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Heat Notes: Crowder, Iguodala, Dragic, Adebayo

October 8th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jae Crowder has only been a member of the Heat for about eight months, but this year’s run to the NBA Finals has helped convince him he’d like to stick around a little longer. The veteran forward told reporters today that he’s interested in re-signing with the club this offseason, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

“Hopefully we can work something out,” Crowder said. “It’s enjoyable because we’re winning. Last two teams standing. It’s been a great, great organization to be a part of.”

With the Heat looking to maintain cap flexibility for the 2021 free agent class, Jackson says he expects the club to give Crowder a one-year offer that might include a team option for the 2021/22 season.

Here’s more on the Heat:

Rob Mahoney of The Ringer takes a closer look at how the trade-deadline deal that sent Crowder and Andre Iguodala to Miami helped the Heat reshape their roster and unlock the team’s two-way potential.
A report earlier this week suggested that front office executives around the NBA view the Heat as the top destination for the next star player seeking a change of scenery. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, a number of player agents share this view. “I think they are quite compelling to anyone,” veteran agent Bill Neff said. “If I’m (a top free agent), I like the culture, the coach and the organization.”
As expected, injured point guard Goran Dragic remains doubtful to play in Game 5 of the Finals on Friday due to his torn plantar fascia. On a positive note, Bam Adebayo no longer appears on the injury report after playing in Game 4, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Clippers’ Lawrence Frank Named Executive Of The Year

October 8th, 2020 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for the 2019/20 season, the league announced today in a press release.

Frank received 10 of 29 first-place votes for the award, which is voted on by a panel of team front office executives from around the league. He beat out Sam Presti of the Thunder and Pat Riley of the Heat, who finished second and third, respectively.

The criteria for the Executive of the Year award aren’t clearly defined, so some top vote-getters are recognized for the splashy or savvy roster moves they made within the last year, while others receive votes for an accumulation of the moves made in recent years that helped build their current rosters.

In Frank’s case, it’s safe to say he earned Executive of the Year honors for the job he did landing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the same night last July, instantly turning the Clippers into title contenders. The team also re-signed Patrick Beverley, Ivica Zubac, JaMychal Green, and Rodney McGruder to new deals, and acquired Maurice Harkless and a first-round pick in a four-team deal during the free agent period last summer. Frank later flipped Harkless and a first-rounder to the Knicks for Marcus Morris.

Frank’s roster moves didn’t ultimately result in a deep playoff run for the Clippers, who were upset in the second round by the Nuggets. However, voting for the Executive of the Year award was completed prior to the NBA’s summer restart.

The full voting results for Executive of the Year can be found below. Teams’ heads of basketball operations were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote.

Lawrence Frank, Clippers (61 points)
Sam Presti, Thunder (41)
Pat Riley, Heat (39)
Jon Horst, Bucks (27)
Masai Ujiri, Raptors (20)
Zach Kleiman, Grizzlies (16)
Rob Pelinka, Lakers (14)
Donn Nelson, Mavericks (8)
Tim Connelly, Nuggets (7)
Danny Ainge, Celtics (6)
Bob Myers, Warriors (5)
Jeff Weltman, Magic (5)
David Griffin, Pelicans (5)
James Jones, Suns (3)
Ed Stefanski, Pistons (1)
Dennis Lindsey, Jazz (1)
Kevin Pritchard, Pacers (1)
Sean Marks, Nets (1)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Goran Dragic Listed As Doubtful For Game 5

October 7th, 2020 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat point guard Goran Dragic remains doubtful to return for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, according to the first injury report released for Friday’s game (Twitter link via Malika Andrews of ESPN).

Dragic, who is battling a torn left plantar fascia, participated in pregame warmups on Tuesday to test his foot, but was still in too much pain to play. The veteran acknowledged on Monday that he’s not sure whether or not he’ll be able to return at all during the Finals. Down 3-1, the Heat are facing an elimination game on Friday, so that may represent Dragic’s last chance to take the court.

Assuming Dragic is inactive on Friday, the Heat will continue to lean heavily on rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro.

Nunn has averaged 23.7 minutes per game in the Finals after not playing at all during the Heat’s final three games against Boston. Herro has served as Miami’s de facto starting point guard in place of Dragic since Game 1, logging 38.9 MPG in the last three contests.

