Josh Christopher

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Miller, Smith, Christopher, Risacher

After getting off to a decent 4-5 start this season, the Hornets have plummeted down the standings over the past month-and-a-half. Monday’s loss to Houston, Charlotte’s 13th in its last 14 games, dropped the team to 7-22 on the season and inspired a players-only closed-door meeting after the game, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

“I feel like we established ourselves in the first 10 games as a team that plays physical,” forward Miles Bridges said. “At one point we were leading the league in offensive rebounding. We’ve just got to get back to that. We had a great conversation. Taj (Gibson) really got us together in the locker room — players only — and he talked to us. I talked to the team, Taj talked to us a lot. I feel like that really got to us, so I feel like these next couple games we’re going to see who really wants to play.”

Bridges is the longest-tenured Hornet, having been with the organization since 2018. Gibson is a newcomer, but he was brought in to be a “meaningful voice in the locker room,” Boone writes. The veteran big man played that role in Monday’s meeting.

“I think them talking to us, I think they both said what everybody is thinking,” center Mark Williams said. “I think it just starts with us. We’ve got to be tougher, got to play harder. Just do all the things it takes to win. Just got to have some pride out there. I think we just lacked that tonight.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Hornets forward Brandon Miller has missed the past three games due to a sprained ankle, but he was initially listed as questionable for Monday’s game before being downgraded to out and appears to be on the verge of a return, per Boone. “The last couple days he’s rejoined some group activities that we’ve had. I think he’s really making good progress,” head coach Charles Lee said. “After (Monday’s) game, we’ll continue to evaluate him and see where he is maybe after Christmas.”
  • According to both Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Heat had been planning to promote guard Dru Smith from his two-way contract to a standard deal in the coming days in order to get back to the required 14-man minimum. That plan is now up in the air after Smith exited Monday’s game with a lower left leg injury. He’s undergoing an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, as Chiang relays. “Obviously, the air went out of the building seeing him fall like that,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It wasn’t a contact injury. I don’t know the extent fully right now. I don’t want to pontificate until we get the MRI. But, yeah, we were all messed up for a while.”
  • Heat two-way guard Josh Christopher was the best player John Hollinger of The Athletic saw at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando. As Hollinger writes, Christopher has improved his shooting and decision-making and is no longer simply getting by on his athleticism. While it remains to be seen whether or not there will be NBA minutes available going forward for the former No. 24 overall pick in the wake of Smith’s injury, Christopher did make his Heat regular season debut on Monday, logging a couple garbage-time minutes in a win over Brooklyn.
  • Hawks rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher didn’t get to play for the French national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but this year’s No. 1 overall pick hopes to represent his home country in future international tournaments, starting next summer, as he tells Benjamin Moubeche of BasketSession (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “The French national team is a childhood dream,” Risacher said. “It’s always something special. Every competitor wants to win medals for their country, and for me, it would be an immense honor to represent France at the (2025) EuroBasket.”

T.J. Warren, Jahlil Okafor Headline NBAGL All-Showcase Team

The NBA G League has announced (via Twitter) a five-man All-Showcase Team following its 2024 Winter Showcase in Orlando, which wrapped up in Sunday. The standout players recognized by the NBAGL are as follows:

The event, which was the culmination of the G League’s fall Tip-Off Tournament, included an eight-team, single-elimination bracket made up of the top finishers in the Tip-Off Tournament. Those eight clubs were vying for the Showcase Cup, with the league’s other 22 teams each playing a pair of non-tournaments from Thursday to Sunday.

Warren’s Knicks defeated Christopher’s Skyforce in the Showcase Cup final, with Warren averaging 22.7 points per game on 54.8% shooting in Westchester’s three victories. The veteran forward had 24 points and four assists in Sunday’s championship game.

Four of the five players named to the All-Showcase Team were in the Showcase Cup bracket. The only exception was Okafor, who averaged 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 66.7% shooting in a pair of non-tournament victories for the Pacers‘ affiliate.

While Miller is on a standard NBA contract with the Timberwolves and Christopher is on a two-way deal with the Heat, Warren, Okafor, and Young aren’t currently controlled by NBA teams and could be freely signed by one at any time. Their performances over the weekend in front of scouts and executives should help strengthen their cases for NBA promotions, especially once the 10-day contract window opens in January.

Warren and Okafor are NBA veterans who each have several years of experience in the league, whereas Young is an undrafted rookie who was in camp with the Nuggets in the fall. The former Maryland standout had 22 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in Grand Rapids’ win over the OKC Blue on Thursday, then put up 28 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals in a losing effort to Westchester on Saturday.

