Miami Heat Reveal Starting Plan w/ Nikola Jović | Andrew Wiggins Looks Good and Dru Smith Is Back!

Miami Heat Reveal Starting Plan w/ Nikola Jović | Andrew Wiggins Looks Good and Dru Smith Is Back!

Hey, welcome on in guys. Tobin here with you and thanks for checking out the channel. Miami Heat. Oh man, we had the Miami Heat back today, dude. In Puerto Rico taking on the Orlando Magic, they end up losing 126 to 118 in a game they mostly controlled throughout the way. Eric Spolstra, but a lot of interesting things in this game, particularly in the first half. second half was a lot of young guys and new guys and honestly the the the the basketball in the fourth quarter was was worse than summer league like it was not a a a great watch but the early going there was a lot of things that were interesting and a lot of stuff uh to dive into now mind you the heat they come into this game uh a lot of their guards are out Mitchell’s hurt Casper’s Yakonis is out we know Tyler Herro’s out for a while Larson’s hurt. Terry Roier is hurt. So, five of their guards are out. Now, I came into this thing not knowing what the status was of Drew Smith. I was unaware. I was like, is he playing? Is he good to go? Well, we got our answer today. And I I honestly think this, guys, I honestly think that that is probably the best story of the of the the um the game today. I really do. I mean, Drew Smith was was out on the court making things happen. Um he was a team high today I believe a team high plus 11 in his 10 minutes out there. But like he looked good. I mean he looked absolutely moving well. He was crafting through the through the paint. He was hitting runners. He was uh you know he had a couple of blocks out there today. One of the guys he’s meeting at the rim. I’m just like damn Drew Smith. all this talk about, oh my god, look at the Achilles recovery for Jason Tatum and wish him well, wish him the fastest, but you know, you want to start looking at how the guys are coming back from uh from Achilles injuries. I was like, “Oh, this guy, I mean, this is this is crazy. He’s got to come back from that.” And what did he come back? He came back. This was December of last year. December of last year. And he’s on the court already playing like that. What a de he looked good today, dude. Looked confident. Got his contract. I was happy for Drew Smith. So that that to me I think is overall the best story because we’ve talked about the Miami Heat and their guards. We And let me tell you something, dude. Eric Spolstra loves this guy. Okay, he absolutely adores Drew Smith. So, Drew Smith coming back here and uh and already making his presence known. Very interesting. I will me I I I will I will put that out there. That is very very interesting. So, there’s that. Let’s get to the starting lineup of today and let’s get to this because um you know, as far as the young guys in the end, I mean, you had a good game from Trevor Kees. He looked pretty good. We got to see Precious Chachua in the second half. Uh, you know, that was kind of cool. They they had him in there getting runs. Supposed he was going to try and play everybody. He did. Vlad Golden then got in like midway through the fourth. So, saw a lot of that. Uh, we got a cool Keshaw Johnson reverse jam from this kid Jamir Young. So, that was kind of cool in the second half. And then, uh, Kel Wear, a lot of eyes on him today. What was his production going to be like? And it was pretty strong. I mean, Kel Wear today finished with 10 points in what was his total minutes today? Hold on. Let’s expand this box score. Yeah, 17 minutes, 10 points, nine rebounds, one steel, and he was four of 10 from the field. Like that was the only thing. And mind you, it’s a you know, it’s a that’s a Magic team with some real size in it. Wendell Carter, Goa Pat, you know, some some actual dudes. So, it’s a nice little test. And I think that was my big takeaway from this game. A Fran Vagner, I don’t know if he’s hurt heard or just didn’t play. He did not play in this game. They went with a starting line of Apollo Bono, Tristan Dilva, Wendell Carter, Taius Jones, and of course their newly acquired guard, Desmond Bane. The Miami Heat started this game. And this gives us a little bit of insight into what Spo is thinking, but not too much of a surprise based on the fact that they gave this guy an extension. But, uh, Nicola Yovich, dude, got himself a starting lineup nod today. So, Nico gets the start in the starting lineup. Here’s what we had. Nico, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adabio, Norman Pal, and then you had Haime Hakez Jr. sitting basically in the other guard spot today. although he was in uh he was in rebounding mode a lot down low today. But uh Haime was put in the starting lineup which uh you know I wasn’t surprised. I was like look if anybody’s going to take advantage of this it’s got to be Haime Hakez. But here are the things that stood about the Heat. All right they they really did try and run more today. I mean that really was a thing. the Heat tried to turn the ball over and when they got turnovers, they tried to get out and run and make things happen. So, that was a that was a thing that was very noticeable from Miami today. Uh Andrew Wiggins looking super comfortable, super smooth. That was exciting to see. Andrew Wiggins had a shot going today. I believe he finishes Miami’s leading score. He had 11 points in 12 minutes. Uh yeah, he was 46, two-2 from downtown. uh had but my probably my favorite one of my well one of my favorite I had two favorite plays today but Andrew Wiggins had this beautiful rip that led to a Norman Powell to Nico Yovic alleyoop and I was like that was that was pristine. I enjoyed seeing that. That was that was a sight to behold. So that was very enjoyable. Nico Listen, I I don’t want to be I don’t want to be a Waw Wa. I don’t be a want to be a racetrack. I don’t want to be a BP. I don’t want to be gassing this guy up too much. All right? And