Executives View Heat As Top Destination For Next Available Star

October 7th, 2020 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Front office executives around the NBA feel as if the Heat have become the top destination for the next star player seeking a change of scenery, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

The Heat don’t have significant guaranteed money on their books beyond next season and could create a maximum-salary slot in 2021, making them a major player in next year’s free agent period. Additionally, while Miami has surrendered some of its future first-round picks, the club has several young players who could be appealing trade targets in a package for a star who requests a trade in the coming months.

As O’Connor explains, Miami isn’t the only team with salary cap flexibility over the next year or two, but few others can offer all the perks the Heat can. Florida doesn’t impose income taxes on its residents, South Beach has always been a popular destination among NBA players, and this year’s Finals appearance proves that the club is already a legit title contender.

Additionally, the Heat have the roster flexibility necessary to fit virtually any player into their system, O’Connor contends. Bam Adebayo could coexist alongside another big man, while Jimmy Butler could easily share scoring and play-making duties with another impact player in the backcourt or on the wing.

It remains to be seen which star the Heat will ultimately pursue. Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been considered the team’s top target, but if he signs an extension with the Bucks, he won’t be available in free agency in 2021. Victor Oladipo is also said to be on Miami’s radar, but there are still questions surrounding his health, so the club may prefer to wait for his free agency in ’21 rather than giving up assets in an attempt to trade for him this offseason.

O’Connor points out that it may just be a matter of time before certain teams hit a crossroads and need to shake up their rosters. He identifies the Wizards, Rockets, and Sixers as some of the clubs with star players who may fit that bill — it’s safe to say Pat Riley and the Heat will be keeping a close eye on those teams and others as they prepare to go star-hunting.

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Bam Adebayo Active For Game 4; Goran Dragic Out

October 6th, 2020 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

6:53pm: Dragic participated in pregame warmups but has been declared out for Game 4, Charania tweets. Adebayo will play, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press tweets.

4:50pm: Dragic will warm up before Game 4 on Tuesday and see how his foot feels, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). If Dragic can tolerate the pain, he’ll attempt to play.

3:39pm: Heat big man Bam Adebayo intends to return for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night vs. the Lakers, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Adebayo has missed the past two games due to a neck strain, but he has made good progress in the last two days, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Getting Adebayo back in the lineup would be a major boost for a Heat team that has been relying on Meyers Leonard and Kelly Olynyk to man the middle for much of the Finals. Olynyk has averaged 20.5 PPG during the last two games, while Leonard was a +13 in Miami’s Game 3 win, but neither player is the sort of dynamic two-way threat that Adebayo is.

While it sounds as if Adebayo will be back in Miami’s lineup on Tuesday night, there has been no update yet on starting point guard Goran Dragic, who is listed as doubtful due to his torn left plantar fascia and acknowledged on Monday that his chances of playing in Game 4 are low.

I wouldn’t expect Dragic to get the green light to play on Tuesday, and his status for the rest of the series remains up in the air, so the Heat will continue to lean on rookie Kendrick Nunn at the point.

Heat Notes: Leonard, Jones, Dragic

October 6th, 2020 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

After serving as the Heat‘s starting center for most of the season, Meyers Leonard has fallen almost entirely out of the rotation during the playoffs. His starts in place of Bam Adebayo in Games 2 and 3 of the NBA Finals were just his second and third appearances of the postseason, and even with Adebayo sidelined, his role has been limited — he played a total of 22 minutes in those two games.

Meanwhile, Derrick Jones, who averaged 24.5 minutes per contest in 51 games prior to the NBA’s stoppage in March, saw his minutes cut back during the seeding games and again during the playoffs. He has been a DNP-CD in four postseason games and has averaged just 6.8 MPG in the team’s other 14 contests.

