The Miami Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors and earn their first win of the preseason.
Point Guard Position Battle Update
Norris Cole got the start once again, with Mario Chalmers (returning from a hip injury) coming in as the sixth man for the second time this preseason. Shabazz Napier saw his time at the end of the game, per usual during this preseason.
While Cole didn’t play nearly as well as Chalmers or Napier on offense (only five points on two-of-five shooting) it says something that Stephen Curry only had seven points tonight. Cole didn’t defend him the entire game, but he started on him and set the tone. As I mentioned on the podcast, that was Cole’s main job this game.
Meanwhile, Chalmers saw his minutes at the 2-guard spot. I still believe the Heat will make him the sixth man, but Chris seems to think the Heat are showcasing Cole for a trade. Rio was three-for-three and made both of his three-pointers for 13 points but picked up five fouls. Eric Reid and Tony Florentino think Chalmers will be the starting point guard as well as the first shooting guard behind Dwyane Wade. I don’t think that will happen.
Napier, once again, helped spur a late rally. This time, the Heat won. Napier scored on four-of-10 shots, made just one of his five three-point attempts and was five-for-six from the line for 14 points. He also added two assists. Napier helped take the momentum and the lead for the Heat on an assist to Chalmers for a three-pointer that put the Heat up 103-102 with 5:16 left, then made a three of his own on the next possession to put the Heat up by four. His late-game tendencies have been critical and even though every game won’t be great for him, it seems like he’s earned a spot in the rotation. Spoelstra played the combination of him and Chalmers tonight, which could very well be the second unit back court.