The Miami Heat have two two-way players under contract right now – Marcus Garrett and Caleb Martin. They signed both of them this summer but left one actual roster spot open in the process.
Meanwhile, they added a few of their Summer League players to the roster as well. However, all of these guys are on training camp deals and will likely be gone by the regular season.
Despite this, some of the training camp players have gotten more minutes than Garrett has, and Martin has missed a game or two. This makes you wonder a little bit…
Did the Miami Heat make the right decision with who they signed as their two-way players? Would one of the training camp players have been a better fit?
Did the Miami Heat sign the right two-way players?: DJ Stewart
DJ Stewart hasn’t done much this preseason, but he is averaging around 17 minutes per game. In that time, he’s averaging around four points while shooting 62.5% from the field and 50% from deep.
This efficiency is great, but he just doesn’t take enough shots for it to mean much. He has good size for an NBA player, but the question is whether or not he deserved a two-way spot over Garrett or Martin?
Considering he’s more of a wing, it’s fairer to compare him to Martin. However, with the way Martin played in Miami’s first preseason game, it’s fairly clear who the better player is right now.
Martin just has the right mindset to play for the Miami Heat, and while Stewart might as well, he hasn’t shown it yet. Stewart could play for the G-League team, but he didn’t do much to earn a two-way spot.
Should he have been a two-way player?: No
Did the Miami Heat sign the right two-way players?: Dru Smith & Javonte Smart
Dru Smith
Despite what seems like lackluster numbers, Dru Smith has actually played fairly well for the Heat. His shooting splits may not say that, but his on-court feel for the game looks impressive.
So far this preseason, Smith has only played around 10 minutes per game. He is averaging 5.5 points while shooting 42.9% from the field and 33.3% from deep.
As mentioned, the way he carries himself on the court is very impressive. Smith just seems like he knows what he is doing at all times, and because of that, he can be effective as a passer and a scorer.
However, since he is a guard, he is being compared to Garrett. Based on what Garrett showed in Summer League, it’s tough to dethrone him from that two-way spot.
Should he have been a two-way player?: No
Javonte Smart
This question is a bit more interesting because anyone who has watched Miami for the past few months knows how much intensity Javonte Smart plays with.
His hitting the game-winning, and-one layup the other night was great, but his overall demeanor is more impressive. Smart plays with a fire that not many players around the league have.
However, he has struggled mightily to shoot the ball efficiently. He’s a solid playmaker and defender, but he just can’t seem to find a rhythm on offense.
Due to this, Garrett is likely the better option overall for a two-way spot. However, having Smart on the roster could still be pretty beneficial for the Heat.
Should he have been a two-way player?: No, but it’s close
Did the Miami Heat sign the right two-way players?: Micah Potter
This is likely the most arguable debate of the bunch. Micah Potter played super well in the first preseason game he played in, and also performed well throughout Summer League.
Potter had a monster night two games ago vs. the Spurs. He put up 13 points and 17 rebounds, which leads the preseason for rebounds in a single game.
Despite this, he only received a little over two minutes of playing time in the next game. It was a very weird thing to see, but he should get more playing time moving forward.
With Miami’s lengthy injury report, Potter should get a decent amount of playing time for the remainder of the preseason. This will give him a chance to show off his talent.
The biggest issue with signing Potter to a two-way deal is that the Miami Heat already have great centers. With Bam Adebayo, Omer Yurtseven, and Dewayne Dedmon under contract, there’s no real need for a fourth center.
The question then becomes, can Potter transition to playing the four? If that answer is yes, then he could be a very useful stretch four for the Miami Heat.
Whether or not he’s a better player than either Garrett or Martin is up for debate, but the fir might be a little better. Maybe Potter should have gotten more of a look before committing to two two-way players.
Should he have been a two-way player?: Maybe…