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if the reduced roles for Leonard and Jones as of late signal that the two players are likely to leave the Heat in free agency this fall. At one point, Winderman writes, it seemed likely that the team would attempt to re-sign both players, especially if they were open to one-year deals. That no longer seems likely, in Winderman’s view, though he suggests the club still could attempt to bring back Jones if Jae Crowder signs elsewhere.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In a separate article for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman speculates that the Heat will, at the very least, present Goran Dragic with a “sizeable” one-year contract offer this offseason. Dragic was one of the team’s top producers earlier in the postseason while playing with foot discomfort — now that he has been sidelined with a more serious foot injury, Winderman expects Miami to take care of him once he reaches free agency.
The Heat’s return to the NBA Finals this fall happened two years ahead of the team’s hoped-for schedule, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic, who notes that Miami’s plan involved using its 2021 cap room to land a star who could help make the club a title contender. Given this year’s success, the Heat may be an even more appealing destination to those top 2021 free agents.
In case you missed it, Bam Adebayo (neck strain) plans to return for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday. Goran Dragic (torn left plantar fascia) is expected to remain sidelined.

Bam Adebayo Upgraded To Questionable For Game 4

October 5th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat big man Bam Adebayo has been upgraded to questionable for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Adebayo has missed the last two games due to a neck strain and had been listed as doubtful before each of those contests.

Adebayo told reporters earlier today that he’s trying to make it back to the court as soon as possible, but that the decision will ultimately be up to Miami’s medical staff, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

“It’s day to day. When they say I’m ready to play, I will be out there,” Adebayo said. “… They just want me to be safe. They want to make sure this injury doesn’t get worse and that I’m back to where I was before.”

The Heat’s other injured starter, point guard Goran Dragic, remains listed as doubtful for Game 4, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Dragic, who is dealing with a torn left plantar fascia, also spoke to the media earlier today, admitting during that session that he’s probably a long shot to return on Tuesday. Although the veteran point guard badly wants to play in the Finals, he said he’s in a lot of pain and isn’t sure whether or not he’ll be able to make it back.

“If I am honest, I don’t know,” Dragic said, per Jackson. “This injury depends on how it goes. It progresses different from other guys. The only thing I can do is be on top of my treatments. I’m doing that 24/7. If I have a few days (maybe I can play). I’m making some progress. Some days I’m the same. (Doctors) say it could change. It’s better than it was. We’ll see how it reacts in the near future. I’m doing everything I can do.”

Miami managed to pick up a win in Game 3 without Adebayo and Dragic, pulling to within 2-1 in the series against the Lakers. However, that required a superhuman effort from Jimmy Butler, who had 40 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. Continuing to mount a comeback without two of their top three postseason scorers would be a monumental task for the Heat.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Thibodeau, Bane, Nets

October 4th, 2020 at 5:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes his assistants rightfully deserve consideration for head coaching vacancies around the league, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Both Dan Craig and Chris Quinn have seen their names linked to various teams this year, with Spoelstra backing the idea as a whole.

“I think on our staff we have several future head coaches,” Spoelstra said, as relayed by Winderman. “I don’t want them to just be assistant coaches their whole career. I want them to be able to grow and have opportunities to be head coaches at some point.”

The Heat have previously lost coaches such as Juwan Howard, who left for Michigan, and David Fizdale, who left to become head coach of the Grizzlies and Knicks. Spoelstra credits the coaching tree to team president Pat Riley, a former coach himself.

“I think it’s just the whole Heat program, and that started with Pat,” Spoelstra said. “I think he’s taught us all how to become basketball coaches, at all levels, where you have to learn scouting, offense, defense, tendencies in the league, learning how to coach on the floor and teach.

“That was all demanded from Pat. And then growing, that culture of growing you.”

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

For the Knicks, it won’t be business as usual with Tom Thibodeau now at the helm, Steve Popper of Newsday opines. Thibodeau is looking to ramp up the team’s offseason workload and work closely with the players, though he’ll have to adhere to the league’s COVID-19 guidelines first. “Obviously, we’d have to follow the protocol that’s set forth by the league, but we will have an opportunity to do the individual stuff with guys that are in the bubble up until October 6,” Thibodeau said. “Then we’re waiting on what we’ll be able to do with the guys that are out of the market. So whatever the league tells us we can do, we will certainly do. And if not we’ll find other ways to get to our development piece whether it’s through film, communications with the players. But we‘re planning on spending a lot of time with our players this offseason.”
TCU forward Desmond Bane could be the perfect 3-and-D player for the Nets to draft, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Bane credits current Nets forward Joe Harris for a key part of his game, explaining how he’s studied Harris’ ability to work off screens and make shots off different movements. The Nets have the No. 19 pick in this year’s draft, while Harris is set to reach unrestricted free agency.
NetsDaily.com examines the Nets‘ draft situation and which player could be selected, suggesting that Bane, Maryland big man Jalen Smith and others could fit nicely with Brooklyn, a team that’s expected to be at the forefront of contention next season. The draft will take place on Wednesday, November 18.

