The Miami Heat drop their final home preseason game to the Brooklyn Nets in a close game, 107-104, that came down to the past couple of possessions.
Heat fans at the Kaseya Center were hoping to see the team send the game into overtime and they almost got their wish as Nikola Jovic was fouled at the three-point line with around six seconds left. However, the Nets challenged the call and ultimately won which led to a jump ball at half-court. The Heat would win it, but couldn't get a good shot off after as time expired.
As reported before the game by ClutchPoints, the Heat were missing a bevy of starters which primed the team to showcase more of their young players, especially towards the end of the contest.
Here's who was missing from the Heat roster against the Nets and the reason according to the team's X (formerly known as Twitter) page:
“RJ Hampton (hip), Tyler Herro (thigh), Caleb Martin (knee), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (groin), Jimmy Butler (return to competition conditioning) and Kevin Love (allow others the opportunity to play) have all been ruled out of tonight’s preseason game vs the Nets.”
Plus, Kyle Lowry missed the game to allow others get the opportunity to play and early in the game, Josh Richardson left with a right foot injury and wouldn't return.
Here are three takeaways from the preseason loss:
Bam Adebayo with a solid game, working on his mechanics
People usually know Bam Adebayo as a dominant defensive player that is also pretty good on the offensive side of the ball. However, even though he's been in the league for six seasons, there's a possibility he might take another jump.
He finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 15 minutes of playing time. The one aspect that stood out though was his mid-range shot as you can clearly tell was a focus for Adebayo in the off-season. Hitting those on a consistent basis can make him even more dangerous and unpredictable as he's already great defensively and solid around the glass with the ball in his hands.
Last season, he averaged a career-high 20.4 points per game. If he increases that, it would make the Heat more dangerous and add another layer to his game. Against the Nets, defenders were double-guessing the path Adebayo would take which would rarely result in a contested mid-range shot as they were expecting him to drive to the basket. It'll be interesting to see how his shot develops in his seventh season.
Another big game for Cole Swider
Cole Swider has been an exciting player for the Heat in training camp and especially in the preseason, and he showed that again against the Nets Wednesday night. He finished with 15 points, tied with the team-high, and shot 50 percent from the field and made three of his eight attempts from deep.
Duncan Robinson has been struggling in the preseason, and tonight, he shot 1 for 6 from deep. With the Heat having Swider, he picked up the slack as the team's main three-point shooter in the game. Granted, it is still the preseason where the games don't matter. However, it's hard not to see the potential he has and think that Miami has landed another dynamic deep-ball shooter.
How did the other young guys like Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith play?
Like head coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game to ClutchPoints, the young players are the “lifeblood” of the team. One prodigy that Heat fans are excited about is Nikola Jovic who finished with nine points and five rebounds. He's still a work in progress as the preseason has shown, but can refine his skills throughout the season.
Dru Smith received extended playing time tonight at point guard duties since Kyle Lowry didn't play and Josh Richardson left early with an injury. Smith played close to 28 minutes and finished the game with nine points, 10 assists. It was arguably his best game in the preseason as the 10 assists were huge in showcasing his skills in the position that the Heat are lacking in.
Other young players such as Justin Champagnie and Orlando Robinson are vying for a roster spot and each had some moments of their own. With most of the young guys playing hard on the court, it'll be a difficult task for Spoelstra to decide who makes the roster and who doesn't.
He'll have more time as the final preseason game for the Heat is Friday as they travel to face the Houston Rockets.
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