Heat’s Oladipo expresses appreciation for Pat Riley, excitement about pairing with Herro
Hours before his second game with the Heat this season, Victor Oladipo on Wednesday expressed appreciation for team president Pat Riley standing by him and excitement about the upside of a backup backcourt with Tyler Herro.
“He’s been nothing but supportive from the day I first got here, even before I got injured,” Oladipo said of Riley, who offered Oladipo a one-year contract with the knowledge that he would miss several months of the season.
“From the day I figured out I had to have surgery, he’s been nothing but supportive. You see his brilliance and winning and coaching but he’s a far better human being. I appreciate him for everything he’s done for me.”
An Oladipo/Herro guard combo off the bench would stack up well against the majority of starting NBA backcourts.
The possibilities of that backcourt tandem is “really exciting,” Oladipo said. “Tyler is a special talent. I could tell that even before I got here. He’s done nothing but get better. It’s going to be great to be able to share the court with him and build our chemistry and see if we can do something special.
“It’s about making plays and doing whatever it takes to win and we both want to do that. Hopefully we can continue to get better and do something special.”
Oladipo addressed other issues on Wednesday, eight hours before tipoff against Phoenix (7:30 p.m., ESPN, Bally Sports Sun):
▪ He said his knee felt “good” in the aftermath of Monday’s game, his first NBA game in a year.
▪ He said he and the team haven’t discussed if he will play both ends of a back to back set. The Heat plays host to Cleveland on Friday and Minnesota on Saturday.
“We’ll figure that out when the time comes,” Oladipo said.
▪ How much different does Oladipo’s knee feel now - after last May’s surgery - compared to after the first right quadriceps tendon surgery in 2019?
Oladipo framed it this way: “When I first came back from injury and the two years I played after, it felt like there was a permanent knife in my knee. When you wake up, you feel it. When you move, you feel it. Now it’s a little different.”
▪ Though Oladipo did not offer any names, he said he appreciated texts from other NBA players after Monday’s debut, when he produced 11 points and four assists in 15 minutes against Houston.
“My friends around the league pretty much said congratulations and keep getting better,” Oladipo said. “Players around the league understand what I went through. I appreciate them reaching out and sending their love.”
THIS AND THAT
With the return of Oladipo and Kyle Lowry, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus didn’t play on Monday until the score was lopsided late. Not surprisingly, both Vincent and Strus handled that with class.
Vincent said he can understand the Heat integrating Oladipo.
“Whatever coach is going to do is what coach is going to do, I don’t make those decisions,” Vincent said. “All I can do is be professional. We won the game and that’s the most important thing.
“We’re professionals. We’ve been given a job to do that day. Whether our number is called or not, we have a job to do and we try to remain professional. We’re excited for Vic and his story and his overcoming adversity. I know what it’s like coming back from injury and having that success like he did. It’s an incredible feeling. We want nothing but the best for him and when our number is called we’ll be ready to perform.”
Did Erik Spoelstra discuss it with him?
“He says a little bit what he’s going to do,” Vincent said. “We’ve seen time and again where you have to stay ready. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
▪ Asked by an out of town reporter if he believes he has made a statement as far as cementing winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, Herro said: “I feel like I’ve been making statements all year.”
What part of his game offensively has developed the most?
“Just being patient, playing at my speed, not letting defenses speed me up and getting to my strengths and trying to hide my weaknesses.”
He attributes that to “lots of reps, lots of film and playing through mistakes. Was able to learn from my mistakes. Now I have an opportunity as a sixth man to show what I’m capable of.”
▪ Dave Pasch, JJ Redick and Jorge Sedano (sidelines) call Wednesday’s game on ESPN. Eric Reid and John Crotty have the call on Bally Sports Sun. This will be the second game ever called by Redick, who has primarily been a studio analyst in his first season with ESPN after retiring as a player.
