Ahead of Friday night’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons at the Kaseya Center, the Miami Heat may already need to look at their rotation after just one game.
Wednesday’s 131-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves exposed two clear problems: the Heat didn’t shoot it well enough from deep, and they didn’t have a real backup point guard on the floor.
The three-point numbers told the story. Miami went 8-for-33 from beyond the arc, and a group that included Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Nikola Jovic, Bobby Portis Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, and Davion Mitchell combined to make seven threes on 25 tries.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo looking to control things from the paint, that kind of spacing can create open looks. But if the shots don’t go down, the advantage disappears fast.
One possible fix is Simone Fontecchio, who did not play meaningful minutes against Minnesota. The 6-7, 220-pound forward gives Miami a floor-spacer who can work without the ball.
Last season, he hit 37.5 percent from three in 70 games, and 36.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes went in. He re-signed with the Heat this summer on a one-year, $2.63 million contract.
If Spoelstra brings Fontecchio into the mix, someone else has to slide back. Jovic would be the likely candidate, given the inconsistency that has shown up in his game.
The other route is Ryan Conwell, the second-round pick at No. 37.
Miami reportedly looked for extra playmaking help on the market, but didn’t find it, and Conwell flashed some of that skill in the preseason. He had nine assists against the Timberwolves and seven against the Orlando Magic.
That’s not what he’s known for first - Conwell is still viewed mainly as a scorer - but handling more of the offense could become part of his growth. He also looks like the easier player to work into the rotation, since the Heat were without a true point guard when Mitchell sat.
Spoelstra used a nine-man rotation before the Timberwolves got too far ahead for a comeback to feel realistic. The Heat have size and length, but against Minnesota, the lack of shooting and the missing backup point guard stood out.
In Other News...
Heat May Not Be Done Adding Veterans Around Giannis
The Heat already spent the offseason reshaping the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, bringing in Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. to add veteran scoring and shooting before opening the regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even after that flurry of moves, Miami appears to be keeping its options open as it looks for more proven help to support its new centerpiece.
One name now circulating is Jrue Holiday, the veteran guard currently with the Portland Trail Blazers and a player who would reunite with Antetokounmpo after their time together in Milwaukee. Nothing is confirmed, and the idea remains speculative for now, but it underscores how aggressively Miami may continue to hunt for established veterans if the right deal presents itself. [Read more 🡒]
Bam Adebayo Is Already Facing Heat Pressure After One Game
Opening night brought the kind of early-season scrutiny Bam Adebayo knows comes with being the face of Miamis frontcourt. After the Heat fell to Minnesota, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins quickly raised the bar on what he thinks Adebayo needs to bring offensively, arguing that Miami will need more than an All-Star-level scoring night if it wants to stay in the Eastern Conference mix.
Adebayos line was solid on paper, with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, but the bigger concern was how the game looked when he was on the floor. The Heat were outscored by 28 points with him in the game, and the conversation now is less about whether he can anchor Miamis defense than whether his offense has to jump to another level for this team to hold its ground. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Already Face A Ryan Conwell Rotation Decision
After a season-opening loss, the Heats biggest early question may not be a dramatic shakeup so much as a simple rotation call. Miami needs more consistent guard play, and Ryan Conwell has already made a case for himself after showing real offensive promise in the preseason. Even in a crowded backcourt picture, his ability to bring scoring punch gives the staff another option to consider as it tries to settle the group around what works best.
Erik Spoelstra has never been shy about changing the mix when the moment calls for it, and Conwell now looks like a player who could force that kind of discussion sooner rather than later. The comparison with Nikola Jovic only sharpens the decision, since the Heat are weighing different ways to find more reliable production without losing the balance they want on the floor. For Miami, the answer may be less about who is ready in theory and more about who can help right now. [Read more 🡒]