Getty Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat reacts to an official during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder on August 12, 2020.
On the eve of the Miami Heat‘s season opener against the Orlando Magic, head coach Erik Spoelstra remains tight-lipped about which players will be named as starters. While it’s typically obvious as to which players will start, Spoelstra has the champagne problem of having a stacked roster of talent to choose from.
On December 23, Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman tweeted that Spoelstra has a “pretty good idea of what we’re going to do tomorrow. (About as much as could be expected from him.)”
Even though their opponent, the Orlando Magic, have named their starting lineup, Spoelstra was undeterred. “No, thanks,” he said. While it’s largely assumed that Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo will start, the fourth slot remains up for grabs.
Spoelstra can pick from the following players: Tyler Herro, Udonis Haslem, Precious Achiuwa, Avery Bradley, Maurice Harkless, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, Meyers Leonard, KZ Okpala, Kelly Olynyk, Duncan Robinson, and Chris Silva.
Coach Spo did choose to point out on Tuesday that both Bradley and Harkless were in “really good shape,” despite neither having played in a game that counted since March. And for those wondering about Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, the Heat signed them both to two-way deals, which means they are regulated to only appearing in 50 of the team’s 72-game regular-season games.
Butler Believes KZ Okpala Is Ready for a Breakout Season
The five-time All-Star poke to the media on December 21 and shared his thought’s on the team’s newest additions going into the 2020-2021 NBA Season, and Butler only had positive things to say, according to 5 Reasons Sports Network.
“I’ve seen their will to win, I think that’s the only thing that matters. They’re coming in here, they’re working towards that one common goal to win.”
Butler appears to be particularly impressed with Chikezi “KZ” Okpala, the 21-year-old Stanford alum who was originally picked up by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft but quickly traded to the Heat. In December 2019, Okpala was assigned to the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he averaged 11.7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.4 steals throughout 20 game appearances.
On Monday, Butler revealed his “favorite” part about the 6’8, 215-pound forward. “He cares more about getting a stop than getting a bucket,” Butler said. “What I see in him, is what I was when I was a young guy in the league.”
“He knows that he can compete with the best of them,” Butler continued. “Confidence is key…He’s only gonna continue to get better. He’s gonna be a very great player for us.”
The Heat Is No Longer Actively Working Toward Making a Trade for James Harden
GettyJames Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets reacts during the 4th quarter of a preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center on December 17, 2020.
Despite James Harden announcing that he wanted to be traded and naming the Heat as one of his preferred teams to join, the NBA’s leading scorer will not be taking his talents to South Beach. At least, not at the moment.
Jalen Rose said on ESPN on Saturday, “If you’re one of those teams and you’re really trying to get James Harden, you have to pull the trigger,” or else players’ anxiety could get the best of them. “As long as the Harden trade speculation is hanging over [players’ heads]… I think it has the chance to wreck both of those locker rooms and force neither one of those teams to reach their goals.”
With Tyler Herro, rookie Precious Achiuwa, KZ Okpala, and Bam Adebayo all primed for a breakout season, Miami is going to be an exciting team to watch even without “The Beard” on its roster.
Butler agrees. When asked how much Harden’s trade talks has affected the team, “Zero,” he said. “We’re in here working. We don’t listen to the outside noise. You can’t help but to hear about it; somebody else is asking you about it. You can’t control any of that. We’re locked in on us. We control what we can control, and we leave all of that other stuff up to everybody else.”
READ NEXT: Miami Heat’s MVP Starts Game Day With Coffee: ‘Big Face in the Morning, B******!’