- Caleb Martin and Cody Martin are set to collide when the Heat play the Hornets on Monday, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes. The Martin twins spent the first two seasons of their careers with Charlotte, but Caleb inked a two-way deal with Miami last month.
Heat guard Tyler Herro is off to an electric start to the preseason, increasing the hype around the 21-year-old entering his third NBA campaign, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
Herro has scored 26, 24 and 26 points in his first three games, respectively, shooting 28-of-50 from the field (56%). Miami will depend on his scoring off the bench as it looks to compete for a title this season.
“He has really improved all across the board,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “His skill level is extremely high. He has really worked at it. This is a league that’s becoming a league of skill and he’s developing into one of the most skilled players in this league. You can see he gets where he needs to get. He can get to different levels on the floor. So, it’s a very good start for him.”
There’s more out of Miami today:
- The clock is ticking on forward KZ Okpala, who’s also entering his third season with the organization, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. The Heat traded three second-round picks to acquire Okpala on the night of the 2019 NBA Draft, but the 22-year-old has played just 42 games in the last two seasons. Okpala is expected to play behind Max Strus and Markieff Morris as a third-string player to start the season.
- The team’s game against San Antonio on Friday served as a reunion for Bam Adebayo, Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich, Chiang writes in a different piece for the Miami Herald. Adebayo played for Popovich last summer on Team USA, while Spoelstra served as head coach of the select team. “It was an amazing basketball and life experience,” Spoelstra said. “I’ve admired Pop, like everybody in this business, for years. To be able to see him behind the scenes in that setting was like a Master’s class in coaching and also human being relations. It’s amazing how he makes everybody feel like they have a role, that they matter and he has a great way of making the entire room feel inclusive.”
- Ira Winderman examines whether Tyler Herro has already cemented his role this season in his latest mailbag for the Sun Sentinel. In addition to using Herro as a sixth man, Miami has also given him some minutes at point guard when Kyle Lowry sits during the preseason.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic was surprised that the win-now Heat weren’t more willing to cross the luxury tax line this offseason, pointing out that they could’ve given free agent guard Kendrick Nunn the same deal he got from the Lakers and remained below the hard cap. As Hollinger outlines, Miami could avoid the tax this season and next, but project to be a taxpayer in 2023/24 if Tyler Herro is extended.
Nearly half of the NBA’s general managers voted for the Heat as the team that had the best 2021 offseason, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes in his annual survey of the league’s GMs. Miami got 14 of 30 possible votes, while the Lakers picked up five votes. The Nets, Rockets, and Wizards were the other teams picked by multiple GMs as having the best offseason.
The Heat’s acquisition of Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade helped tip the scales in their favor. Asked which offseason player acquisition will make the biggest impact for his new team this season, GMs overwhelmingly chose Lowry — he received 23 of 30 votes. New Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook was the only other player to get multiple votes (five).
Although the Heat and Lakers received high marks from rival GMs for their work over the summer, neither club is considered the title favorite entering the 2021/22 season. That honor belongs to the Nets, who earned 22 votes from GMs for the team that will win the 2022 Finals. The Lakers (five) and Bucks (three) were the only other teams to receive any votes.
Here are a few more of the most interesting responses from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:
- The Trail Blazers‘ trade for Larry Nance Jr. received the most votes (28%) for the most underrated acquisition of the offseason, with the Nets‘ signing of Patty Mills (17%) and the Wizards‘ addition of Spencer Dinwiddie (14%) also receiving support in that category.
- The NBA’s GMs view Rockets guard Jalen Green (47%) and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (40%) as the best bets to win Rookie of the Year, but voted Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley as the rookie who will be the best player in five years. Mobley (33%) narrowly edged out Cunningham (30%) and Green (23%) in that category.
- The GMs voted the Magic‘s selection of Jalen Suggs at No. 5 (23%) and the Rockets‘ pick of Alperen Sengun at No. 16 (20%) as the biggest steals of the 2021 draft.
- The Bulls (27%) are considered the best bet to be the most improved team in 2021/22, while Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (17%) received the most support as the top breakout candidate.
- Following their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks (50%) were overwhelmingly voted as the team with the best young core. The Rockets received three votes, while no other team got more than two.
