Is Kel’el Ware Losing Spot in Miami Heat’s Starting Lineup? | Rozier Injury Update

Is Kel’el Ware Losing Spot in Miami Heat’s Starting Lineup? | Rozier Injury Update

Day two of training camp revealed a potential starting lineup and a change to the front court. Plus, Terry Rosier is injured. So, what does it mean for the team? All that and more on today’s episode of Locked on Heat. [Music] You are Locked on Heat, your daily Miami Heat podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on Heat, your daily podcast on the Miami Heat. Whether you’re tuning in on YouTube or on your favorite podcast app, thanks so much for making Locked on Heat your first listen every day. I’m Wes Goldberg, host of Locked on NBA Daily and Real GM radio. Here with David Ramil. Both of us are credentialed Heat Media members who cover this team every day. We have a great show for you today. Day two of training camp is in the books and one player won’t be participating for the rest of camp and could miss some of the preseason. Plus, Haime Hackers Jr. told us about a new role that he wants on the team. We’ll talk about all of that here in a second, but first I want to start with this sound. David from Eric Spolstra spoke to us after today’s training camp practice. He was asked about KL Wear and he made it sound like this guy is far from where the Heat want him to be. Uh just the sound here for people watching on YouTube. I see flashes of it. I see flashes where he needs to be a whole lot better. This is a competitive camp. two days guys are going after each other uh and going for wins. Um so he’s been on the other side of that in the majority of the games. Um but he’s starting to connect the dots of what his head coach is talking about. Um he had some really good flashes today. it’s not enough to to impact a win. And that’s where we’re pushing them um to be able to do it more consistently uh to to um access that talent, you know, that we all that we all see. Uh that yeah, when I I hear that, it doesn’t sound like somebody who’s in line for the starting job. I don’t know if the starting job is even a question at this point. like he’s talking about somebody who’s I think a little disappointing to him. You know, for one, the the third person reference and talking about Khil responding to his head coach is like, “Isn’t that you?” Like that’s a interesting thing for for Speed there. But no, like in terms of what he’s saying to Khalil about Khalil, like he’s clearly he respects and appreciates and recognizes the talent, but there’s something missing there. And I think that the consistency is part of it, the effort is another part of it. and he’s just not reaching the level that Spo and his teammates expect him to reach. So, I I don’t even know if the starting lineup is necessarily even up for grabs at this point. It’s just more about Khil being a good enough player to warrant consistent playing time. And I don’t know that Spo’s quite there yet. At least maybe not. And from what he’s saying, it just seems like this is beyond whether he starts or not. It’s like I don’t even know if I can play him, you know, because the sparks are there, the the the flashes are there, and yet we’re not seeing it consistently enough for a player of his caliber. So, there’s high expectations and Khalil fails to meet those. And when you hear Spo talk about Nikolovic, it’s not ausive. It’s not like over the top. It doesn’t sound like that, right? It sound he he was even asked today about about Nico and he praised his maturity and and what he was doing with the national team and what he’s seeing in terms of his development. It’s not flashes, right? And and with with where Spo is always talking about we see the flashes of good, we also see the flashes of bad and he’s not and when when I hear him say he’s not doing the things to impact winning. Yeah. That I’m like that feels like a very key part of everything that Eric Spolster is about. Now that said, absolutely maybe it’s not this year. I guess I I’m not saying that the aren’t trying to win, but is it a bigger priority to get Kell to where he needs to be as opposed to winning games earlier in the season? And if that’s the case, do they think that starting Kell anyway is the best path forward? That doesn’t that doesn’t tend to be the way that this organization operates? They’re not going to gift players a starting job. even if they think it’s better for the long view, typically they’re not going to do that, they’re they’re going to make you earn it behind the scenes. And and I know that draws a lot of criticism from some Heat fans, but that’s just the way that they operate. And so, if you ask me right now, David, who starts if the game if the season started tomorrow, and it’s not tomorrow, but it’s pretty close, at least preseason, I I don’t think Klo is is part of it, if this is what we’re seeing. Yeah. And that’s surprising because I mean we talked about it all along like this is Bam has made it clear that he doesn’t want to start at center