Giannis Antetokounmpo came away impressed with the Miami Heat’s bench after their 129-105 win over the Toronto Raptors at Quebec City, California, and he made it clear the reserves left a strong impression.
“I was actually caught off guard during the game,” he said. “Once they went in, they were better than the first unit.
Just having a group that’s so close with one another, to play physical, they’re able to space the floor; it’s fun. In order to have a good season, you got to have a deep team.”
That depth starts with Hardaway Jr., who is coming off a Sixth Man of the Year finalist season. He led the Denver Nuggets’ bench last year with 13.5 points per game while shooting 40.7 percent from 3, along with 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 80 games, including six starts.
Hardaway Jr. finished third in the voting and then signed a one-year, $6.07 million deal with the Heat this summer. Miami expects him to bring shooting and spacing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Larsson is another name giving the Heat’s second unit some real punch. He’s coming off a breakout second season and has shown he can make an impact on or off the ball while scoring efficiently at all three levels.
With Antetokounmpo and Adebayo drawing attention inside, Larsson should have room to attack, whether that means cutting hard to the rim or creating his own shot. The 25-year-old is already being viewed as an early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player, and the last player to win both in the same season was Darrell Armstrong in 1999 with the Orlando Magic.
The Heat also have Bobby Portis Jr. and Simone Fontecchio, both capable of giving the team a lift when called upon.
Over an 82-game season, that kind of bench production can swing wins. Antetokounmpo and Adebayo won’t carry every night, and Miami’s reserves have the kind of depth to change games and pressure opposing defenses. Even one of the two-way players, such as rookie and former Miami Hurricanes guard Tre Donaldson, could catch fire on any given night.
The Heat will hold their annual Red, White, and Pink scrimmage on Tuesday night before hosting the New Orleans Pelicans at the Kaseya Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. E.T.
In Other News...
Tim Hardaway Jr Could Be The Heat's Real Swing Piece
Miamis offseason overhaul has been about more than just landing star power. Alongside the arrivals of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, the Heat added Tim Hardaway Jr. to help address a long-standing need on the perimeter, a move that fits neatly with the later signing of Klay Thompson and the decision to keep Simone Fontecchio in the mix. Hardaway brings both spacing and a track record that suggests he can fit into a rotation built to punish teams for helping off the arc.
What makes him especially interesting is the way his profile could matter in bigger moments. Hardaway shot a career-high 40.7 percent from three last season with Denver and has been through the playoff grind before from his time with Dallas, giving Miami another proven shooter with some postseason scars. In a group already reshaped by major additions, the question is whether Hardaway ends up being just part of the shooting depth or the player who quietly decides how far this new-look Heat team can go. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompson Looks Like Miamis Best Bet In A Crucial Battle
The Heats preseason search for a starting shooting guard has become one of the more interesting early lineup decisions, and Klay Thompson is making a strong case simply by being the kind of reliable perimeter threat Miami has long valued at the position. Even with a scoreless preseason outing, Thompson still looks like the cleanest fit for a role that has often been defined by spacing, experience and the ability to punish defenses from the arc, which keeps him in the center of the conversation alongside Tim Hardaway Jr. and Pelle Larsson.
Hardaway brings his own proven shooting profile, but Thompsons track record and feel for the role give him an edge in a competition that feels less about upside than immediate trust. Larssons recent contract extension points to a longer-term future in the mix, but the Heat are still sorting out the present, and the starting job appears to be a battle between established options before the younger piece is ready to take the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Suddenly Have A New Guard Worth Watching In Camp
Tre Donaldson put himself on the radar in a hurry during the Heats annual Red, White and Pink scrimmage, pacing the team with 25 points while also showing the kind of scoring and playmaking that can separate a camp invite from the pack. With Miami sorting through its backcourt options, every clean possession and every steady decision matters more than usual, and Donaldson clearly gave the coaching staff something to file away.
The timing only adds to the intrigue. Dru Smith is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a calf injury, leaving Erik Spoelstra to keep evaluating the guard room and other possible ball-handling answers. Spoelstra also singled out Ryan Conwell as another camp player making an impression, which suggests this part of camp is less about filling out reps and more about finding who can be trusted when the Heat need help in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]