The Heat’s early-season reset has not come with instant results, and Bobby Portis is already reminding everybody that chemistry doesn’t arrive on command.
Miami’s revamped roster sits at 2-5 after seven games, even after the offseason splash that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Florida. Portis, who arrived in that deal as well, said the adjustment period is part of the deal when a team tries to build around a superstar.
“I don’t think it’s just Giannis. I think it’s just basketball in general,” Portis said.
“It’s not a 2K game, where you just put guys on the team and it works. I think it’s a process.
You’ve got to go through the highs and lows of what the season presents to you. All teams peak at the right time that have a chance of winning.”
Antetokounmpo has done his part so far. In seven games with Miami, he’s averaging 28.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 58.6% from the field. But after Monday’s loss to the Lakers, he was asked whether the Heat have enough around him to contend.
“I don’t know,” he said. “ I’m just a basketball player.
I just came here to compete. Do I think we have the pieces?
Yeah. Do I think we got a lot of things to figure out?
We have a lot. But I know what the Miami Heat culture is about.
I know what the players in this locker room are about. I know what I’m about.
And I know that once we get on the right track, we can make some noise.”
Erik Spoelstra also sounded like a coach who’s ready for the next step, not more waiting. Before Wednesday’s game against the Clippers, he said the Heat need to start changing things now.
“Clearly, we have to make some adjustments now,” Spoelstra said. “I’m not waiting.”
Elsewhere in the Southeast, Kon Knueppel’s return was cut short in Brooklyn. He played fewer than six minutes in his season debut before leaving with soreness in his left leg, according to the Hornets. Knueppel had missed the first eight games with a strained left hamstring.
The Wizards got a notable update on AJ Dybantsa, whose minutes restriction has been lifted, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Dybantsa, the top pick in this year’s draft, had been sidelined by a sprained ankle suffered in the team’s final preseason game and didn’t make his regular-season debut until October 28.
Dybantsa’s start alongside Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton in Orlando on Monday carried a bit of league history with it. The Wizards said it was the first time since 1984 that a team had three overall No. 1 picks in its starting lineup. The Mavericks matched that feat Wednesday in San Antonio, with Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and Zaccharie Risacher all in the starting five.
The Magic, meanwhile, are trying to steady themselves during a four-game western swing after opening 2-5. Sean Sweeney said the trip is about more than just games.
“Anytime you go on the road, the idea is that you work together, bind together and ultimately become closer and better because of it,” he said. “That’s part of the idea, is to get better and get closer together.”
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One version of that discussion has centered on the possibility of moving veteran pieces to address the need for shooting, with the club looking at ways to add a proven floor-spacer before the problem gets any harder to solve. Nothing has been finalized, but the urgency is clear enough: Orlando knows it needs help from deep, and the trade market is starting to look like the most direct path if the current group cannot find a quick fix. [Read more 🡒]
Franz Wagner Is Carrying A Burden The Magic Still Havent Solved
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The burden has shown up in the areas that usually decide whether a high-usage scorer can sustain it: efficiency and ball security. Wagner has kept attacking, but the Magic are still searching for a cleaner version of this offense, one that eases some of the pressure on him without taking away the aggression that now defines their half-court plan. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Have An Early Problem They Cant Keep Ignoring
Through seven games, the Magic have already run into a problem that can undo a lot of the good they want to build this season: too many empty possessions. Orlando has piled up one of the highest turnover totals per game in the league, and it has shown up in the standings with a 2-5 start. Head coach Sean Sweeney pointed to a mix of causes, from opponents pressing up defensively to the challenges of settling into a new system.
The bigger concern for Orlando is that the issue does not look like a one-night blip. The team has been dealing with a lack of stability at point guard because of injuries, which has made the ball-handling burden tougher to manage and the margin for error even smaller. The encouraging part is that the Magic know exactly what has to improve, and they believe the turnovers can come down as the group gets more comfortable together. [Read more 🡒]