Heat Notes: Ware, Butler, Christopher, Adebayo

Kel’el Ware was impressive on Saturday night in his first game action in nearly a month, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. With Kevin Love unavailable for personal reasons, the rookie center came off the Heat bench to deliver eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes. Coach Erik Spoelstra said the performance was a result of the work Ware has been putting in since the start of training camp.

“He has been doing what he needs to do,” Spoelstra said. “This is what I really respect about what he’s done so far as a young player. He has not gotten caught up in anything other than daily improvement, which is hard to do if you’re not necessarily playing every single game. But you commit to the process, you commit to the work in the weight room, pre-practice, film sessions, all the things. Young players sometimes can think we’re a little bit crazy with all of that, and he hasn’t. He’s embraced all of it. So it’s going to happen for him.”

One good game won’t guarantee more playing time for Ware, but there’s a greater opportunity after Miami traded backup center Thomas Bryant to Indiana. While Ware has a large learning curve as a 20-year-old on a veteran team, Chiang notes that he has impressed his teammates with his approach to the game.

“He has really fit in with us well because he just continues to work hard,” Love said. “He listens to every single one of us, he wants to apply things that are taught to him both on and off the floor. He has really just continued to chase the game.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • It’s appearing more likely that Jimmy Butler will finish out the season in Miami, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. Talking with NBA executives at the G League Showcase, Marks cited a “growing consensus” that the Heat will hold onto Butler past the deadline unless he becomes a distraction or they receive an offer that’s too good to pass up.
  • Josh Christopher hasn’t gotten into an NBA game since signing a two-way contract with the Heat, but he’s already competed for championships during Summer League and at the G League Showcase, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Christopher scored 31 points on Sunday, his 13th straight game of 20 or more, as Sioux Falls fell to Westchester. That came after leading the Summer League team to a title in Las Vegas. “Just trying to be a sponge and not take the opportunity for granted,” Christopher said, “but just take advantage of it and learn as much as I can, and use the minutes as an opportunity just to grow and help win ball games.”
  • The Heat are still reeling after letting a late 22-point lead slip away in Saturday’s game at Orlando, Chiang adds in a separate story. Miami was outscored 37-8 in the fourth quarter while suffering its most frustrating loss of the season. “I feel like we relaxed because we were up,” Bam Adebayo said. “I feel like that’s the karma of the game. You relax and then you let a team get hot, and then it goes the other way and you’re trying to fight back.” 

Heat Notes: Ware, Defense, Love, Little

The positive vibes that the Heat generated by winning the Summer League title in Las Vegas have carried over into the start of the regular season, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. That Vegas team included first-round pick Kel’el Ware and second-round pick Pelle Larsson, along with two-way players Josh Christopher and Keshad Johnson, and coach Erik Spoelstra said they’ve provided youthful energy since the start of training camp.

“What they have shown as a collective group as young guys, they’ve brought us some talent level that we’ve been able to restock our roster,” Spoelstra said. “They’ve given us an exuberance. But they’ve also found a way as a group to win, to impact winning, to find a way to gut out wins. I don’t know what it is, I just know it’s something. I think probably what’s different about this group is it’s been a pack, a pack of wolves. That’s what’s different.”

Ware was one of the stars in Las Vegas, earning a spot on the All-Summer League First Team after being drafted with the 15th pick. However, the 20-year-old center doesn’t have a clear path to playing time in Miami with Bam Adebayo, Kevin Love and Thomas Bryant ahead of him on the depth chart. He played the final 6:15 of a blowout in the season opener and will miss tonight’s game in Charlotte due to an illness.

“He’s put almost 10 pounds on since he’s been with us and he’s embraced how we do things,” Spoelstra said. “That was one of the encouraging things once we dove into his background — that he’s not afraid to work, particularly at [Indiana University].”

There’s more from Miami:

  • The Heat had two days off to recover from Wednesday’s 32-point loss to Orlando, Chiang adds in a separate story. Spoelstra concentrated on the need to become more aggressive defensively to create open-court opportunities. Chiang notes that Miami led the NBA during the preseason by forcing turnovers on 21.7% of possessions, but only managed five steals and nine deflections against the Magic. “You want them to feel you,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not necessarily going to be the metrics or steals or deflections every single time. It’s more about doing tough things, being physical, getting teams out of what they typically want to do at every point of attack that we’re there, and that wasn’t the case.”
  • Love will miss his second straight game tonight for personal reasons, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
  • Nassir Little, who was with the Heat in training camp on a non-guaranteed contract before being waived last Saturday, will join the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 24-year-old forward spent last season with Phoenix after four years in Portland.