and so I understand maybe some of that can be offset a little bit by playing almost a sevenfooter and Niko Yoic alongside him but it’s not enough like Khalil is supposed to be out there guarding some of those bigger players and maybe Nico can handle it. He’s put on some weight. He’s obviously at pretty close to in height um as far as what he’s capable of. And I don’t think neg I I wouldn’t say so either, but we be let’s be honest. Khalil’s not handling it either. He’s he’s a lanky shot blocker. We saw him get abused by Jared Allen in the playoffs. I’ve seen nothing since then. Yeah. I’ve seen nothing since then and against inferior level talent in summer league and from what we’re hearing from Eric Spolstro in training camp that says, “Oh, he’s ready to go up against some of the better big men in the league today.” like he’s a great opportunistic shot blocker who can close the gap because he’s seven feet tall and has incredible reach. But some of the same concerns and you’ve been on this for a long time, you know, some of the same concerns from his college days, right? The lack of engine, the whether or not he has that pop athletically, he just doesn’t seem to have it. He just there’s concerns, those were legitimate concerns when he was going through the draft process and through his first year and a half or year and change of his NBA career. I don’t know that he’s addressed those and he certainly hasn’t gone a lot out of his way to fix them or correct them. I don’t want to go so far as to say that he’s been disappointing because he is young and I do think that the heat well cuz I think that he knew what they were getting when they drafted him. I don’t think that they that they drafted him with illusions that yeah all of those all of those the the motivation motor concerns that’s not going to be a thing for us. I think that they were betting that they could fix those things and I think they’re still working on that part of it and and Spo is out here calling him out publicly and I I this is going to be I think a strategy. Right. Exactly. This is going to be a strategy I think for Spo in handling Kell. He’s obviously looked at Kell and said the way that I could bring the best out of him is to also include this part which is rare for Spo right. It’s rare for Spo to critique a player in front of the media, but he’s obviously he’s obviously thought about this and said, “I this is what I need to do with this guy.” And and it it worked. It worked in Vegas, but it obviously was more of a band-aid than a than a full-time solution. But I I I do think that there’s a level from this organization that says, “Yep, we know who this guy is. We know the concerns. We’re banking that we can get it out of them. And I don’t think they’re in they’re they’re in any illusions that this is an overnight thing. I think they realize it’s going to take time. Yeah. But it it it shouldn’t though. I look again he’s young player and I know that you can give certain young players a pass but if this is emotional and effort driven more than lack of talent or lack of ability like that I mean for a long time it’s not a lack of ability. It’s not exactly that’s the problem then and this is and I’ve seen people comment this we’ve talked about it before a little too shades of Assan whites right here where you’ve got all the ability in the world but the stuff between the ears are you ain’t got that dog in them you know that sounds cliche but it’s it’s you know that’s life is a reflection of that you’ve got to be able to go out and grab it you’ve got to be able to go and get it especially this is the thing for sevenfooters it’s not just whiteside it’s a little DeAndre Eatonish it reminds me more of Eaton than anything else and but here’s thing with these guys and the expectation is that you’re going to play at the NBA level. You’re going to be a player in your entire life. You’ve been seven feet and nobody else has been. So, you haven’t had to. And look, this it’s one of those things where it’s like everybody says they work hard. I don’t know anybody that’s like, “Hey, you work hard?” Nah, not really. I don’t really work hard. Everybody says and and truly believes that they work hard. And then you have people who work harder, right? And and that’s when you hear Nico tell us about being around Jokic and how and what that guy does. He’s like, “Oh, that’s hard work.” When you hear people talk about being around Kevin Durant or Steph or you know what what Dwayne Wade and LeBron James were doing in the big three era and you just you talk to, “Oh, that’s what hard work.” I thought I I thought I was working. I really thought I was working hard. Yeah. I wasn’t not compared to those guys. And for Kell and a lot of sevenfooters, it’s their entire life, they haven’t had to work as hard because they’ve been blessed with this crazy athletic these athletic gifts and and the size and all this stuff. And I just think that that’s the process that Kell’s going through right now. It might be. It