. “But the big thing with Mike was, he really did make a lot of great plays. That’s what I just kind of kept stressing to him. I know he wanted some shots to fall, but he’s made some really great plays for us.”
Mulder added: “It was good to finally knock the lid off that was up there in San Francisco. That’s for sure.”
▪ Guard Marcus Garrett, who was just recently cleared to play basketball again after undergoing surgery on his right wrist a few months ago, played in his first summer league of the year on Saturday. He did not take part in the California Classic.
Known for his elite defensive upside with a 6-10 wingspan, the question regarding Garrett is whether he can do enough offensively to play in the NBA.
Garrett finished his 2022 summer league debut on Saturday with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 1-of-1 shooting on threes, three rebounds and three assists. And his on-ball defensive ability was also on display, recording one steal and forcing multiple turnovers with his pressure.
“It was great to see him back there,” Allen said of Garrett. “When he gets between those lines, he’s a tough competitor and obviously he lifted us up. It was just great to have him back.”
But the right wrist still looks to be a bit of an issue as he wore tape on it and also shook it in pain after a Celtics defender swiped at the ball when he went up for a shot in the third quarter.
Garrett played for the Heat’s summer league team last year, too, after going undrafted out of Kansas. He impressed enough to open last season on a two-way contract before he was waived in January and then underwent wrist surgery.
The Heat’s two-way deals are currently occupied by Mulder and Smart, but Garrett is working to prove he again deserves one of those slots this upcoming season.
▪ After recording 25 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday’s summer league win to cap off the California Classic, Jovic was quiet on Saturday.
Jovic, who was selected by Miami with the 27th overall pick in last months draft, finished Saturday’s win scoreless and took just one shot in 14 minutes.
“I think it’s adjusting for him,” Allen said. “We’ll find him and we’ll find different ways to get him involved. It’s just adjusting to the sort of speed and physicality of the game. But he’ll get there. He’ll get there. This is going to be a process with him. It’s not going to come right away. He has to be steady.”
Jovic has averaged 8.5 points on 13-of-31 (41.9 percent) shooting from the field and 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) shooting on threes and five rebounds in four summer league games.
▪ Robinson ended the win with 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks.
Robinson, who went undrafted this year out of Fresno State, signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Heat on Thursday and is expected to be part of the team’s training camp roster to compete for a two-way contract.
▪ Forward Haywood Highsmith, who is currently on a partially guaranteed contract with the Heat for next season, contributed 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-6 shooting on threes, six rebounds and three assists.
Highsmith has been solid throughout the summer league, averaging 11.3 points on 19-of-38 (50 percent) shooting from the field and 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) shooting on threes, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in four games.
▪ Heat center Omer Yurtseven (quad injury) and forward Jamal Cain (health and safety protocols) were held out of Saturday’s summer league game.
It remains to be seen if Yurtseven’s quad issue will force him to miss all of Las Vegas summer league. Yurtseven recently joined Miami’s summer squad in Las Vegas after playing in World Cup qualifier games with the Turkish national team.
▪ Current Heat players Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent were among those in attendance to watch Saturday’s summer league win in Las Vegas. Heat general manager Andy Elisburg, head coach Erik Spoelstra and assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Octavio De La Grana and Eric Glass also were at Cox Pavilion for the game.
▪ The Heat will play five games as part of Las Vegas Summer League, with Saturday’s contest marking the first. Next up is a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (NBA TV).
The Heat is now 2-2 in this year’s summer league after posting a 1-2 record at the California Classic in Sacramento.
This story was originally published July 9, 2022 at 7:31 PM.
