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Anthony Chiang: Spoelstra on coaching Heat's young players: "We have more of them than we've had in recent history, but also develop them and infuse confidence in them. And that's a fine balance. But again, that's what I'm here for. I want to take that challenge, and I want to be better with that these final 30 games."
Anthony Chiang: Spoelstra: "Kel’el gave us really solid minutes tonight. I was encouraged by his defensive activity. ... It's good to have him get some extended minutes tonight."
Anthony Chiang: Kel'el Ware on Erik Spoelstra's decision to play him only three minutes tonight: "I can’t control it. I mean, it is what it is. I mean, whatever he feels like that he perceives or feels like playing, Lke I said, it is what it is.”
Heat Central: Coach Spo on Kel'el Ware after playing just 3 minutes: "Look I know every press conference ends up being about him and I really dont want it to be that. This is not a knock on Kel'el. This game was so fast. They were playing SFs at Center. The advantage was the speed"
Ira Winderman: Erik Spoelstra stressed pregame tonight there was no need to complain about the scheduling. "It actually made sense," he said of Thursday as the makeup date for Jan. 8 postponement due to condensation on the United Center court. "You know, we looked at it. There were a couple of other different dates. This one looked like it made the most sense. And it's fair for both sides. They're coming off the back-to-back, so are we. So there's nothing to complain about."
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Spoelstra was asked before Wednesday's game against the Orlando Magic about balancing out the buzz happening around the team, with the coach emphasizing how they “don't give it any time” and to treat it like it's “BS.” “We don't really give it any time,” Spoelstra said as Miami was 3-2 on its latest five-game road trip. “You know, the veteran players, they understand that so much of it is just conjecture. It's just a bunch of BS, but it is part of our business. That's what we all sign up for. You have to be professional all the way through. And the most important thing is have an opportunity right now. You know, of all these games that are in front of us, it's an opportunity to play well and move up.”
Anthony Chiang: Erik Spoelstra on managing trade deadline noise: "We don't really give it any time. The veteran players understand that so much of it is just conjecture, that it’s just a bunch of BS. But it is part of our business. That's what we all sign up for."
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t usually make public declarations about players who have yet to log a meaningful minute in the NBA. But Spoelstra broke that rule when speaking about guard Pelle Larsson before the first regular-season game of his rookie NBA season. “He’s an elite role player,” Spoelstra said of Larsson in October 2024. “If you mention that to some organizations, they probably think that that’s horrible. I think it fits absolutely with our style of play, our culture, how we view players and how they impact winning. He knows how to defend multiple positions, he brings you physicality on that side of the floor. Offensively, he moves very well without the ball, so he could be a connector with whatever unit he plays.”
Anthony Chiang: Erik Spoelstra said Davion Mitchell (shoulder) and Tyler Herro (ribs) did not practice today. But Kel’el Ware (hamstring) did practice.
“Spo kind of went off on us, especially on Bam, which I think kind of set the tone,” forward Nikola Jovic said, as the Heat turned their attention to Sunday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns at the close of their five-game western swing. “When you start talking to the captain first, we just knew we had to take more responsibility and be more locked in. So I think it’s simple as that. Just maybe we had a little more pressure on us and it helped.”
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No umbrage taken, said Adebayo, who went for 26 points and 15 rebounds in the victory. “I mean, it definitely’s clearing the air in the room,” Adebayo said of the candor of that Saturday morning session. “All that being said, we like when coach confronts us. It’s just he’s gotta be prepared when we bark back. “We’re all grown men at the end of the day, so we don’t like what he said, we can always have a man-to-man conversation.”
Then there are those with the dream of becoming part of Team USA. Ja Morant, who has surfaced as a potential Heat trade target, has been linked with such interest. With the L.A. Games two years away, others figure to try to bend Erik Spoelstra’s ear, catch his eye. “There’s still time, so I haven’t really sensed anybody lobbying,” Spoelstra said. “I haven’t talked to any potential guys yet.”
Along the way, when asked this season of his eventual Olympic job, Spoelstra had made clear that USA Basketball Managing Director Grant Hill and Team Director Sean Ford are keeping him up to speed, while also respectful of his day job. “Right now, there’s not a whole lot of action going on,” Spoelstra said. “I’ve kept in touch with both Grant Hill and Sean Ford, and we met up probably two months ago. But it was more general talks of two summers from now and scheduling, and what that’ll look like. We’ll probably get together in some fashion this summer for a little bit more extended time. I don’t know if we’ll do anything with players, but certainly we’ll meet. “I love the whole process, so of course when we play and compete against teams, there’s players that will come to mind. But I’m not sweating that right now. That’s really for Grant. It’ll be a collaborative effort. But there’s plenty of time for that.”
“The thing is that he has is a great ambition,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Jakucionis. “He had that ambition when he was 13 and 14, knowing that he wanted to be a professional basketball player. That’s unique. Obviously, the great players out of the States have that dream as well. “But then to move away from your family at 15. And even at that age, he learned Spanish. He’s fluent in Spanish. That’s impressive because he was just there to play basketball. But he takes everything seriously, and he has a work ethic to match that ambition. He doesn’t want to just be in the league. He wants to really make an impact.”