might be. Um I hope he figures it out. Like I don’t want him to go down that path. And Aiden is a a terrible example of what seems like all the talent. Like you look at him physically and he’s got all this ability. certainly in great shape, etc. And yet, I don’t know that he’s necessarily ever shown the kind of drive and desire that can help you stand out um at that position. And uh and I think Khalil is right there, too. So, we’ll see because again, I I to me this was a battle that we thought was not necessarily going to happen. Like, we talked about the possibility of Nico starting and maybe now with Tyler out with DaVon Mitchell projected to start, you’re going with a more defensive-minded backcourt partner. Maybe you can go with a little bit more offensive minded front court partner and and you need and you need more offense with Tyler Herro out, right? And Nico provides that. Exactly. So we talked about the pace, the ability to kind of push the pace and and go at quickly and Dave certainly could do it. Nico loves to do it. Bam can do it. We’ve seen that from him. Wigs and Powell certainly capable, I think, of pushing the pace a little bit. So you’ve got five guys projecting that starting lineup who will lean into that, you know, quicker pace that we heard a lot of and at day one in media camp and media day. So I I think it’s it’s a possibility, but uh I think, you know, this is early. You hope that where responds the way that he did in Las Vegas, but you don’t want it to be a recurring problem. At some point, you got to be able to find that motivation yourself. And we haven’t played any preseason games yet, right? and the ball can get rolled out there on the court and all of this flips because all of a sudden the lights are on and Kell’s playing in games that matter is preseason games. They don’t really matter. Whatever. It’s early. To your point, David, it’s early. Kell can still change it. But if and and I’m not sounding alarms like to me this isn’t a panic meter. I’m not saying Kell’s a bust. I don’t think either of us are there yet. But it’s just hey, he’s got all the talent in the world. He’s got to put it together. And his head coach is being critical of him in a way that he typically isn’t. I don’t think that that means spo panic. I just think that he’s looked at this situation, said this is what it’s required of me to do as the coach to bring the thing out of Kell that I that we need out of him. Um, but if we were doing a starting five based on deserved through two days of training camp, mind you, it’s only two days of training camp, but just earned. Maybe not deserved, but earned. Yeah, earned. It would be understanding that Hero’s not part of it because he’s hurt. Da’Von Mitchell, Norm Pal, Wiggins, Nico, and Bam. That would be the starting five because also DaVon had a really nice couple of days of camp, too. Uh, more just shoehorning that part of that in here, too. Um, speaking of training camp, maybe not such a great day for Terry Rosier, who incurred another setback. We’ll talk about that next. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season’s here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss because right now new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 on bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet. You put down five bucks and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets that you can use across the app. You’ll love how FanDuel gives you so many ways to play. Uh you can build parlays, you can try player props, you can even follow the live lines during games. So much action going on with the NFL now. And it makes watching football even more exciting when you’ve got a little something right on the action. Whether you’re a casual f or you love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. So, what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download that FanDuel app today and get started. That’s fuel.com. We’ll be right back. [Music] Let’s get to the other big news item from training camp. Terra Rosier suffered a hamstring strain after just one day. uh and he’s going to miss the rest of training camp. At least that’s what he told us. Um potentially even some of the preseason. David Terrosir seemed to be in good spirits when he was talking with the media, but uh obviously tough news for a guy who really needed a bounceback season. Yeah. You know, I’m kind of finding even as you’re saying this, like of course he’s in good spirits. He’s getting paid $20 million a year to basically do nothing. I mean, I’d be in pretty good spirits, too, I guess. Um, yeah, I can’t I know I’m I’m being reductive and dismissive of the the quote unquote competitive spirit, but we just spent time criticizing Khil for not having that competitive spirit. Why should we assume Terry has it? Like, I know we’ve seen sparks of it in the past, but at the same time, uh, he’s getting paid handsomely this season and he doesn’t really have to do anything. So, we talked about in during the