Erik Spoelstra Articles - Page 35

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was hopeful to bring back veteran icon Dwyane Wade for what would be his last season in the league, and while he couldn’t have predicted a tooth-and-nail fight with the Detroit Pistons for the last playoff spot in the East, he expected his longtime stud to have a significant […]

The Miami Heat expect to have former All-Star guard Goran Dragic back soon after the All-Star break following a two-month injury layoff for the 32-year-old. Once he gets back to full speed, he will surely reclaim his starting post, which may give Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra a bit of a headache. Recently, 22-year-old Heat […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had a tough loss to swallow after losing 120-118 against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. The Heat led by as many as 19 points with 4:38 remaining in the first quarter, a lead the Warriors quickly evaporated, cutting it down to 10 by the end of the […]

The recent surplus of healthy bodies (ironic, right?) has put Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra in a tough conundrum, forced to shuffle bodies in and out of the lineup, tinkering with his rotations, roles, and minutes as he tries to navigate his team to playoff contention. Spoelstra admitted that he is unsure if he’s […]

On Monday, it was announced that Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. will miss at least the next six weeks due to bone bruises in his right knee. Jones originally suffered the injury during the Heat’s win over the New York Knicks on Sunday. It initially looked much worse than that, so bone bruises are […]

The Miami Heat host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday evening, and once the game begins, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will pass Hall of Famer Pat Riley for most games coached in franchise history. Spoelstra, who became the head coach back in 2008, is currently tied with Riley for games coached in Miami history at […]

An influx of healthy bodies has put Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra in a tough position, forced to shuffle his lineup and accommodate his players in different minute allocations. Center Kelly Olynyk now finds himself as the odd man out in the rotation, obscured by a tandem of starter Hassan Whiteside and second-year big […]

The Miami Heat have gone a mere 5-5 since getting bodies back into the rotation, slipping to seventh place in the Eastern Conference and in danger of missing out on the postseason. Forward James Johnson knows that after losing five of their last eight games, head coach Erik Spoelstra will shuffle up his current lineup, […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge had a fun exchange that centered on Pat Riley. Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Spoelstra and Ainge slipped in a playful exchange upon shaking hands. Spoelstra shakes hands with Danny Ainge and quips, “Don’t send a picture of that […]

The Miami Heat registered a big win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, but that does not mean Erik Spoelstra is happy with where his team currently stands. As a matter of fact, the head coach was actually irritated after the Heat’s victory. While Spoelstra declined to say what he was specifically upset about, […]

Miami Het coach Erik Spoelstra is regarded as one of the better coaches in the league. He has taken a starless Heat squad and turned them into playoff contenders for the second straight year. Because of his good standing, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Spoelstra will likely take responsibility for Heat future plans when […]

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is not an All-Star caliber player anymore. That much is obvious. However, in what he says is his final year in the NBA, he is currently second among Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting, with only Boston Celtics floor general Kyrie Irving ahead of him. In spite of the fact […]

The tide of the season has changed the Miami Heat rotation after a slew of injuries and returns from the infirmary. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has had to shuffle his guys in and out of the rotation, but no move has hurt more than sitting his trusty veteran Wayne Ellington. Ellington’s career has flourished during […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra named his longtime forward Justise Winslow as the team’s new starting point guard in the wake of a league-best five-game win streak to put the team back at the .500 mark. “[Justise Winslow] is our starting point guard,” said Spoelstra on Wednesday morning, according to Tim Reynolds of The […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra became the 32nd coach in NBA history to win 500 games on Sunday when the Heat defeated the Orlando Magic. He also became only the seventh coach with 500 or more wins to have a 60 percent winning rate. Erik Spoelstra now has a career coaching record of 500-336 in […]

With injuries piling up, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will be looking to use forward Justise Winslow at the point. The Heat have some experience dealing with injuries the last couple of years. With point guard Goran Dragic set to miss two months following knee surgery, Spoelstra knows he’s going to need to get creative […]

The Miami Heat just lost starting point guard Goran Dragic for up to two months, but head coach Erik Spoelstra is just glad his floor general can put an end to what’s been a nagging knee injury throughout the season. “We feel good about the fact that there’s a solution now,” said Spoelstra, according to […]

The Miami Heat took no shame losing to a middle-of-the-pack Western Conference team, as the Utah Jazz drummed a 111-84 victory on their home floor, only boosting their record to 14-15 this season. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra attributed their subpar record to a cruel schedule to start the season. “With Utah, I just think everybody’s […]

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside caused quite a scene late in regulation during Tuesday’s loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday that Whiteside leaving the bench early before the game ended was “unacceptable behavior” for the big man: Erik Spoelstra said Hassan Whiteside exhibited “unacceptable behavior” leaving […]

When Dwyane Wade played his one season with the Chicago Bulls, he faced off against the Miami Heat three times. During those three games, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra threatened to fine players if they fell for his patented pump fake. Dwyane Wade has made a living of pump faking defenders and drawing fouls. Everyone […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is beating Father Time. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra called James “timeless” after his 51-point game against his former team on Sunday, per Bill Oram of The Athletic. “He’s timeless,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I throw on their games from time to time when I can’t sleep and […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had an historic night against his former team in the Miami Heat Sunday night. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra knows James and his game very well. He tried to stop James from shooting this three by bringing a double team, but it was not successful. LeBron with a DEEP […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra knows a thing or two about coaching LeBron James, and Spoelstra thinks Luke Walton is the “perfect guy” to be coaching LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers: Spoelstra calls Lakers' Luke Walton "the perfect guy to coach that team." — Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 18, 2018 Spoelstra coached LeBron […]

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has nothing but praise for Dwane Casey, and he knows that the reigning Coach of the Year isn’t the only person who lost his job because of a certain someone named LeBron James. As Spoelstra talked about Casey ahead of the Detroit Pistons’ visit to the Toronto Raptors, he said […]

With the recent launch of the NBA’s “City Edition” jerseys, one can say that the Miami Heat “Vice Nights” unis were arguably the most awesome among the bunch. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra seems to think so, even going as far as saying that his organization stands out as the most hip and fun franchise […]

For Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Justise Winslow has helped the team deal with injuries, primarily due to his ability to play different positions. As per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel, Spoelstra praised Winslow’s versatility — specifically his ability to play with or without the ball in his hands. Spoelstra also credited his professionalism, being […]

For Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs is utilizing the mid-range game better than anyone else in the league right now. As per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel, Spoelstra praised how Popovich and the Spurs have managed to play their own style and not be dragged by what […]

The Miami Heat will head into the 2018-19 NBA season with a different sense of balance, as head coach Erik Spoelstra claims his team does not have a true point guard on his roster, despite having All-Star floor general Goran Dragic in his team. Spoelstra believes that when it comes to running plays, everyone is […]

The NBA is trending in the direction of pace and space. This has made things difficult on plodding bigs who do most of their work in the low post. But Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra still believes that there is a place for the classic big man. He doesn’t believe that all bigs must be […]

Dwyane Wade’s first preseason game of his last season in the league brought forward memories of his prowess as the NBA’s once scoring champion. The 16th-year shooting guard led the team with 10 shots attempted in the first half before taking a seat on the bench for the remainder of the game, but it’s not […]

As the Miami Heat prepare to begin the 2018-19 NBA season, Erik Spoelstra and company are simply hoping to begin the year at full health. One of the biggest key injuries that they are hoping to get back to full health before the season opens up is that of James Johnson, who has been recovering […]

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised the growth of center Hassan Whiteside, confirming he will head into the 2018-19 season as the team’s starting center, according to the Five Reasons Sports Network. Spoelstra called Whiteside a key player in Miami’s equation, one he intends to let flourish throughout the course of the season. “I’m […]

After signing a max contract in 2016 to remain with the Miami Heat, the Hassan Whiteside experiment has fully reached its breaking point only two years later. All that is left is for the handshake and tears — or, at least that’s what many are speculating entering the season. Despite averaging a double-double of 10.5 […]

Ray-Ray, Sugar Ray, Jesus Shuttlesworth. These were just a few of the monikers given to Ray Allen during his playing days. According to Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who had Allen at his disposal for two seasons between 2012 and 2014, “Everyday Ray” was another nickname they had for the sharpshooter. The 47-year-old coach […]

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside had a four-hour meeting with president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra after a disappointing season where he spent time in and out of the starting lineup after being hampered by multiple injuries. The 7-footer was irate at the end of the postseason after he was clearly bumped out […]

This past season ended on a real sour note for Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. The big man struggled in the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, and he saw his minutes dwindle due to his ineffectiveness. That resulted in Whiteside complaining about his role with the team, which in turn stirred up questions about his […]

At the end of last season, it appeared that the relationship between Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat might be coming to the end. Whiteside spoke out a few times about lack of playing time and how frustrated he was with the Heat organization. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was at summer league and tried to put […]

The tension between Erik Spoelstra and Hassan Whiteside has been a recurring story surrounding the Miami Heat. Although many assume that the relationship is beyond repair, Spoelstra downplayed some of those rumors. Spoelstra told Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post: “We’ve gotten together for lunch, in constant contact on the phone and in texts. […]

It’s fair to say that it was during his stint with the Miami Heat that LeBron James started to become the complete player that he is today. Prior to his arrival in South Beach, James never won an NBA title. With the Heat, he took home two rings. As someone who has coached James for […]