Jacari McRae | October 9th, 2019
Basketball is finally here. While it’s just preseason, the Miami Heat are off to an impressive start. With that said, here are my four takeaways from the Heat’s preseason win over the San Antonio Spurs.
7-Eleven off the bench
The Heat went with an interesting lineup on Tuesday. The team decided to go big by starting Justise Winslow, Duncan Robinson, and Meyers Leonard alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. As a result, both Dion Waiters and Goran Dragic came off the bench. As Erik Spoelstra stated pregame, we shouldn’t read too much into it. It’s likely the team won’t know the starting lineup until opening night. Also, keep in mind that both Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson are sidelined.
It’ll be interesting to see if Spo keeps the two guards on the bench once they have a full roster. Goran Dragic, who’s 33 years old, maybe acceptable to a bench role, whereas Dion may not be. We’ll see though.
Tyler shines in Preseason debut
Once again, Tyler Herro is showing why the Heat have high hopes for him. The rookie guard picked up where he left off during his summer league, showing the full offensive package. Herro scored off of step backs, dribble push drives, and jumpers. While shooting the ball is his specialty, Herro continues to show he can be a ball handler in pick and roll situations.
Yup. @raf_tyler is making a statement tonight! #RookieSZN | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/4wd9MIcykZ
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 9, 2019
Herro may not be a Rookie of the Year favorite, but if he continues to perform like this, then he could be in the conversation.
Quiet debut for Butler
It was a quiet night for the Heat’s new star Jimmy Butler, who made his Heat debut on Tuesday. The Heat star converted on his first shot in the second period, largely deferring for most of the night. Despite the slow start, Butler seemed to pick his spots when to be aggressive. Instead of forcing the issue, he was able to find open teammates for better shots. The Heat star finished the night with 10 points and 5 assists.
Bam Adebayo‘s new role
When the Heat traded Hassan Whiteside, it was clear they felt Bam Adebayo was ready to take the next step. And it appears he’s going to have a bigger role in the Heat’s offense. In addition to his usual points around the basket, Bam took mid-range jumpers. He also brought the ball up the court in transition.
Although his two mid-range jumpers didn’t fall, it was great seeing him attempt those. Last season, Adebayo used to hesitate a lot when it came to scoring beyond the basket. Adebayo finished the preseason opener with 14 points, eight rebounds, and one assist.
Next up: Heat at Hornets on Wednesday. Tipoff at 7:30pmET.
Questions and comments?
thescorecrowsports@gmail.com
Follow Us on Twitter @thescorecrow
Follow Us on Reddit at u/TheScorecrow
Follow Us on Facebook at The Scorecrow
Follow Us on Instagram at The Scorecrow
Facebook Group where you can read and post articles at The Scorecrow
Reddit Group where everyone can post without fear of being banned at The Scorecrow
Follow Jacari McRae on Twitter @JMcRae23
Main Image Credit: [getty src=”478637710″ width=”594″ height=”438″ tld=”com”]