Heat Notes: Rozier, Questions, Jovic, Christopher

Terry Rozier spent the past five months recovering from a neck injury that prevented him from suiting up for the Heat‘s first-round playoff series against the Celtics. As Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes, Rozier  has been cleared for five-on-five play ahead of his first training camp with Miami.

I’m still the same old Terry when I play,” Rozier said. “Whatever happened in the past, I won’t let it affect how I play. … I’m going to play how I play. But nothing affects how I go now. I’m still myself, so I feel good.

The neck injury was first listed as stiffness, but according to Chiang, further tests revealed more “concerning results” that forced Rozier to the sidelines for an extended period.

I mean, for me just playing fully and then to go to not and having to miss the playoffs, you get to questioning like, ‘Damn, could this possibly be the end for me?’” Rozier said. “But obviously, I’ve been blessed with a really great body and I’ve been able to recover. So I’m going back to the drawing board and do this [thing] again.

Rozier has two seasons left on his current contract and is owed $24.9MM this season. Rozier admitted it was difficult to be off the court for so long, especially after ramping up his production toward the end of last regular season. In his final 10 appearances, he averaged 18.8 points with a .500 3PT% on 7.4 attempts per game.

We have more from the Heat:

  • Like Rozier, third-year forward Nikola Jovic spent much of his summer recovering from an injury. In a separate Miami Herald story, Chiang explores Jovic’s health ahead of the season. The third-year forward, who admitted his ankle injury slowed his offseason plans, was impressive in his 38 starts last season, averaging 8.4 points per game on .445/.400/.711 shooting, but he hopes to get even better in 2024/25. “I would say the thing I was working on the most was probably just when I have a mismatch in the low post,” Jovic said. “When I have small guys on me, I just have to punish them, and that’s going to be something that’s going to help our team a lot.
  • In a two-part series, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald answers 15 questions about the Heat’s upcoming season. Of note, Jackson writes that the Heat aren’t worried about losing Jimmy Butler next season for nothing even if he opts out of his contract to become a free agent. Brooklyn and Houston are two teams who make sense for Butler on paper, but Jackson writes that both would have to jump through hoops to acquire him. While that’s certainly possible, Miami could explore sign-and-trade options in a worst-case scenario. In the meantime, the two sides are motivated to make this season a memorable one.
  • Former Rockets first-round pick Josh Christopher received a two-way contract from the Heat after an impressive summer league and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the 6’5″ guard is appreciative of the opportunity. “I think they’ve given me the cheats codes [to] being successful,” Christopher said. Miami has a history of making the most of overlooked two-way/training camp players, helping turn the likes of Duncan Robinson, Max Strus and Caleb Martin into quality role players. Christopher’s former first-round pedigree makes him a different kind of player than the Heat have taken chances on in the past — he’ll join recently signed Nassir Little as recent first-round picks still looking to deliver on their pre-draft potential.

Heat Notes: Herro, Ware, Larsson, Christopher

While the Heat didn’t make any splashy free agent moves this offseason, guard Tyler Herro still views the team as one the Eastern Conference’s best, Mat Issa of Forbes writes.

“I don’t see why not,” Herro said when asked if he viewed Miami as a contender. “We have everything we need.

Herro was a critical part of the Heat’s NBA Finals appearance in 2020 as well as their push in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. While he played just one playoff game in the 2022/23 season, he averaged 20.1 points in the regular season for the team that went on to the Finals.

I’m really excited for this season. Obviously, there are a lot of teams in the East that think they have externally improved. But I think we’ve improved internally,” Herro said. “It may look a little different, but we have young guys that we hope will continue to get better. Bam Adebayo and I are young guys who are starting to become full-fledged veterans in this league. Terry Rozier is healthy now and ready to compete. Then you have Jimmy Butler, who is extra motivated after not being able to play in the playoffs last season.

The Heat bowed out of the playoffs last season to the Celtics, losing 4-1. The team was riddled with injuries up and down the roster, and Herro himself only appeared in 42 regular season games.

We haven’t been healthy yet,” Herro said. “But we feel like when we do get healthy, we have a very deep team – a team that is deep enough to make a run in the East and ultimately win the NBA title.