- Only two players received multiple votes when GMs were asked which player they’d want to start a franchise with: Mavericks star Luka Doncic (43%) barely beat out Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (40%).
Heat third-year players Max Strus and Gabe Vincent believe they’re ready to contribute to the team’s title chase this season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
Strus and Vincent were on two-way contracts with the club last season, seeing sparse time off the bench. Miami decided to reward their hard work by signing them to standard deals this summer. Both have impressed during the first week of training camp.
“I’ve been working out with them all summer,” Heat star Bam Adebayo said of Strus and Vincent. “Just seeing the way they’ve grown. Vincent is becoming a better point guard. Putting dudes in the right spots, he’s getting to his spot and doing everything in between.
“Then Max is just shooting the piss out of the ball. That’s why we brought him here. He’s one of those sneaky athletic guys and he can defend. They’ve both just advanced their games to a whole other level than where it was last year.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:
- The Wizards used a players-only speech and meeting to improve their chemistry in training camp, Chase Hughes examines for NBC Sports Washington. The speech was led by star guard Bradley Beal, who averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game last season, while the meeting was called by Montrezl Harrell. “(Beal) was talking about just being that one unit, doing everything together,” guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “Even today, we had a players-only meeting and that’s what we talked about; holding each other accountable and being there for each other.”
- Magic rookie Jalen Suggs is excited for his first preseason action, Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando opens its preseason against Boston on Monday, giving Suggs the chance to play on an NBA court for the first time. “Super-excited to be starting up my rookie year,” he said. “It’s something you dream of, so this is another one of those first-time moments that you got to look forward to and you just got to take in. It only happen one time, the first time, and I’m excited, ready to get out there and ready to get up and down with the guys and be in front of a crowd.”
- In his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explores whether the preseason is a chance for Omer Yurtseven to show that he can replicate the success he saw in Summer League. Yurtseven recently spoke to Hoops Rumors about his new contract, offseason and more, giving a detailed look at his situation as he gears up his first NBA season.
- The Heat have made multiple trades with hopes of improving their current roster in recent years, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Miami has sacrificed its future in many of those deals, including sending away 22-year-old Precious Achiuwa in a deal for Kyle Lowry this summer.
When longtime Heat president Pat Riley signed off on adding seven-foot center Omer Yurtseven to his roster last spring, it’s safe to say The Godfather and his team did their homework first.
Yurtseven had been flying under the radar since going undrafted out of Georgetown in November. The Turkish center spent most of the 2020/21 season playing with Oklahoma City in the G League bubble, then signed with Miami in May. It didn’t take long for him to impress those within the organization.
“I’m pretty blessed to have had that opportunity,” Yurtseven told Hoops Rumors in a phone interview. “I was actually in Miami training after the Orlando bubble with the G League, and I just love the city and people.
“It was such a right fit at the right time and everything just fit perfectly. I wouldn’t say it was a coincidence. It was definitely a blessing. It was an opportunity at first, then it was all about just doing what I had to do: turn it into a bigger blessing.”
The Heat signed Yurtseven eight days before they played Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs. The timing allowed him to travel with the team and sit courtside for the series, giving him an up-close look at the intense postseason atmosphere.
His contract was a two-year, non-guaranteed deal that included a team option in the second season. When he signed, Yurtseven and his agent, Keith Glass, asked the Heat to decline his option after the season and give the big man a chance to bet on himself during Summer League.
The signing was made with a mutual understanding: join the team, play in the summer and work for a new contract. Yurtseven delivered in the California Classic in Sacramento, pouring in 27 points and 19 rebounds during his very first Summer League outing. He followed that game up with a 25-point performance on 9-of-17 shooting.
While his production dipped slightly after dealing with blisters, Yurtseven still managed to average 20.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in three Las Vegas Summer League games.
“My performance dropped a little bit, but I just pushed through it because I wanted to play as many minutes as I could to be more involved in the system, understand how everything works, how the rotations work and how the offense works,” Yurtseven said.
“Of course, it’s going to be different with players such as Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler — just being around those players changes everything — but I was just getting a feel for the system, how our coaches want the sets to be run and the defensive schemes. I just wanted to take that opportunity and that’s what I did. I played through the obstacles.”