offseason how important this time was, especially for Terry. That was before Tyler’s injury. Yeah, he needed this moment to be able to showcase what he can do to be able to show that he’s still deserving of minutes and he’s not even going to be there. Like we were just done with media day and everybody’s talking about the weight he’s dropped. Spo mentioned he’s dropped 10 pounds. He looks in great shape, etc. I didn’t even think the weight was an issue. Fair enough. And yet it doesn’t matter. Looking good on the sidelines doesn’t help. And it doesn’t help this team that needs somebody to pop. You know, those were SP words. We talked about it leading up to media day. Somebody needs to find a way to stand out. And Terry has an inside track on that because he’s been there. This isn’t a guy in a second year or a third year player. This isn’t a young player who not isn’t quite sure of where he fits into the roster. Terry doesn’t have to care about that. He just has to go out there and do what he can at the best of his ability. And that’s something he hasn’t been able to do in quite some time. So, this is pretty disappointing. I don’t know if this is a a veteran move of kind of like ah, you know, I’ll just take the preseason off and gonna just coast in there. We’ve seen other players do it throughout NBA history. I know that’s I don’t know why he’d want to do that, especially if you’re trying to I want to say this, if he he did tell us if it were up to him, he’d be out there and the medical staff is being very careful with his hamstring. And I just would like to point this little detail out. Not saying that it necessarily has anything to do with this, but if Tay Rosier sustains a major season ending injury, the rest of his contract becomes fully guaranteed and the Heat lose access to that break glass in case of emergency $1.7 million that they can create in room if they wave his contract because it’s it’s that much is not guaranteed part of his salary. So, not saying it has anything to do with it. Just pointing out a little detail. That’s all I’m saying. the medical staff is being extremely careful with Terry Rosier with this hamstring injury. Yeah, that’s it’s still um that makes sense. I guess you’re kind of balancing the needs of the team and the possibility, but you you just want I don’t know, man. Like like Terry just has to go out there and play like he’s got to be able to earn some playing time. You know, the the back court is looking a little funny. Tyler’s injury, strangely enough, does create less of a log jam, but somebody needs to be able to find a way to contribute. It’s we’re not we’re talking about an injury that might he’s going to set out training camp and maybe a preseason game or two. Like this isn’t a debilitating injury. He’ll probably still play some preseason. He’ll be there, you know, he’s projected to be there for the start of the season. And to your point, David, it’s like he’s not Kasparus Yakonis. He doesn’t have to be here for the install. He knows how to play NBA basketball. It’s like, “Okay, Rosier, we’re not going to ask a ton of you other than to just go out there and score some points, and we know that you can do that when you can do that, right?” And so, um, I don’t know. I I don’t think it’s as dire, but to your point, it this was a really important time for Terry Rosier to at least make himself shine a little bit more um and kind of start what could be the process of a bounceback season because he does have the talent. It’s there and when he’s right, he does provide something that this this offense desperately needs, especially with Hero Out, which is just off ball creation. Give him the ball and let him go to work, which this team doesn’t have a lot of those guys. Yeah. What does the backcourt rotation look like at this point? You got Tyler out and then two of the guys that were supposed to be competing for minutes and Pella Larson and now Rosier missing camp due to injury. So where’s the depth here? Like we had talked in the offseason about depth being a major strength of this team for this season and it’s not looking so good. Again, maybe these aren’t again long lasting injuries. they’ll be able to work their way into it at some point. But again, you just have to be able to showcase and be able to play and and I don’t know, try and try to install something in camp, right? I mean, Spo is out here saying he’s he’s torn up the old game plan, spent the last six weeks building a scheme and all this stuff. To your point, like in these scrimmages during training camp, I’m assuming Pella, to your point, also sat out today um after sitting out the the first day, so he hasn’t been part of this. He’s been doing light work off to the side. Terriier did some stationary shooting. That was about it. But in terms of the five on fives, it’s I mean, unless I’m forgetting somebody in the back court, Da’Von Mitchell, Norm Pal, Drew Smith, Kasparus, Yakonas. You’ve got four guys, which is enough. You know, it’s enough to run