Miami Heat’s Summer League: 5 Reasons To Watch
With the 2014-2015 NBA season officially a thing of the past, the Summer League is upon us. And although this may not sound tremendously exciting at first glance, it is time to change that misconception. Here are five reasons to watch the Miami Heat this summer.
1. There Is Basketball To Watch
If you are anything like me, a tiny bit of your soul dies once the playoffs are over. Yes, the void is once again filled four months later, but life without basketball just seems…empty. The good news is, you do not have to subject yourself to such pain. Having started this past weekend (Saturday, July 4) in Orlando, the Summer League will span there until July 10. During this period of time, the Heat will play five games, before then heading to Las Vegas. Their first game there is July 11, and they will follow a tournament style schedule; at a minimum, Miami will play at least five games before a champion is crowned on July 20. True, this leaves your August and September wide open, but it is better than nothing, right?
2. Justise Winslow
So remember when the Heat miraculously walked away from this year’s draft with Justise Winslow? After having a horrific year? And seemingly non-stop bad fortune? Well, now it is time to see him in action! Joining the likes of Tyler Johnson, Zoran Dragic and Josh Richardson, the rookie will show us what he is made of, all summer long. And so far, so good. In Miami’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Winslow finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, throwing a game-winning lob to Johnson in the last 0.4 seconds of play.
3. Hassan Whiteside ‘s Presence
While the up-and-coming superstar will not be playing in the Summer League, he will be working out with the team for the duration of tournament. According to head coach Erik Spoelstra, he is there to “to drill [the] system,” but one can only hope his humor rubs off on the squad as well.
4. The Forgotten Members of the Miami Mafia
Ok forgotten may be a stretch, but honestly, guys like Johnson, Henry Walker, James Ennis and Shabazz Napier are not exactly talked about on a daily basis. However, the Summer League is a great opportunity for them to remind Heat Nation that they too are an integral part of the team. For example, it was Johnson’s completed lob that gave the Heat their first Summer League win.
As of Monday morning, Johnson is currently averaging 10.5 points a game (as is Dragic), and 4.0 rebounds. Ennis stands at 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, while Napier is currently sitting out due to a hernia.
5. The Pressure Is Off
Since the start of last season (well actually, since LeBron James announced he was not returning to South Beach), it seems like everything dealing with Miami has been stressful. The year started off on a sour note, with fans demoralized and expecting the worst. Then the worst actually happened, not once, but twice: Chris Bosh was sidelined with a blood clot in his lung, and the Heat missed the playoffs. The one positive moment, signing Goran Dragic, was all but overlooked among the hysteria of losing debatably the best player on the roster and just falling short of the postseason. The Summer League stands to make up for this past year. You can enjoy Miami basketball, without a dark cloud hovering above your head.
Will you be watching? Sound off in the comments!