Herro said he’s trying to get stronger and continue to increase his scoring efficiency while upping his volume. Check out Issa’s full interview with Herro at the link above.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • An anonymous veteran coach and scout praised the Heat’s 2024 draft class, headlined by No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “They got a steal with Ware,” the scout said. “Everyone questioned his motor at Oregon; nobody questioned the talent. And people are going to be disappointed they didn’t take him [before Miami selected him 15th].” Ware averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in eight Summer League games.
  • Pelle Larsson, Miami’s second-round pick, averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in Summer League action, looking like a player who could crack the rotation sooner rather than later. “[Larsson is] smart as heck. He just knows how to play. If Jaime Jaquez is a 10 on the know-how-to-play scale, this kid is right there with him,” the anonymous scout said, per Jackson. “He’s not as physically gifted as Jaquez, but he can shoot. And he’s got a great feel for the game.
  • The Heat recently added Josh Christopher to their roster after he came away with Summer League MVP. The scout Jackson interviewed was also impressed by the former Rockets first rounder. “He can really score,” the scout said. “He played in some competitive summer league games and showed late in games that he could be a threat. From talking to people who have worked with him, it wasn’t like he balked at going to the G League. He took the challenge to learn how to distribute and become a better player in the G League when asked to do that. His defense can improve. He has the elements to make him a very switchable, tough defender. He doesn’t back down from a player he would have to switch on.

Heat Notes: Hayward, Christopher, Ware, Larsson, Medal Winners

In an interview with Dan Le Batard (video link), Gordon Hayward reveals that he gave serious consideration to joining the Heat before signing with Boston in 2017. Hayward, who announced his retirement last week, recalls being immediately attracted to Miami after meeting with team officials.

“I basically visited three teams,” he said. “I started with Miami, then did Boston, then finished with Utah, meeting with all those teams. I remember vividly telling my agent after each meeting, like I started with Miami, and I’m like, ‘I want to go to Miami. We don’t even need to do the other meetings.’ Miami is the place I want to be, and he kind of was like, ‘Well, we got to hear everyone out.’”

Hayward wound up accepting a four-year, $127.8MM offer from the Celtics, but he suffered a severe leg injury in his first game that affected the rest of his career. Even though Boston won the bidding war, Hayward never lost his affection for the Heat or the city.

“The Heat have always been a first-class organization, so I was really, really close to signing there,” he added. “I feel like (Erik Spoelstra) is one of the best coaches in the league, and obviously, Pat Riley is legendary in his own right. I was very close. Also, my brother-in-law lives in Miami. My wife would have loved living there and the beach and everything, but ultimately decided to go to Boston.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • Josh Christopher is hoping to revive his career with the Heat after winning championship game MVP honors during the Las Vegas Summer League and signing a two-way contract. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald talked to an unidentified scout about the former first-round pick, who was stuck in the G League last season following two uninspiring years in Houston. “He can score. He’s still young. He’s got NBA talent,” the scout said. “You don’t write him off. If he’s going to play in the NBA, he’s going to have a much more limited role [than the shoot-first starring role in summer league]. Can he make threes at a reasonable rate and play within himself and not think he’s a star? He needs to be an off-ball guy. He needs to accept he’s a 3 and D guy. If there’s any role for him, it’s that.”
  • The scout was complimentary of the Heat’s two draft picks, Jackson adds. He sees first-rounder Kel’el Ware as possibly “this year’s Dereck Lively” due to his size and ability to block shots, and lists second-rounder Pelle Larsson‘s attributes as “high IQ, decent athlete, good body, can create a shot, can defend, competes.”
  • Today marked the first time that Heat teammates received medals for different nations in the same Olympics, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Bam Adebayo was part of gold-medal-winning Team USA, while Nikola Jovic picked up a bronze with Serbia.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Ware, Larsson, Christopher

Bam Adebayo has a chance to become the first player ever to win multiple Olympic gold medals as a member of the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo, who was the starting center for Team USA three years ago in Tokyo, is coming off the bench this time around. He has teamed with Anthony Davis as part of a successful double-big combination during exhibition play.

“I’m not there to go get 30 points,” Adebayo said. “Obviously, we have enough people out there to get 30. But my role is bigger than that. Just being one of the leaders, being one of the guys who over-communicates, the defensive anchor and being able to put guys in the right positions where they can be successful.”

Adebayo’s future in Miami is secure after signing a three-year max extension this summer, Chiang adds. He’s already among the franchise leaders in career points, assists and steals and he’s on pace to eventually pass Udonis Haslem as the Heat’s top all-time rebounder.

“Going into year eight, you think about how fast it goes,” Adebayo said. “Every year, I just sit there and reflect about where I started when I got drafted to being a potential two-time Olympic [gold medalist] and being able to have a chance to defend the gold. It really puts it in perspective for me and just being blessed to have these opportunities.”