through some rotations and some five on fives and stuff like that, but um you hope that that’s not the only guys that you’re working with uh when the season starts. Yeah. And and we don’t even expect Caspers to really play much of a role. Like I mean I think now he might though, right? We’re going to get some we’re going to get some minutes there from him uh during the preseason which is fantastic. Um and they should I hope he has enough of a bounce back. Did he speak about him? Did he did uh Spo mentioned that one of the highlights from uh practice today was DaVon and and Cass going at it. Said that they both kind of have that dog in them. And if Cass is going up, if if Cass is going up to DaVon like that, I’m like, I didn’t real Yeah. Yeah. I wasn’t familiar with your game like that, Cass. Yeah, cuz Davon’s not the kind of guy that a lot of people want to challenge. Uh so I like to see that. I like to hear that. Um yeah, that’s a strong recommend or I don’t know recommendation not necessarily the word here but you know strong showing following what was a disappointing summer league for him and you know we were both so bullish about the selection when it was made and there was high potential and he slipped in the draft and he fits an area of need too but you like to hear that you like to hear that he’s competitive that he understands this and I think that was part of the what they liked about him is that uh they knew he had a little bit of an attitude that he could play at a high level and then he was willing to take on those challenges. It was the thing when I started asking around after the draft. I’m like, “All right, let me get to know a little bit more intel on this Cass guy. Everybody I talked to was like, “This guy’s a freak.” Like fiery competitor. I’m like, “Oh, there it is.” That’s why the Heat don’t care about the turnovers. They just they want you to just be loud and obnoxious and be like going toe-to-toe with DaVon Mitchell. They’ll figure out the turnover part of it later. Um that’s the big reason why they liked him. Uh Haka Jr. told us that he wants to be somebody that Bam relies on. We’re going to talk about what he meant by that and why it should be an encouraging sign for him and what should also be for him a bounceback season. We’ll do that after this. Today’s episode is brought to you by Pelaton. Pelaton is shaping the future of fitness with a brand new Pelaton crossraining tread plus powered by Pelaton IQ. It’s their most advanced equipment yet, designed to give you real time guidance and endless ways to move. Whether you’re running, lifting, or crossraining with your favorite instructors, this is Traing Training Reimagined. Platon is built for breakthroughs with tools that help you plan, stay motivated, and reach peak performances. Uh, listen, the personalized classroom conditions keep you engaged. You get workouts tailored to your vibe and the energy level each week. They adapt, they change to help you reach your goals. And that’s what it’s all about. Sometimes you just need a little extra boost and Pelaton helps you get there. So many different ways that they can help your training methods and this is the tool for you. So let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Pelaton Crash Training Tread Plus today at oneplaton.com. That’s oneplaton.com. We’ll be right back. [Music] Thanks again for making Lockdown Heat your first listen of the day. Hey, best way to support the show, like and subscribe on YouTube. Let’s go to our media day interviews where hackers Jr. told us that he wants to be more of a leader in the locker room and specifically that somebody bam can rely on. We’re going to play a clip and then we’re going to react. What do you want to try to be for this organization as they kind of get into this next chapter? Yeah, I want to be a guy who helps them put a banner up. That’s what I want to be. um whatever that role may be. Uh I think that, you know, it’s important to, you know, be that guy, you know, not just on the floor, but off the floor as well. You know, I talked to Bam this off seasonason and how I want to, you know, help him, you know, kind of in that leadership role be a guy that he can lean on and, you know, improve because, you know, I am a younger guy, but I am like an older guy, you know, at the same time. Like I’m not a old rookie. You’re not 20 years old. You’re a little Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I’m on the older side, but I I’m in my third year, but I still, you know, feel like I’ve taken a lot of leadership roles in the past. Um, so I told, you know, that’s something me and Bam talked about while we were in Greece, and I want to be able to, you know, be there for him and help him with that role. And and what did he respond to that? Uh, he was he was happy about it. He’s like, I want you to do that. He was very encouraging. He’s like, yeah, you know, I can’t do this by myself. David, I know that particular moment with Haime really stood out to you. Why? Yeah, I