And so I’m going to I’m going to be even keeled when I say this, but the way Nicola Yovic plays basketball, it moves me. It it it just it does wonders for the soul the way this man plays basketball. fast head down getting to the rim and ones and the thing that I liked about it today and I and I think that should be noticed this was a lot of battling Paulo Bangerro that that was that was noticeable today you know that that he was guarding him early Paulo got some and ones on him but Paulo didn’t exactly feast today you know finished with a uh was seven points two of seven not a great day for him and they had some but man, he hits this step back three on Paulo Bonero. And I love saying his name, by the way. And I’m just like, yo, dude. Like, what are you going to say? Like, this this is what we’ve seen from him. He looks very, very comfortable. He looks very uh he looks he looks tremendous in his skills. And by the way, that then led to Paliban Carro fouling him on a three-point shot. So he’s now getting a guy who everybody looks at and says, “Hey, Paliban Kerry is one of the best young players in the league.” And Yovic is here like got him absolutely shook chasing on on three balls and fouling him on three-point shots. I mean, I’m just sitting here and it’s noticeable. I don’t I’m not going to I don’t I don’t you know, am I just supposed to ignore that? I’m just supposed to look at that and oh, that’s nothing. So, it was uh it was a really good showing for Nico. It was a good showing for Andrew Wiggins. No one pal hit some shots. Like I said, he had the assist. You know, kind of a it it reminded me a lot of uh that first game uh he played for Jamaica where it was kind of like he was kind of laying in the weeds a little bit. So, that was cool. And then Bam, fascinating game from BAM today. uh finished 0 for five from the field and uh wasn’t able to get some conversions around the rim. So that’s a noticeable thing that was like but on the good side of things seven of eight from the free throw line. Bam put his head down and was really trying to play physical and I think that was that was the Heat were trying to get to the rim today. That was something that was that was just very very noticeable from jump today. And I I think that that was uh that but but Bam particularly like set that tone. So that’s something to just keep an eye on. I haven’t heard any of the postgame. I’ve been watching too much sports tonight. All right, guys. I’m on overload. I’m about to go watch the end of the UFC card. I’ve not even gotten to see any of the fights tonight. It’s nearly 11:00 p.m. I just watched the Canes beat FSU. I was, you know, I riled up all of Lightning Twitter with just a simple tweet cuz their their team today just decided we’re going to be a bunch of goons because they want some get back for AJ Greer. And you know, they’re mad because Florida’s not only taking the crown of hockey, but taking the taken the love of this this sport in the state. And everybody who lives in Tampa Bay doesn’t even want to like the Lightning. they’d much rather live here and root for the Panthers anyway, but they’re all they’re all just in denial and and they’re silly children. So, I riled them all up. I threw a little tweet grenade and I’ve just watched them just lose their minds on themselves. It’s been delightful cackling and uh so I watched that and uh but this Heat Heat game today, it was uh yeah, the first half definitely brought something. The Heat will be back in action on Monday. I’ll be boots on the ground for that one. They’ll be taking on the Milwaukee Bucks. Um, trying to think, did I miss anything of note for today that really stands out on it? Um, not too much. Like I thought I look I thought Hakez was okay. Hakez had a little bit of a moment. He hit a shot. He hit a three right after Nico hit a three. You know, I I I I do think that like for Hakez, like he’s gota there was a couple of moments where I was like, you know, like extra possessions went the way of the Orlando Magic. So, like I’m really watching the energy there that he brings all the time. Um he was the only starter to play in the second half. So, I think Spo is looking for Haime to like really make an impact and make it like, “Hey, dude, what are you going to do? like what are we going to get from you here? And that’s that that to me was like that that to me was like an interesting thing from the negative perspective. Like if I had I was like, you know, I don’t know if I don’t know what what I you know, did I like that performance by Haime? I didn’t exactly feel like I got a guy who looked much different. But again, it’s preseason. I’m not going to, you know, put a conviction on it or nothing like that, but I c I just I have my eyes on it just because of the I think he’s I think he’s in an urgent situation to get playing time. So that’s why I’m looking at it with a little bit more of a critical eye just because I’m like, “Hey man, when Pella gets healthy and the rest of these guards get healthy, I don’t and and they’re not just doing everybody plays like I don’t know where your time’s going to be.” So, I was I’m looking for him to like try and hit the ground running and I didn’t feel that too much today. Um, but again, it’s a it’s a rando game. They played half of it in Puerto Rico. Let’s see what he does once this week gets going with the real preseason. But, um, but the way Wiggins looked, the way Nico looked, Bam’s aggression, and Drew Smith’s comeback, those to me were the big headliners today. And now we move forth to uh games in the Heats

Tobin recaps the Miami Heat preseason opener. It was a loss to the Magic in Puerto Rico in a game where the starters (the healthy ones) only played 1 half. Spo goes with Nikola Jović over Kel’el Ware and he looked good vs Paolo Banchero. Andrew Wiggins looked comfortable. Bam Adebayo parade to the free throw line and Dru Smith is all the way back.
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