Ryan Conwell is wasting no time pushing his way into the Miami Heat conversation.
The former Louisville standout has been one of the early bright spots for a Miami team trying to figure out its rotation, and his latest preseason outing only strengthened the case that he belongs in the mix. Conwell led the Heat with 21 points in their loss to the Magic, knocking down 3 of 7 from 3-point range and finishing 9 of 17 from the field. He also showed he can do more than score, handing out seven assists.
Conwell’s preseason line backed up what Miami has already seen from him all summer. He impressed during NBA Summer League, carried that momentum into training camp, and kept building from there.
In five preseason games, he led the Heat in scoring twice - with 21 against Orlando and 22 against the Timberwolves - while averaging 13 points and 4.8 assists off the bench. He shot 43% from the field and hit eight 3-pointers across those five games.
That kind of production matters for a Heat team looking for help around its new frontcourt. Miami’s offseason headline move was landing two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who now pairs with Bam Adebayo to give the Heat one of the league’s most imposing frontcourts.
The big question is how the rest of the roster provides spacing and scoring. Conwell is making a strong early argument that he can be part of the answer.
His scoring profile makes that fit even more intriguing. Conwell made at least 99 3-pointers in each of his last three college seasons, including a career-high 112 at Louisville last year. He led the Cardinals with 18.8 points per game and had 15 games with 20 or more points, including two games with 30-plus.
Now he’s translating that offensive punch to the NBA level. For Miami, that’s exactly what a bench scorer is supposed to do - make the game easier, not harder. And Conwell has made a real case that he can give Erik Spoelstra that kind of value right away.
In Other News...
Louisville Just Got A Huge Seth Trimble Boost For This Season
Louisville picked up a major roster boost when Judge Brian Edwards of the Jefferson County Circuit Court granted Seth Trimble eligibility to play for the Cardinals under the five-for-five rule. For a team looking to stay competitive this season, getting that ruling in place removes an important uncertainty and gives Louisville another player it can count on as it builds out the rotation.
Trimbles availability comes amid a busy stretch around the program, with other former and current Cardinals making news of their own. Ryan Conwell closed his NBA preseason with 21 points for the Miami Heat, while Louisville football quarterback Lincoln Kienholz added to the schools momentum by setting a program record with an 82-yard rushing touchdown in a win over Syracuse. For the basketball side, though, the Trimble decision is the one that could matter most right away. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohm May Have Just Saved Louisvilles Season Path
Louisvilles season has taken a better turn over the past two weeks, and the difference has been hard to miss. After early defensive issues, especially against the pass, Jeff Brohm got more directly involved on that side of the ball and the Cards have responded with two straight wins, along with a much more disruptive pass rush and a defense that has kept opponents below their usual scoring pace.
With a week off in hand, the next stretch now looms large over the final five regular-season games. The offense, led by quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, has done its part and given Louisville a stable foundation, but the real question is whether the defensive fixes that steadied the last two games can hold up once the schedule starts demanding answers again. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelseys New-Look Louisville Team Faces An Early Contender Test
Pat Kelseys first Louisville team is getting thrown right into the fire, with a preseason matchup against Kansas serving as an early measuring stick for a roster that looks nothing like last years. The Cardinals enter the season ranked No. 11 in the first AP Poll and have overhauled the lineup with 11 new players, giving Kelsey plenty to sort out before the games start counting for real.
The bigger picture is just as demanding, because Louisville is not easing into anything. The schedule is loaded with ranked opponents, which will quickly show whether this group can come together fast enough to compete at the level Kelsey is aiming for. For a team with Final Four ambitions, the first real test comes early, and it should say plenty about how far this rebuild can go. [Read more 🡒]