The Miami Heat’s cleanest path to maximizing Giannis Antetokounmpo starts with the little things that aren’t so little at all: floor spacing, shot-making and lineups that force defenses to pay for collapsing in the paint. That’s the lane Simone Fontecchio is trying to drive into, and he may have a real shot to carve out a major role if his jumper keeps humming.
Fontecchio isn’t the obvious name in Miami’s rotation picture. Nikola Jovic and Bobby Portis Jr. would seem, on paper, to sit ahead of him.
But Portis is more of a five, and Jovic remains relatively unproven despite flashing upside. Fontecchio’s calling card is simpler and more specific: he’s a pure shooter, the kind of piece that can make sense fast next to a player like Antetokounmpo.
And that fit matters. Antetokounmpo can get downhill in the blink of an eye, and stopping that kind of pressure usually requires extra bodies in the lane.
When help comes, the floor opens. That’s where Miami needs dependable three-point threats waiting around the arc, and Fontecchio has a chance to be one of them for Erik Spoelstra.
The numbers and the recent preseason work back that up. Fontecchio shot 37.5% from deep for Miami last year, and in the Heat’s last preseason game, he gave a cleaner version of exactly why the team brought him in.
In a win over the Brooklyn Nets, he came off the bench for 11 points, went 3-of-4 from three and did it in just under 14 minutes. He’s been hot from deep range all preseason.
He’s not locked in as one of Miami’s top rotation players right now. He still has to show he can be consistent from outside, and defense isn’t his defining strength. But with his size and his shooting stroke, Fontecchio has a clear opening.
If the shot keeps falling, he can become more than a depth name. He can become the kind of useful, uncomplicated piece that makes life easier for Antetokounmpo and more dangerous for the Heat.
In Other News...
Heat Just Sent A Clear Signal About Their Young Frontcourt
The Heat continued shaping their developmental pipeline by signing forward Ezra Ausar to an Exhibit 10 contract and waiving Ian Schieffelin in a corresponding move. Both players are expected to land with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, giving Miami another look at young frontcourt talent as the organization trims down its roster ahead of the regular season.
For a team that has long valued internal development, the latest transaction fits neatly into the bigger picture. Exhibit 10 deals can help funnel prospects into the G-League system, and with the Skyforce standing as Miamis main proving ground, this move adds another name to the mix as the Heat continue finalizing the young core they want in place for the year ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Bam Adebayos Absence Puts Miamis New Frontcourt Plans On Edge
Bam Adebayo will sit out the Miami Heats final preseason game with a groin injury, staying back in Miami while the team heads to face the Orlando Magic. Its the latest missed chance for the Heat to see how their frontcourt is coming together, and it comes after Adebayo was already unavailable for previous preseason games as the staff continued sorting through rotations and options.
Erik Spoelstra has leaned on alternatives such as Nick Richards while Adebayo has been out, but the bigger question is still hanging over the start of the season. Adebayos status for the regular-season opener remains uncertain, leaving Miami to keep evaluating how it wants to piece together the front line if its anchor big man is not ready to go. [Read more 🡒]
Stan Van Gundy Just Reopened A Painful Bam Adebayo Debate
Stan Van Gundy has a way of getting Heat fans talking, and his latest stop on The Zach Lowe Show did exactly that by putting Bam Adebayo back in the middle of an old, familiar debate. The former Miami coach said he believes Adebayo is overrated offensively, a sharp critique of a player whose value has always been bigger than a box score and more complicated than simple scoring totals. It also fits into a broader conversation about how Miami builds around Bam under Erik Spoelstra, especially when the offense has to balance his versatility with the teams need for more punch.
Van Gundy did not stop with Adebayo, either, raising questions about Davion Mitchells fit as a point guard, Giannis Antetokounmpos durability, and whether the Heats newer three-point shooters can hold up defensively. For Miami, the interesting part is less the hot take itself than the way it touches on the same roster issues the team keeps having to solve: who initiates the offense, how much scoring Bam can realistically provide, and whether the surrounding pieces are sturdy enough to let him thrive without carrying everything at once. [Read more 🡒]