Miami Heat: Who is going to step up against the Charlotte Hornets?

The Miami Heat are facing the Charlotte Hornets in their second 2018-19 preseason matchup.

No, this isn’t a dream.

It is in fact October 2, and 2018-19 NBA preseason play is really here.

Which means that yes, after a painfully long (and somewhat quiet) offseason, Miami Heat Basketball is officially back.

Dwyane Wade‘s final dance started this past Sunday, when the Heat took on the San Antonio Spurs on the road. And although they fell just shy of the win, 104-100, fans should still have seen plenty of positives from their team.

Including that Wade scored 10 points in 17 minutes, alongside four assists, one steal and one block.

There was also the fact that Hassan Whiteside showed out.

After losing 13 pounds this summer, the big man totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds in 23 minutes of play.

And numbers aside, he just looked good; his energy was high and it finally seemed like he was enjoying himself out there once again.

Heat Nation also got a first look at Duncan Robinson, the organization’s newest two-way player.

The sharp-shooter finished with 12 points in 24 minutes, going 4-for-9 from the field, while also grabbing five rebounds.

The question now is, how will Miami fair in their second preseason game?

At 7 PM ET, the Heat are set to tip off against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

The last time these two ball clubs met was on January 27, when Miami came out on top, 95-91.

Charlotte already has two preseason contests under their belt, both against the Boston Celtics. While they stole the first matchup, 104-97, they weren’t able to do it the second time, losing 115-112.

Jeremy Lamb led the team to victory, having scored 15 points in 23 minutes, with Cody Zeller recording 13 points of his own and Kemba Walker adding 12.

It was Miles Bridges who shined in the Hornets’ second game though, totaling 23 points and six rebounds, in 25 minutes.

The Heat generally look good against Charlotte, who now more than ever is still trying to figure out team chemistry and trust. With Dwight Howard out of the picture and under new leadership in head coach James Borrego, they’re going to need some time to really feel secure as a unit on the floor.

Still, Miami needs to be ready for some fast feet and elite ball-handling.

So who is going to step up for the Heat tonight?

Unfortunately, Bam Adebayo, Wayne Ellington, James Johnson and of course Dion Waiters are all ruled out, with Josh Richardson having been upgraded to questionable.

The good news being that Goran Dragic seems to have shaken off his ankle issue that snuck up during training camp.

Dragic finished Sunday afternoon with 12 points in 19 minutes, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 2-for-3 from downtown. He also grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists.

The point guard is generally the king of running the offense at a high tempo, which is why fans should expect him to thrive versus the Hornets.

Tyler Johnson also loves playing quick ball, and should have no problem keeping up with Charlotte’s pace. He had just seven points against the Spurs, having shot 3-for-10, but hopefully he’ll be able to shake off the rust and be more efficient this evening.

Preseason or not, there’s nothing like watching the Miami Heat do their thing.