just the idea that a younger player and not even necessarily one guaranteed of a a rotation spot is willing to step up and and he pointed out also the fact that he is slightly on the older side. He’s not your typical 19year-old rookie that was drafted three years ago. He’s a little bit older. So, there’s maybe more of a little life experience to kind of add uh some weight behind his voice there in the locker room. And I think that’s something that we talked about also in terms of what this locker room is going to be like. You know, no Jimmy Butler Bam and a bio changing now Tyler out for the start of the year. Where does that leadership come from? Where is that voice that that kind of echoing through the locker room? No, Kevin Love. And we know he was definitely a positive influence on the locker room over the last couple seasons. And y now you’re going to have to find that leadership field somewhere. Even Duncan kind of responding to a guy like Kevin, Duncan Robinson that is, you know, and he’s not there around anymore. So, who are you getting that from? Is it DaVon? He seems more of a kind of just trying to find his way because he’s never really been relied on. More of a vocal guy on the floor, but what do you need from him behind the scenes, you know? And I think a guy like Haime sees that and that’s why he reached out to Bam. I think it was a really smart veteran move, if I may say. like I he’s not really quite a veteran, but he is again a little bit older and he recognizes there’s a leadership gap here. There’s a a void that needs to be filled. Bam has it, but I’ve got to be able to help out as much as possible. Again, Norman Wigs for all their veterans in terms of they’ve got longer NBA careers, longer than anybody else in the roster, both of them, and yet never really been expected to fill that leadership role. like Powell, a guy who’s been coming off the bench for most of his career and kind of helping out here and there, but he was playing on teams with Kawhi Leonard, he was playing on teams with uh, you know, James Harden, etc. He’s been playing on teams with Damen Lillard. Like, those were established veterans, Hall of Famers, all of them and and he what’s he gonna say? You know, he’s not going to be that guy. He doesn’t have to anybody’s toes. Uh, Andrew Wiggins, the same thing from Minnesota being a rookie playing alongside. Never been a leader. Never been a leader. Never. Yeah. Never. He never had to be. So, where does the leadership come from? And and I’m I’m curious to see how the team responds to it because I think Haim is capable of that role, but do they respect him? Uh, unless he’s putting up the production to kind of back that up. And it’s different like Udonis Hlam. Udonis Hlam had earned that spot. He could have said anything because he’d already proved himself. He already won his championships. He put up his numbers. The fact that he was on the end of the bench and never Kevin Love last year too, right? Future Hall of Famer. Exactly. Nobody like Yeah. UD Jersey retired in this building. You listen to him. Kevin Love, one of the all-timers, future Hall of Famer champion. You listen to him regardless of what stage of their career they’re in. And that’s a great point that you make with Hime Hakees because he’s going to need to have a productive bounceback season for his voice to carry any kind of weight. To your point though, I love that he’s laying the groundwork for this stuff and he just he seems to be just in in such a better mindset. He you talked at media day about getting a mental coach and things like that. like this guy is really being deliberate and purposeful and intentional to use one of Spose words and what this bounceback year is going to look like and it’s not going to just be I hope the shot goes in more than it used to right it’s I got to be mentally better I got to be physically better you and I already commented about physically he does look better um uh we asked him about that and he said that yeah last year was just you know a little off athletically and all these things like that should be better this year um but He needs it has to happen. It has to materialize on the court for him to carry that weight because what I when I hear him talk about that and the leadership role he wants to take he’s he has no illusions of what he who he is on this on the roster either. Right. He’s not Bam. He knows that. That’s the captain. I go off of him. He needs followers. Bam needs like disciples. Bam needs if anything could Hime be like the ambassador to the young guy corner of that locker room. Bam can get wigs in line. Bam can get DaVon on. Bam can get Norm Pal. Bam can and Tyler Herro can do a lot of that. We also heard a lot about Tyler Herro’s leadership towards the end of last year. But Bam, that’s he’s got everybody. He’s going to wrangle up everybody. But in terms of like, hey, I need somebody to reach out to the young guys cuz maybe I’m Bam and I frankly I don’t have time to talk to Kasparus Yakonis