Adebayo, Dragic Ruled Out For Game 3

October 4th, 2020 at 4:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat center Bam Adebayo (neck) and guard Goran Dragic (plantar fascia tear) will miss Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, the team announced on social media.

This marks the second straight game missed for both players, with the Heat currently trailing the Lakers 2-0 in the series. Adebayo and Dragic had hoped to return on Sunday, but over the past 48 hours the team had been listing them as “doubtful” to suit up.

“I can see the anguish, literally, in their eyes … they really want to be there because they love their teammates and they put their heart and soul into it,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said, as relayed by Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Miami lost 124-114 in Game 2, starting Tyler Herro in place of Dragic and Meyers Leonard in place of Adebayo. The team struggled to protect the paint and allowed LeBron James and Anthony Davis to combine for 65 points on 29-for-45 shooting (64%).

In addition to Adebayo and Dragic, Heat star Jimmy Butler is also coping with an injury. Butler turned his ankle in the team’s Game 1 loss last week, but still managed to produce 25 points and 13 assists in nearly 45 minutes during Game 2.

It’s unclear whether Dragic or Adebayo will be ready for Game 4, which will take place on Tuesday. Adebayo, the Heat’s second All-Star, is in the midst of a career-best campaign, while Dragic has served as the team’s second-leading scorer during the postseason (19.9 points per game).

Southeast Notes: Nunn, Williams, Hawks, Heat

October 4th, 2020 at 3:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat guard Kendrick Nunn is working to flip the narrative after a rough first experience in Orlando, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

Nunn has received quality rotation minutes in the Finals so far, showing great effort on both ends despite playing scarcely in previous rounds. In Game 1, he finished with 18 points and five rebounds, playing 19 minutes off the bench. He followed that up with a 13-point, three-assist outing in Game 2, providing depth behind Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler.

“It has been an experience for me,” Nunn said. “Obviously I had some pretty rough days. Now it’s getting better. It just comes from sticking with it every day, putting in work, grinding, not making any excuses and just sticking to basically my routine and my style of play.”

The runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award, Nunn contracted COVID-19 this summer, struggling to regain his footing and seeing his role change in the weeks that followed. With Goran Dragic (plantar fascia tear) still sidelined, the Heat will need Nunn to continue producing at a high level.

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

Marvin Williams has a standing offer to work for the Hornets in the future, his father, Marvin Williams Sr., told Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com. Williams retired from the league this year after spending 15 seasons as a player, with his next job immediately unclear. “He mentioned to me that he really likes the [Basketball Without Borders] program, but because of the COVID, that whole process may have changed,” Williams Sr. said. “I think that’s the avenue he would like to go down, but if not… he’s a kinda laid-back guy, so he’s like, ‘Dad, I could be content working with North Carolina, being a film guy for the basketball team, making $60-70K a year. I’d be content with that.’ Larry Jordan, Michael Jordan and them guys have told him — and sat down with me and told me — that if he wanted to come back and work for the [Charlotte] Hornets, he was more than welcome to. So he’s got some options, it’s just a matter of which one he chooses to pick.”
The Hawks ended their mini-camp five days early, Sarah Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, with the team choosing to halt activities on October 1. Spencer reports the team always planned to end early with a focus on injury prevention and keeping players engaged in voluntary workouts. “We wanted to maximize the opportunity that we had and to compete at the level that we’re doing, to be in a new environment and situation, we wanted to do what made most sense, and that’s why we’re ending today,” head coach Lloyd Pierce said.
John Hollinger of The Athletic examines why the NBA should be rooting for the Heat to win the NBA Finals. Miami is known for promoting high-level competition and is strictly against rebuilding, Hollinger notes, a formula the league would love to see more of.