Brandon Miller and Christian Anderson Jr. were both held out of the Hornets’ preseason opener on Tuesday after each picked up an injury in practice, the team said.
Miller is dealing with a shin contusion, while Anderson has a left ankle sprain. Charlotte said both players are day-to-day.
Miller is in his fourth year in the NBA and remains eligible for a rookie scale extension through October 19. Anderson is a rookie after going 18th overall in June’s draft.
In Miami, Erik Spoelstra said it was “doubtful” he would keep leaning on his rotation regulars for the full preseason, but that group is still getting run Thursday against New Orleans, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. That includes starters Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat are still working Thompson, Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr. into the mix. Spoelstra praised how the newcomers have handled the process.
“ I commend the group, especially the new guys, for being open-minded,” Spoelstra said. “ Things might be a little bit different, but it’s not as different as people make it sound to be.
They have enough things that are what they’re used to. We have to move quickly.
It helps having veteran players pick up things pretty fast.”
Tuesday also carried extra meaning for Heat rookie guard Ryan Conwell, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reported. The team’s intrasquad scrimmage raised money for cancer care and research, and Conwell was introduced with his mother, Daune, who previously battled breast cancer and is now cancer-free.
“ That was one of the most special moments of my life,” Conwell said of honoring his mother’s fight against cancer. “ I kind of wish I would have embraced it more, but I was just more focused on the scrimmage. But she’s just the strongest woman that I’ve ever seen.”
Over in Orlando, two-way players Alex Morales and Colin Castleton have spent most of the summer at the practice facility and have already left a strong impression on head coach Sean Sweeney, Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel wrote.
“ They’ve done a great job with their energy each and every day,” Sweeney said about Morales and Castleton. “ Both those guys have a dirty work mentality where they’re really trying to do the little things that help a team win, maybe some of those invisible plays that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.
We’ve seen them put a lot of time and effort into developing on the things that we’ve asked them to get better at. It’s been great to have them at practice each day and they’ve each shown signs of improvement.”
In Other News...
Mavericks Just Got Linked To A Kyrie Trade Fans Will Debate
Kyrie Irvings name is back in the rumor mill, and this time Orlando is at least adjacent to the conversation. Reports have suggested Irving could be open to a trade if it lines up with his long-term goals, and NBA insider Marc Spears said Mavericks management may be willing to work with him if he pushes for a move.
For the Magic, the idea is easy to understand even if it is far from simple to sort out. Irving would instantly change the profile of an Orlando offense looking to climb the Eastern Conference ladder, but any potential deal would have to clear a steep bar in terms of value and certainty, especially with a player whose next step could shape the franchises direction just as much as his on-court talent. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Morales Is Giving The Magic A Reason To Trust Him
Alex Morales has already given the Magic a useful reminder of what two-way players can bring when the preseason gets a little grimy. Against the Memphis Grizzlies, he made his presence felt by chasing down offensive rebounds and turning loose possessions into extra chances, the kind of work that does not always show up first on the highlight reel but tends to matter when a game tightens up.
For a team trying to sort out the edges of its roster, those minutes are the ones that build trust. Coach Sean Sweeney saw Morales helping in the small, necessary ways throughout the game, and that is often the lane for a player on his path: energy, activity and support rather than big scoring totals. If Orlando is looking for reliable depth, performances like this are the sort that keep a player in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Fans Got An Early Look At Sean Sweeneys New Offense
Sean Sweeneys first preseason game as Orlandos head coach gave fans a quick glimpse of what this offense might look like, and it started with structure more than improvisation. In Memphis on opening night, the Magic leaned into a Spain pick-and-roll setup that put Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane in familiar, complementary spots, a design meant to spread the floor and let each of them do what they do best.
For a team that spent the offseason trying to sharpen its offensive identity, the early message was clear: the spacing is supposed to matter, and the ball should move through actions that create real choices for defenders. How often Orlando can keep finding those clean looks as the preseason rolls on is the bigger question, but the first sign was encouraging enough to suggest Sweeney has a plan worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]