The Heat’s backcourt depth took a hit in camp when Dru Smith went down with a right calf strain, and Miami will be without him for at least a couple weeks, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
That timeline still leaves room for Smith to be ready for Miami’s October 21 regular season opener, but for now it thins out a guard group that was already short on options. Smith had been in line to serve as the primary backup point guard behind Davion Mitchell.
Miami does have an open spot on its projected 15-man regular season roster, and the team has been tied to veteran guard Gabe Vincent at various points in recent months. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes that Vincent looks like the best of the unsigned point guards still available, though it’s unclear whether Smith’s injury will push the Heat to make a move or whether they’ll hold steady for the moment.
Around the league, the 76ers got an update on Tacko Fall, who has been diagnosed with a left hip strain after an MRI, the team announced. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks. Fall is in camp on a non-guaranteed contract and is not expected to crack the regular season roster, so the likely outcome is a start to the year with the Delaware Blue Coats.
Philadelphia also has Adem Bona dealing with a sprained foot. He’ll be reevaluated within the next few days, and Nick Nurse said Thursday that he’s hopeful Bona will get on the court at some point during the preseason.
In Orlando, Anthony Black is working back from a minor ankle sprain and Noah Penda recently tweaked his hamstring, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Neither issue is being treated as a major concern, but both players have been held out of full participation in the Magic’s two-a-day practices this week.
De’Anthony Melton also checked in on his health situation, saying Wednesday that he underwent surgery on both thumbs during the offseason. Per Nick Friedell of The Athletic, Melton said he feels about 85-90% healthy, and Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that he expects to be available for both games of back-to-backs this season.
And in Toronto, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca wrote that Jakob Poeltl dealt with a back injury last season and may have to manage it for the rest of his career. Still, Poeltl worked with a new strength and conditioning coach this offseason and adjusted his routine to address the issue, and the early returns have been encouraging. Lewenberg says the center is feeling better, and moving better, this fall.
In Other News...
Nick Nurse Sees A Sixers Ceiling That Could Change Everything
Nick Nurse is already looking past the usual training-camp language and into what the 76ers can become if their new roster pieces hold up on the defensive end. Philadelphia expects to play with more depth, size and athleticism this season, and Nurse said that should allow the team to get more creative on that side of the ball while still keeping the focus on fundamentals first.
The bigger idea for the Sixers is to turn defense into offense, using turnovers to fuel transition chances and make the group harder to guard in the open floor. If that approach takes root, it could change the way Philadelphia plays night to night and give Nurse more ways to stress opponents, but the real test will come once the team starts layering in the more varied schemes it wants to use. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Overhaul Still Leaves One Big Question About Their New Rotation
The Sixers have spent the offseason reshaping both ends of the roster, stacking star power while also trying to make the bench less of a weak spot. Anfernee Simons is in on a two-year deal, Dean Wade arrives on a four-year contract, and the front office has clearly tried to give the group more balance around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the rest of the core.
Even with that overhaul, the biggest issue may be how all of those pieces fit once the games start and the rotation has to settle. Embiid and LeBron James are both in the mix for load management plans, which only adds another layer to the equation, while Maxey has been framed as someone focused on team success over individual recognition. The talent is there, but the Sixers still have some sorting out to do before the new look feels complete. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Just Changed The Biggest Sixers Question This Season
Joel Embiid has spent the last three seasons battling injuries, and the biggest question around the 76ers has been less about his talent than whether his body can hold up long enough to let that talent matter. After appearing in only 96 games over that stretch, the 32-year-old center has become the center of nearly every Philadelphia conversation, especially with the season set to open Oct. 20 against the Knicks.
Recent observations suggest Embiid has lost significant weight, a change that could ease the load on his knees and feet and potentially help him stay on the floor more often. For a Sixers team that needs him to look like himself from the start, the early weeks of the season may offer the first real clue about whether this is the version of Embiid Philadelphia has been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]