After successful Summer League stints in Sacramento and Las Vegas, the Heat rewarded Yurtseven with a two-year, $3.24MM contract. This season’s salary is fully guaranteed, while next season becomes guaranteed if he remains under contract through June 29. Several other teams expressed interest in his services before he signed the deal.
When Yurtseven returned from Las Vegas, he took four days off to recover and reflect on his new contract. After that, it was back to work.
“We’re already working for that third contract,” said Miami-based trainer Ben Bellucci, who has worked with Yurtseven for several years.
Those around Yurtseven rave about his work ethic, professionalism and maturity at just 23 years old. Those are attributes the Heat look for in the players they sign, so it makes sense that the two sides came together.
“Look, Pat Riley’s not going to bring in someone that’s not going to work,” Bellucci explained. “They don’t bring in guys that are going to be problems on and off the court. I think it’s a perfect fit, both personality-wise and culture-wise. I don’t think he could’ve gone to a better place that’s really going to push him.”
The Heat have a strong reputation in player development. Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson are two notable examples from recent years, but the list of players who’ve had their best years in Miami is long. Yurtseven is looking to become the team’s latest under-the-radar gem.
“I think this organization has a way of raising players, of finding diamonds in the rough,’’ Butler said at the start of his first season with the Heat in 2019 (hat tip to Justin Benjamin of HeatNation.com). “They’re absolutely incredible at that. They’re turning (Tyler Herro) into a real player. Everyone knows he has the talent, that mental edge about him, but teaching him how to work every single day, that organization is perfect for him.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also praised Yurtseven during the team’s media day this week, which is noteworthy considering the big man has yet to appear in a regular-season NBA game.
“Omer is unique because of his skill set, shooting touch, around the basket and with range,” Spoelstra said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). “He has a feel you can’t necessarily teach. Good instincts for rebounding.”
Despite enjoying some success in the G League and Summer League, Yurtseven still has a long road ahead. He’ll have to show he can learn Miami’s system, rotate without fouling and defend the perimeter in a show-and-recover and switch-heavy NBA. Facing those challenges is part of his learning process.
“I think it’s all about just following the guidance of the coaches and the veteran players,” Yurtseven said. “Just taking it all in and absorbing it. They do a great job of developing players and have a reputation for that because of their system. Believing in it and going 100% is going to be the most important part.
“I think they just do a great job because of the commitment the players give and their ability to match it with intense workouts and basketball knowledge — how they know a certain player can fit into their system.”
Besides learning from his teammates and coaches, the big man also spent a significant amount of time watching film and working on his jump shot this summer. Yurtseven mentioned on Media Day that he and Bellucci studied film on superstar centers Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
The pair also told Hoops Rumors that they watched clips of Carmelo Anthony and Hakeem Olajuwon, working on Yurtseven’s low-post, mid-post and three-point game. Bellucci estimates Yurtseven took 20,000 shots per month.
“He’s a kid who wants to get better. He’s never satisfied,” Bellucci said. “When you put him in a culture with the same mentality, it’s hard for me to say that this kid doesn’t have a chance to be an All-Star. He just has that work ethic and mentality. In order to be great, I think you always have to ask yourself, ‘What can I do next? How can I get better? What can I add to my game?’ And, on the Heat’s side, you have no choice! You’re coming in to work.”
Yurtseven said he’s been inspired by the stories of Robinson and Nunn, two undrafted players who found their footing in the league with the Heat. Robinson signed a new five-year, $90MM deal with Miami this past summer – the largest contract for an undrafted player in NBA history.
Former Pistons center Ben Wallace – another successful undrafted player – was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, Yurtseven noted. The success stories act as motivation to continue improving, something Yurtseven says he won’t stop doing anytime soon.
“I know the program and position that I’m in with being undrafted, but I think I have the talent to play at this level, the work ethic and the discipline,” he said. “When you put all of that together, it matches perfectly with the culture of the Miami Heat. And, as I said, I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that these pieces came together. I now have the opportunity to be one of those inspirations.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Gregg Popovich as the head coach of Team USA, league sources tell Marc Stein of Substack. Popovich, the Spurs‘ head coach, is stepping down from his position with USA Basketball following his team’s gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics.
