In the wake of the NBA’s leaguewide summer of change elsewhere, the Miami Heat continue to emphasize their stability as training camp continues at the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas.
Friday, that had coach Erik Spoelstra again talking about the core four players that he stressed at Monday’s media day had to stand together and be played together as the team’s leading men — Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier.
“I have been,” Spoelstra said of pairing the four during practices and scrimmages, with work continuing on the makeshift courts at the hotel’s convention center. “And that’s what training camp is for, is to do it with different combinations.
“We want those guys to get a lot more comfortable, building on that continuity and we hope to do that for the rest of preseason as well.”
Among the positives has been the increasing comfort of guard Terry Rozier, who continues to gain footing after arriving last January in a trade from the Charlotte Hornets.
“I’ve seen more of his personality come out,” Spoelstra said. “We were already starting to see that during the tail end of last year — after he came in, rightfully so, just taking everything in, a little bit quiet.
“But he has a really engaging personality. He’s been much more like himself, I’m sure, at the start of this camp. You also need that, that type of mentality. What he’s talking about is being a leader from the point guard position, just to help everybody get organized and get on the same page.”
At 30, Rozier would stand as the Heat’s second-oldest starter behind only Butler, 35.
“I’m trying to add to the team, be a huge help offensively and defensively, being a leader on our team, and just help the guys be on that next level,” Rozier said Friday.
“Expect a lot of leadership from me, offensively and defensively. We’ve all got one goal and that’s what we’re trying to get to.”
Such comfort in camp also was emphasized Friday by Herro, following an offseason when the trade rumors of previous years largely ceased.
“This is home for me,” Herro said of the Heat, as he prepares for his sixth season with the team following his first-round selection out of Kentucky in 2019. “I hope to be here for a while. We’re coming into my sixth season now. It’s crazy how fast time goes.
“It’s a blessing to be here, still. And I’m happy to be here honestly and to continue to keep growing with these guys and these coaches.”
For his part, Rozier said his first camp has been as anticipated.
“It’s been fun, what I expected — high-level, everything is high level, fast paced,” he said. “It’s having fun at the end of the day. Year 10, I’m feeling good.”
Closing time
Saturday’s closing day of camp will feature a scrimmage in Nassau in front of selected guests, before the team returns later in the day to Miami.
“I just want to welcome our guests, to get to watch us work,” Spoelstra said of Saturday’s session. “It’ll be a short scrimmage. We’ll have a longer scrimmage on Monday night, but certainly be able to see some good action.”
The team then will have Sunday off before Monday’s Red, White & Pink Game at Kaseya Center, the annual intra-squad public scrimmage benefiting cancer care and research at the Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
From there, the Heat will open their preseason schedule Tuesday on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.
Dual mentors
Asked about the presence of former Heat captain Udonis Haslem at training camp, Spoelstra spoke of the benefits of having both Haslem and Adebayo in place to help mentor 20-year-old Kel’el Ware, the first-round pick out of Indiana.
“It just shows you how unique of a human being and professional that UD is,” Spoelstra said of the 44-year-old retired forward spending the week with the team. “He doesn’t have to do any of this. He doesn’t have to be out here in practice gear and be out sweating with the guys and working with the guys, but that’s how he earns his trust with them. And he just continues to mentor everybody in the gym — the vets, the young guys like Kel’el.
“I think it’s just tremendous for Kel’el, at 20 years old, to have a mentor like UD, but also Bam. UD mentored the next mentor, and now they’re both able to use their superpowers to help (Ware). And that’s why we think we have the infrastructure to be able to help a young big like him succeed. And, of course, UD continues to mentor the head coach and anybody else on the staff. I love having him around.”
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