Klay Thompson’s preseason line has been rough enough to make Miami Heat fans uneasy, but the bigger picture may be getting lost in the noise.
The Heat brought in Thompson for a simple reason: they wanted more spacing and more three-point punch after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. So when Thompson opened by struggling to find his shot, it immediately sparked questions about whether he still has anything left at 36.
That concern is understandable. Through three preseason games, Thompson has hit just seven of 26 field goal attempts and gone 3 of 20 from deep, a chilly 15 percent from three-point range. For a player whose reputation was built on elite shooting, that’s not the kind of start anyone wanted to see.
Still, three preseason games is an awfully thin slice of evidence. Thompson is adjusting to a completely new group of teammates, and that kind of chemistry doesn’t snap into place overnight. He’s also no longer the same player who helped Golden State win four championships, but that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly become useless.
What Miami needs from him is narrower than the old Thompson spotlight anyway. He isn’t being asked to carry the offense. He’ll start, but the Heat will run things through Antetokounmpo and count on Thompson to finish possessions with open threes and smart movement along the perimeter.
That setup should give him chances. Antetokounmpo looked strong in preseason and remains one of the league’s most dominant players, especially when he gets downhill toward the rim. That kind of pressure on defenses should open doors for shooters like Thompson.
There’s also the matter of learning Erik Spoelstra’s system and settling in with a rotation that includes several new pieces. That adjustment period is part of the deal, and it doesn’t disappear because the first few shots haven’t gone down.
The better comparison for Thompson in Miami might be the role players from the Heat’s Big Three years. Ray Allen and Mike Miller didn’t need to run the offense, but they delivered when the moments got huge. Allen’s clutch three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against San Antonio stands out, and Miller’s seven three-pointers against Oklahoma City in the deciding game of the 2012 Finals is another example.
That’s the kind of lane Thompson was brought in to fill. Not as the centerpiece, but as a shooter who can swing a playoff game with one big stretch. He has spent most of his career in pressure-packed situations where a hot hand can flip everything in a hurry.
So yes, the start has been ugly. But it’s also a tiny sample, and cold streaks happen even to great shooters.
The Heat’s hopes have changed with Antetokounmpo in the mix, and fans want every part of the roster to matter. Thompson hasn’t looked sharp yet, but there’s plenty of reason to think he’ll settle in and provide the shooting Miami signed him for.
In Other News...
Heat Roster Cuts Just Clarified Who Fans Should Keep Watching
The Heat have trimmed their preseason roster down to the point where the next phase of the season is already coming into focus. Miami waived four developmental players, Ezra Ausar, Kylor Kelley, Gabe Madsen and Bez Mbeng, after the preseason wrapped up, clearing the way for the team to get closer to the leagues 15-player standard contract limit.
For now, the move mostly shifts attention to Sioux Falls, where all four players are expected to land with the Skyforce and continue their development in the Heat system. It is the kind of roster housekeeping that rarely makes noise on its own, but for Miami it also serves as a reminder of which young players remain on the radar as the organization starts sorting out its regular-season depth. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Could Still Find One Veteran Who Changes Their Rotation
With the roster cutdown deadline closing in, the Heat have already trimmed a few young prospects and are still looking at ways to tighten up the back end of the roster. That has naturally turned attention to a familiar pool of recently waived NBA veterans, the kind of players who can step into a rotation without needing much ramp-up time if the fit makes sense.
Among the names floating around are Pat Connaughton, Jeremy Sochan and Bruce Brown, all of whom bring some combination of experience, versatility and lineup flexibility. Miami has not made any official additions yet, but the fact that these veterans are even in the conversation suggests the front office is still weighing whether one more proven piece could help settle the rotation before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Conwell Is Forcing A Tough Heat Rotation Decision
Ryan Conwell has done enough in preseason to make the Heat think a little harder about how they want to handle the back end of the roster. The second-round pick, originally selected by the Thunder and then sent to Miami right away, has shown the kind of promise that can make a draft-night gamble look smarter in a hurry, even with the Heat loading up on veterans and reshaping the group around the edges.
The tricky part now is figuring out where he fits in the short term. Miami has enough established pieces that Conwell may not have a clean path to consistent NBA minutes right away, and the most realistic route could start with a run in the G-League before he works his way into a regular role. For a team that likes competition and development, it is the kind of decision that can shape how quickly a young player becomes part of the rotation picture. [Read more 🡒]