There’s more on the Heat:

  • First-round pick Kel’el Ware was one of the stars of the Las Vegas Summer League, earning first-team honors while helping Miami capture the title, Chiang states in a separate story. The rookie center was dominant around the rim, averaging 18 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 61.8% from the field. Ware believes he can be effective playing alongside Adebayo instead of just being his backup. “Me and Bam can definitely play beside each other because we complement each other so well,” he said. “His position is really the four and so me coming in as the five man, I can protect the paint and just being able to do what I always do.”
  • Pelle Larsson shot 42.7% from three-point range last season at Arizona, but the Heat view him as more than just a long-distance marksman, Chiang adds in another piece. His talents as a ball-handler and defender were also on display during Summer League. “I think it could be a misconception if you just look at the stats and you see 40% from three,” Larsson said. “But if you actually watch film and look into the games, you can see that being a well-rounded defender on and off the ball is kind of my strength and just playing within the team. By playing within the team and playing with good players, they’re going to find you for open shots and you’re going to get advantages just from that.”
  • After his breakout performance at Summer League, Josh Christopher urged the NBA to get serious about expansion, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. A first-round pick in 2021, Christopher was stuck in the G League all of last season. “It’s time for a couple of expansion teams, man. Come on NBA,” he said. “I know I’m one of the little fish in the sea, but come one, it’s time for more teams, with so much talent in the G League. Honestly, it’s the second-best league in the world, if you ask me.”

Heat Sign Josh Christopher To Two-Way Contract

The Heat have signed free agent guard Josh Christopher to a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter). To create a two-way roster spot, Miami waived undrafted rookie Zyon Pullin.

Christopher is a former first-round pick (24th overall in 2021) who spent his first two NBA seasons in Houston before being traded to Memphis last summer. The Grizzlies eventually waived Christopher and his guaranteed contract for 2023/24 in late September, which also effectively declined his fourth-year team option for ’24/25.

Christopher later caught on with the Jazz, spending a few months with Utah on a two-way deal before being released in January. Despite being eligible to, he did not appear in an NBA game last season, having split the campaign with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s NBA G League affiliate, and the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s affiliate.

The 22-year-old Christopher is being rewarded for his standout playing during Las Vegas Summer League, which saw the Heat win the championship in dramatic fashion, an overtime finish over Memphis. Christopher was named the title game’s MVP after registering a team-high 24 points, including six 3-pointers. He also added four rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocks.

“I think this Heat culture thing just brought the best out of me. I don’t think I’ve had a series of games better than this in my life, honestly,” said Christopher, who averaged 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.0 steals on .541/.525/.1.000 shooting in his six appearances in Vegas (25.9 MPG).

As for Pullin, the 23-year-old point guard showed flashes during Summer League, but he also didn’t earn much playing time (11.9 MPG). The former UC-Riverside and Florida star will be an unrestricted free agent in a couple days if he clears waivers.

Dru Smith and Keshad Johnson occupy the Heat’s other two-way spots, as shown by our tracker.

Heat Notes: Summer League, Christoper, Larsson, Ware

The Heat won the Las Vegas Summer League championship with a dramatic 120-118 overtime victory over the Grizzlies on Monday. The Heat won all six of their games in Vegas, plus the last two in the California Classic. Second-rounder Pelle Larsson made the game-winning shot.

“By the end of this (Monday), a lot of us coaches, we were really hoping that it wouldn’t be over,” Summer League coach Dan Bisaccio said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “Obviously, yes the priority is we want to win the championship. But at the same time, this journey that we were on with this group was amazing. It was something truly special.

“I understand this is summer league. But the fact that these guys came together as a group like that, they kind of put aside their individual goals for the better of the team. I just think that speaks volumes to who they are and what their character is.”

We have more on the Heat:

  • The team has 14 players on standard contracts and don’t plan to add a 15th player until later in the regular season due to tax apron concerns. They also have all three two-way slots filled. Those two-way spots could change — they don’t count against the cap — in the aftermath of Summer League performances. Josh Christopher, Caleb Daniels, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams — all of whom are free agents at the moment — made compelling cases to receive a two-way deal or at least a training camp invite, according to Chiang.
  • Speaking of Christopher, he was named Most Valuable Player of the championship game, Chiang tweets. The former first-round pick scored a team-high 24 points, including six 3-pointers. He also added four rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocks. “I think this Heat culture thing just brought the best out of me. I don’t think I’ve had a series of games better than this in my life, honestly,” Christopher said.
  • Larsson signed a three-year contract prior to summer competition and impressed the coaches in a number of ways, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He’s a tireless worker,” Bisaccio said. “He’s a great leader on the floor and he’s just got a really good disposition and he’s a man of a craft, is the word I’m looking for. Behind the scenes, he’s always trying to work on his shot. He’s always trying to find that new angle that he can give you, that extra detail on a pick and roll.”
  • First-round pick Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez and Keshad Johnson earned A grades on Winderman’s Summer League report card.