with Janice Antecumba, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wigginsand Davion Mitchell It is planned to fill four places in Heatin the starting lineup, the offensive guard position may be the only one up for grabs during training camp and the preseason. Discussing the last starting point, Anthony Chung of The Miami Herald identifies Klay Thompson as the “obvious” leading candidate, noting that the veteran’s ability to space the floor will be an important factor for the team to consider.
Chung admits other areas of Thompson’s game besides his shooting have “diminished” now that he’s 36 and has an injury history that includes ACL and Achilles tears. However, the veteran sharpshooter has never made less than 38.3% of his 3-point attempts in a season and continues to allow them at a high volume, averaging 12.7 attempts per 36 minutes last season in Dallas.
If Thompson does earn a spot in the starting lineup, Chung expects other wings to follow Pele Larson and Tim Hardaway Jr to be one of the Heat’s top stocks.
We’ve got more on the Heat:
- Larson’s new four-year, $60 million deal expansion with the Heat going beyond the NBA expansion and trade parametersmaking it unfit for trade for six months. That means he’s currently the only player on Miami’s roster who won’t be trade-eligible this season at the Feb. 11 deadline, notes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Larson must pass a medical before his new deal is officially finalized, Winderman adds.
- While a second-round pick Ryan Conwell not necessarily expected to play a major role for the Heat as a rookie, his coach in college Pat Kelsey believes the former Louisville standout is ready to contribute and has a bright future ahead of him, Chan writes for The Miami Herald. Calling Conwell an “elite” shooter and high-IQ player, Kelsey also praised the 22-year-old’s character. “To me, what really sets Ryan apart are the things you can’t measure with statistics.” he said. “It’s intangibles, it’s work ethic and character, the caliber of a teammate, his coaching ability. When your best player is all of those things, everyone else falls in line because your best player is the best independent starter who gets there first, who stays last, who prepares thoroughly and studies film and all that. You don’t coach a player of that caliber and Ryan Conwell’s character very often in your career.
- Within limits mail bag for the Sun Sentinel (subscription required), Winderman answers questions about Gabe Vincent and Tre Whitewriting that Vincent is unlikely to accept a non-guaranteed training camp contract and suggested that White could still work out a camp deal with the Heat depending on how his fifth-year college eligibility lawsuit goes.
