Miami Heat: What to know about the 4 training camp players

What to know about Miami Heat training camp players: Dru Smith & DJ Stewart

Starting off with Dru Smith (23 y/o), he is a 6-3 guard who played his college ball at both Evansville and Missouri. He spent two years at Evansville before transferring to Missouri, red-shirting for one year, then playing his final two seasons there.

Smith played fairly well during Summer League for the Heat, appearing in four games. He didn’t shoot very efficiently from three-point range (22.2%), but he did shoot well from the field (48.1%).

His inconsistency was one of the biggest knocks on him going into the 2021 NBA Draft. Also, while his aggressive defense can lead to fouls, he did manage to average at least two steals per game in three of his four years of college.

Since Smith did not shoot well in Summer League from range, that should be his main focus in training camp. If he can show progress in that area, then he could potentially make the roster.

As for DJ Stewart (22 y/o), he is a 6-6 guard who played at Mississippi State in college. He played there for two seasons, improving a lot in his sophomore season.

Stewart struggled a lot more than Smith did in Summer League, averaging less than three points per game in five games. He also shot very inefficiently in his minutes.

Before the draft, most scouts noted that Stewart would likely need to spend time in the G-League before producing at the NBA level. Based on his performance this summer, this was pretty clear.

Due to this, it is highly unlikely that Stewart makes the final roster. Since the Miami Heat don’t have a two-way spot left, unless Stewart absolutely balls out in training camp, he’ll probably be elsewhere by the start of the season.