Before the Miami Heat take on the Charlotte Hornets Sunday night, it will also be the celebration of the organization's greatest player in Dwyane Wade. There is no doubt that himself and head coach Erik Spoelstra have been through a lot together as the pair went to four straight NBA Finals, capturing two championships.
Spoelstra spoke before the game about the celebration tonight as he was inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame last year. The head coach who just received a long-term extension also even offered that if Wade wanted to change his career path post-retirement, that he should go into coaching.
“We're all able to experience how he was able to capture the hearts of everybody here in South Florida and not everybody can do that. There's a lot of players that can really compete and play at this game, but not everyone can leave such an impression on you,” Spoelstra said. So it was a really fun weekend, we're able to celebrate each other, we're all able to be in the same place at the same time where it's not crammed in or after a game. So it'll be an awesome night tonight. I was able to see him and hang out with them before the Laker game in the coach's office and threw it out there that if he ever wants to change his course of his career, he can always jump into coaching is gone. His comment was like ‘This office looks pretty lonely'.'
Wade will speak to the crowd at halftime in Sunday's game along with festivities throughout the night like DJ Khaled performing after. However, there is still a game ahead for Miami as they look to win two straight after the gritty victory against the Orlando Magic Friday night.
Spoelstra speaks on Kevin Love “embracing his role” with Heat
However, there will be some key absences in Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love along as some returners in Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Love has been integral for the Heat as the main backup center to star Bam Adebayo as Spoelstra talked about him embracing his role at the stage of his career.
“He's a glue guy, he's a connector, he makes a lot of lineups look better, and that's what great players do. And he's fully embraced this role. We've been embraced him as well. And he's a value add based on his ability to rebound, get us out into the open court. His IQ on both ends of the court,” Spoelstra said. “It's doesn't take a lot to figure out like why it works, if you can get a great player at this stage in their careers where they embrace this kind of role, that's a great thing. But we have other guys that have been playing and stepping up and thankfully we have some other guys that are back, Kyle [Lowry] and Tyler [Herro] and H [Haywood Highmsith] and Caleb [Martin] as well.”
Spoelstra speaks about Lamelo Ball's impact to Hornets
As for the Hornets, they have been dreadful as they are 8-28 on the season. However, Spoelstra mentions the players they have missed like star LaMelo Ball who the head coach said to ClutchPoints impacts the game.
“The pace that he can bring and the way he can set up other guys you know is unique. That's so much of this league is whether you can get your bodies out there. When they've been able to have the majority the guys, which they don't, but it's a an an explosive offensive team,” Spoelstra said. “[Terry] Rozier was playing his career best. Before that, Bridges was playing his career best. And Ball only played 16 games. So when you're sitting down to prep for them, you're like, Wow, this is a lot of firepower. This is a lot of talent. And we just want to build on what we did in the Orlando game where it was one of our top defensive games of the season if not the best.”
Friday's win brings the Heat to a 22-16 record as entering in the game against Charlotte, they were seventh in the Eastern Conference. With the majority of the rest of the month inside the Kaseya Center, this is a prime opportunity to rack up wins and secure a seeding spot almost halfway into the season.
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