Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans Preseason Preview
By Wes Goldberg
Well this is certainly exciting–the first game preview of the 2014-15 season! Except when the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans face off Saturday night for the first preseason game of the season, it will not be shown on television.
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The game, which takes place at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky at 7:30 PM ET, will be Erik Spoelstra’s first chance to see his team in action in a non-scrimmage.
Before we get to what you should be “watching” for, Josh McRoberts (toe) and Justin Hamilton (heart flutter) are listed as out. Chris Andersen is questionable with calf and foot injuries.
While you won’t be able to make any major judgements, Spoelstra and Pat Riley will have to throughout this preseason when deciding on which 15 players to include on the regular-season roster.
The major position battle is that of backup shooting guard. Shannon Brown seems to have the inside chance, but Reggie Williams, James Ennis and Tyler Johnson should see some time at 2-guard. The Heat will likely use Danny Granger quite a bit when substituting Dwyane Wade, and Miami figures to use more two point-guard lineups this season, but I expect as many as three of these guys to make the final roster.
With McRoberts, Hamilton and Andersen out, this gives Shawne Williams and Khem Birch additional time to show the coaches what they can do. Both played well in their opportunity during Wednesday’s inter-squad scrimmage.
And finally, the most entertaining competition is at point guard. Neither Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole or Shabazz Napier have done much to differentiate themselves over the others, so keep an eye on this throughout the preseason.
All three have their strengths: Chalmers is the best shooter, Cole is the better defender and Napier is the most naturally fluid and likely the better passer. Who starts this season isn’t as important as who finishes games, and how the minutes are divided.
Besides the individual position battles, it will be important to watch if the players seem comfortable in Spoelstra’s system. For the new guys, this will be especially important. Spo’s system takes a while to get accustomed to.
For the Pelicans, Anthony Davis won’t face much opposition with so much of Miami’s front court out with injuries. With New Orleans’ inside-out system and girth of shooters, it will be a good chance for the Heat to work on their perimeter defense (i.e., close outs, rotations, and shot contests).
Stay with AllUCanHeat.com for the entire preseason for the latest updates and analysis on position battles and more.