right now. But here’s the message that you need to deliver to that corner of the locker room. Maybe that’s where Haime comes in as sort of that like consigary type of guy, right-hand man perhaps for Bam. I like it. I like it. It does make sense. Sometimes you just need somebody like he spoke to us about the different vibe and feeling a little bit younger uh as a whole and uh he’s the older veteran of the younger section of that roster. And I never I never considered that. Yeah, you’ve got a a 25 year old that’s entering his third year in the NBA and isn’t guaranteed a spot and hasn’t done anything isn’t going to go up to a guy like Andrew Wiggins that has won a championship and order him to do something. That’s not how that works. You know, even a guy like LeBron James had to come in and cut his teeth as good as he was as a rookie. And that’s just that’s not whoa is either. So, uh you can’t just bully around those older players or or even provide that kind of vocal leadership. get in their face and kind of say, “No, we need you to do this, etc.” Right? Or be the guy too who raises his hand and says, “Hey, if you need to deliver a message loudly, deliver it to me.” Right? You hear about players being like, “Coach me as hard as you can because that like we hear about Tim Duncan doing this with Papovic. Coach me is as if you would anybody else because that sends the message to everybody else.” And if Haime is doing that with Bam and said, “Hey, Bam, you got a critique on the young guys on the roster. Give it to me. I’ll raise my hand.” and then everybody else maybe will get the picture. I don’t know. It’s like that that kind of thing is really important in a locker room. Yeah. No doubt. Um it shows that Bam is coming from a place where he has your best interest at heart because we heard Bam even say that he’s he’s tough on Khil. Khil’s not responding. But you wonder if if he kind of delivers the same vocal leadership to a guy like Haime and he accepts it and reflects it and shows it’s okay to be criticized by the older players. It’s okay to be criticized by these guys because they’re doing it with their best interest at heart. Like that’s, you know, it’s something that that UD talked about a lot, you know, in terms of of overall leadership. You know, the team puts you through the paces and they make you work your butt off. But the payday at the end, both literally and figuratively, is what makes it all worth it. If you can adapt to it, if you can accept it, and you can grow and learn from it, you’re going to get your rewards. You’re going to be benefiting from this in the long run. And I think that’s where they’re kind of in a stop gap here, you know, where they’re not quite they’re not quite there. They need somebody to be able to express this to the younger players who are still trying to cut their teeth, trying to figure their role out and they might be they might be sensitive to it. It might not be easy for a secondyear player to that coming from a guy like B that they might look up to etc. So uh a guy like Haime who accepts that who understands it and knows it is what it is uh he might he might be that liaison. I I’ve never considered it before. It it’s it’s a level of buyin that helps Miami kind of create the culture that they’re trying to create in the post Jimmy Bowler era. And um you know, guys have to do it. Guys have to buy in. And and of all the guys that I think we talked to at media day, David, I I maybe came away I didn’t come away more impressed with anybody than than I was with Haime. I thought that his sit down was very impressive. It was a lot of level of self-awareness and I’m really excited to see what this year could look like uh for him. Um especially if he does embrace this type of role. But that is going to do it for us today. Let us know in the comments section what you think about Terry Rosier’s injury, about Haime Hakas’s new role, at least the role that he stated he wants, and whether or not you think Nico is going to be the starter at this point. If Spo’s latest comments maybe have you changing your mind as well. But that’ll do it for us today. Thanks for making Lockdown Heat your first listen today.

The Miami Heat’s second day of training camp brought major storylines — from Erik Spoelstra publicly challenging Kel’el Ware’s consistency to Terry Rozier suffering a hamstring injury that could affect the preseason rotation.
Wes Goldberg and David Ramil break down what Spo’s comments really mean for Kel’el’s role, whether Nikola Jovic is now the front-runner to start next to Bam, and how the backcourt depth is suddenly thinning. Plus, Jaime Jaquez Jr. told us directly that he wants to become someone Bam Adebayo relies on — could he emerge as a surprise locker-room leader in the post-Jimmy era?

0:00 Intro
1:30 Kel’el losing grip on starting spot?
12:49 Terry Rozier injury update
21:36 Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s new leadership role

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