Gabe Vincent showed Heat teammate Bam Adebayo that he could handle a starring role during an exhibition game in the summer of 2021, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. In what was expected to be an easy tune-up for Team USA as it prepared for the Olympics, Vincent scored 21 points as Nigeria surprised the Americans.
“Man, when he torched us in the Olympics, in the exhibition game facing Nigeria,” Adebayo said. “He came out with that type of energy, that type of voracity and that type of anger. I felt like, from there, he’s one of us.”
It took a while for Vincent to make his breakthrough in Miami, but it happened when Kyle Lowry was sidelined for a few games with knee soreness earlier this season. Vincent stepped into the starting point guard role and has kept it through the NBA Finals.
“Our stars, Jimmy (Butler), Kyle, Bam, they have just been in my ear and telling me just to play, play basketball,” he said. “They trust my IQ of the game, and they want me just to go out there and play hard.”
There’s more from Miami:
- In an appearance on Showtime’s “The Last Stand,” Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard names the Heat as one of the teams he would consider if he ever decides to ask for a trade, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “Miami obviously,” Lillard said. “Miami is the obvious one. And Bam is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. Miami is the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one, because Mikal Bridges is my dog too.”
- Duncan Robinson has been able to salvage his season after falling out of the rotation for a while, notes William Guillory of The Athletic. Robinson said he had to focus on incremental improvement every day as he tried to regain coach Erik Spoelstra’s trust. He provided a huge momentum shift in Miami’s Game 2 win with 10 points in a little over two minutes at the start of the fourth quarter. “We knew they were a really good team and we just needed to come out with a sense of urgency in that fourth,” Robinson said. “It was kind of like a now or never sort of thing.”
- John Hollinger of The Athletic is the latest analyst to examine the Heat’s penchant for finding productive undrafted players. He notes that many of Miami’s G League finds began their careers with other organizations, adding that team president Pat Riley showed the same ability to uncover undrafted gems in New York.
I am wonder if Damian Lillard have any “Dog” in Orlando, just wondering
Brooklyn?
I thought he said he wanted to play in June?
Brooklyn is far from a contender after the trade.
Not saying Brooklyn can’t alter their roster between now, and next season, but as is Lillard is not enough to make them the June Team out of the East.
Lillard has lost his mind, or he wants to play in Brooklyn.
Dame talks as of he wants to get traded but he walks it back puts it on the team. He wants to get traded and he wants it to be the Team’s decision, not his.
So either #3 or Dame is traded on draft night imo.
Interesting to watch Stephen A Smith torch Portland repeatedly on First Take today, leaving guest CJ McCollum to defend the city with his own comments
I’m 3000 miles away and have never been to Portland, but what an embarrassing bit of “commentary” from a self-proclaimed expert. In discussing how Lillard had “to get out of Portland now,” even a casual observer would have construed his words as being an verbal attack on the city rather than ownership
I give McCollum a great deal of credit. He recognized this continued harangue for what it was, talked up the city and fans and described ownership as being “at a crossroads” as to what it wants to do and whether Lillard fits.
I can’t stand Stephen A Smith so I don’t know what or how he was attacking the city of Portland. I’ve been Portland many times. It’s a beautiful city with lots of parks and trees. The people are great. Caught a few Blazers games and the fans at the Moda center go all out and they love Dame, they loved C.J. as well.
His only job was to get his words repeated somehow someway- Success
He doesn’t have “opinions” he says things to get views and clicks. I haven’t paid attention to anything he has said for a decade.
Sadly ESPN paved a way for many other faux outlets Fansided, FanNation, HoopsHype, Clutch Sports media, BleacherNation, SBN all in the same realm
Drivel drivers that just spew nonsense
Have to give extra appreciation to Hr Rumors for toeing a straight line and steering clear of this new form of sensationalism (which obv sells).
They understand what to really look for. Most players in this league can score. Chances are, as a young player, you arent going to get on a team that needs you to play that role, so what else do you do, and how does it fit the rest of my roster? People have a hard time grasping not everything happens in a vacuum, and it’s not as individual as people think it is. I like to look for who knows how to play, are you I’m the right spots, who plays hard, who defends what positions, are you a ball stopper, can you pit the ball on the floor from certain positions, can you be a floor spacer…then its having confidence to use these guys you know can do those things, and put them in position to succeed, next to players that fit them
It’s not a revelation