Why Heat is excited about Meyers Leonard’s return. And Adebayo’s growth acknowledged.
The cliche “absence makes the heart grow fonder” has become “absence makes the Heat grow fonder” with regard to center Meyers Leonard.
The Heat coaching staff always appreciated Leonard, who’s poised to return from an ankle injury when the NBA season resumes July 31.
But that appreciation grew during his 16-game absence in February and March. And that’s why there’s support on the Heat coaching staff to re-sign him this summer.
Among the reasons why the coaching staff values him:
▪ He’s a team-oriented player who understands the Heat’s defensive principles and has the ability to execute them.
▪ He allows the Heat to space the floor and is viewed as an ideal complement to Bam Adebayo.
His 39.2 career three-point shooting percentage is the highest in NBA history for a seven-footer. This season, he was shooting 42.9 percent on threes: 51 for 119.
▪ The staff believes the Heat plays better with Leonard in the lineup to start halves, and his inclusion in the starting lineup allows Erik Spoelstra to utilize a rotation with which he’s most comfortable.
Consider:
▪ Miami had a 34-15 record in the 49 games he played this season compared to a 7-9 record in the 16 games he missed prior to the league shutdown. Leonard started all 49 of his appearances.
▪ Miami has allowed 105.5 points per 100 possessions with Leonard on the court compared to 109.6 when he’s not on the court.
▪ The Heat has outscored teams by 95 points in Leonard’s 987 minutes, that plus 95 ranking 90th in the league and sixth on the Heat.
▪ And there’s this: When Leonard is playing with the other four starters — Jimmy Butler, Adebayo, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn — Miami has outscored teams by 121 points in 488 minutes.
That plus/minus is best of any five-man Heat lineups this season, by a wide margin, and means that Miami has outscored teams by 11.9 points per 48 minutes with that group.
When Butler, Adebayo, Robinson and Nunn are paired with any player other than Leonard, Miami outscores teams by less (8.8 points per 48 minutes) than when those four are on the court with Leonard.
That quintet with Leonard, as a unit, is shooting an impressive 50.5 percent from the field and 44.5 percent on three-pointers.
On a recent podcast, Leonard said: “I’m in a good place here in Miami. I do think I play a very specific role. I know for sure that Miami loves my role and what I bring to the table.
“I’m very good at communicating. I study scouting reports very, very hard and in very much detail. I know what their guards want, I know what their bigs want. I care about winning. I don’t care about shots, I don’t care about rebounds, I don’t care about blocked shots, I don’t care about any of that. I care about winning, period.
“I’m OK setting screens and getting our guards open. I’m OK spacing the floor and not being the guy that has to take all the shots. I don’t care. I care about winning.”
Leonard’s overall numbers are fairly modest -- 6.1 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and 20.1 minutes - but the Heat staff does not believe that reflects his value.
CROWDER’S VIEW
Jae Crowder told me before the pandemic that the Heat holds players accountable more than any other team he has played for, which he appreciates.
And he elaborated in a podcast with ESPN analyst and former NBA forward Richard Jefferson.
“It is very structured here, and I think that helps get the best out of each and every one of us,” Crowder said. “We weigh in once a week, body fat once a week. You need to be on point.”
In the locker-room before games, “chairs are lined up in front of Coach, everything is ready to go,” Crowder said. “It’s the real deal. Everything is structured. It’s still laid back, but it’s still like, ‘These are some rules that we go by around here.’ I was like, ‘Oh, this is what you all are doing? What time I got to be ready?’ I said, ‘D-Wade did this? LeBron did this?’”
ADEBAYO ACKNOWLEDGED
A panel of ESPN’s NBA reporters and analysts said this week that Adebayo should win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Adebayo received 53 percent of the first place votes from ESPN’s NBA journalists who participated in the call — well ahead of Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Charlotte’s Devonte’ Graham, who each received 12 percent of the first-place votes.
Asked who will win the Most Improved Player Award, the panel predicted Adebayo and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram would be co-winners.
Asked who should win Defensive Player of the Year, the panel voted Adebayo fifth, behind Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Utah’s Rudy Gobert, the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley.
And asked who should win Rookie of the Year, the panel voted Nunn third with 28 points, behind Memphis’ Ja Morant (166 points) and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson (83 points). Memphis’ Brandon Clarke (16 points) and Toronto’s Terence Davis (five points) were fourth and fifth.
DRAFT SEEDING
Even though the eight remaining games before the playoffs are being called seeding games by the league - and not regular-season games - they will impact where playoff teams select in the Oct. 15 NBA Draft. So Miami can still move up or down several spots from its current No. 23 overall position.
Here’s a look at the Heat players most impacted by not playing at AmericanAirlines Arena the remainder of the season. And a scout weighs in on potential Heat playoff matchups.