USA Basketball is undergoing some changes this year, with Grant Hill recently succeeding Jerry Colangelo as the managing director of the program. Naming a new head coach is the first major move that Hill will have to make as part of his new role. He said earlier this month that he hopes to finalize the decision before the start of the NBA regular season on October 19.
As Stein writes, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is viewed as another strong candidate for Team USA’s head coaching position, but Kerr has more international experience, having served as an assistant to Popovich during the 2019 FIBA World Cup as well as the Tokyo Olympics. Spoelstra was involved in the lead-up to the Olympics as well, coaching the U.S. Select Team, but he wasn’t part of the group that traveled to Tokyo.
Kerr’s experience coaching several star players in Golden State and competing in five consecutive NBA Finals makes him a natural fit to manage Team USA’s star-studded rosters and to handle the pressure of international competitions. He also recently confirmed that he’d have interest in the job.
“Of course I’d be interested. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I’ll leave it at that,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic in August. “I have no idea how it will all transpire; there are a lot of great candidates out there. And if I were to be considered, that would be an honor.”
New Heat power forwards P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris believe they’re ideal fits on a team known for its work ethic and strong veteran culture, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Tucker called it a “match made in heaven,” while Morris said he had a strong sense that he’d eventually end up playing for the Heat.
“(We’re) going to bring toughness and will and dog (mentality), which they already have,” Morris said of the impact that he and Tucker can have in Miami. “We’re just adding to it. Me and Tuck played together a couple years in Phoenix; he’s one of my good friends. We’re both (NBA) champions.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Young center Omer Yurtseven is receiving on-court mentoring from former Heat big man Alonzo Mourning, who is the team’s VP of player programs and development, Jackson writes for The Miami Herald. “He comes in and watches me play and gives me words of wisdom,” Yurtseven said. “It’s really helpful. He dominated his time. I hope to do the same.”
- New Heat point guard Kyle Lowry joked during his Media Day presser that his good friend Jimmy Butler is “a little bit more crazy” than the stars he has played alongside in the past, as Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relay. “He wears his emotions on his sleeves,” Lowry said. “(DeMar DeRozan) and Kawhi (Leonard) are very quiet. (Jimmy) makes sure everyone knows there’s no (messing) around. You appreciate players like that.”
- Head coach Erik Spoelstra is eager to see how the Heat’s new pieces fit together after adding Lowry, Tucker, and Morris to the roster this offseason, per Jackson and Chiang. “I’m just as curious to see as anyone how this all works together,” Spoelstra said. “We checked some boxes of things we wanted to accomplish from a personnel standpoint. We acquired some like-minded people.”
- Shane Battier stepped down from his front office position with the Heat (VP of basketball development and analytics) earlier this year, but he’s still with the team in a less formal capacity, according to Chiang. Battier is now a strategic consultant for the club and was among the executives in attendance at Miami’s first practice on Tuesday.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo is determined to regain the status of being one of the league’s top wings, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Oladipo went under the knife in May, undergoing surgery to repair his right quad tendon. Once considered a top name entering the free agent market, he signed a minimum contract to rebuild his value.
“It’s been really tough. It’s been hard. This is another battle in the books for me,” he said. “I want to show my resiliency and have one of the best comeback stories ever. I want to make the most of my situation. It’s easy to quit and say ‘woe is me,’ but that doesn’t solve the problem. I know there are a lot of eyes watching. Hopefully, I can be a vessel for them and show them they can get through anything if they really put their mind to it.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards star Bradley Beal won’t share his “personal reasons” why he hasn’t been vaccinated, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post tweets. However, Beal was a little more open about the possibility of signing an extension, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Beal said that he’ll let his agent handle those negotiations: “I’ve got all year to sign it, so I’m not in a rush.”
- Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie said he tried to buy the Wizards‘ jersey patch before this season to advertise crypto currency, Hughes adds in a separate tweet. According to Dinwiddie, he was willing to meet the $12MM asking price but the league wouldn’t allow it.
- The Hornets officially announced Marlon Garnett, Nick Friedman and Norman Richardson as assistant coaches under head coach James Borrego in a press release. The team also promoted Jackson Simmons to head video coordinator.
- Borrego expects the Hornets to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of the season, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets.