Erik Spoelstra’s 16th training camp as head coach of the Miami Heat is in the books.
The Heat return to Miami after completing a five-day training camp at Florida Atlantic University on Saturday afternoon.
“I just think we accomplished a lot,” Spoelstra said of the workweek.
“We have ticked the boxes that we want to include in this project.
I started making this connection.
We definitely had a great competition and we finished strong.
Last night (Friday) there was a (team) barbecue and today we finished with a good targeted workout.
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05:00 Most of the Heat players who participated in the NBA Finals last season are back, helping to speed up the learning process in training camp.
But there are also some new faces in the mix.
After losing Udonis Haslem, Victor Oladipo, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Omer Yurtseven and Cody Zeller this offseason, the Heat brought back Josh Richardson, Thomas Bryant and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The Heat also signed three players to two-way contracts (R.J.
Hampton, Jamal Cain and Dru Smith) and five players signed Exhibit 10 contracts that essentially represent invitations to training camp (Cheick Diallo, Justin Champagnie , Drew Peterson, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams).
“I really like it,” Spoelstra said of the Heat’s mix of new and returning players.
“So it’s quite different, but we can move forward quickly because we’ve brought in a lot of guys.
The team definitely has a different feel.
Every season and every team is different.
But when you bring in a lot of your main players, you tend to think it’s going to be pretty similar.
And it just has a completely different vibe, a different feeling.
Earlier in the week, Spoelstra said he felt the Heat’s current roster had “more depth” than last season.
“We feel like we have more depth and that’s probably because it’s more functional position depth at specific positions,” Spoelstra said again Saturday.
Two important items on the coaching staff’s to-do list before the Heat open the regular season on October 25 against the Detroit Pistons:
Select the early season rotation and complete the 15-player squad.
The Heat must add at least one player to a standard contract before the start of the regular season, as the new CBA makes it difficult for teams to consistently sign fewer than 14 players to standard deals .
The Heat’s roster currently includes 13 players on standard contracts, with Exhibit 10 players and two-way deals competing for that open spot.
“In the preseason, I’m going to have to balance all of that,” Spoelstra said.
“All the things you need to do.
We wanted to get the guys into a rhythm right away.
We want to start having a framework for what the pivot will look like.
I doubt that everything will be decided even at the final preparation match.
I want to look at some of them and commend them for the work they’ve put in this summer and in training camp.
Then we will also evaluate the players.
How many games do we have?
Year.
I will try to get all of this done in the next two weeks.
We’ll see.
” Next up for the Heat is the intrasquad “Red, White and Pink Game” at 6 p.m.
Monday:
30 hours at Kaseya Center.
Tickets for the match are still available and cost $5 each, with proceeds going to benefit cancer.