As the Miami Heat have officially embarked on their latest season, losing their first preseason contest to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday evening, they will look to continue their tune-up to the regular season on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets.
As part of this whole process, it not only allows the Miami Heat’s regular guys to get themselves going for the regular year, but it allows the Miami Heat to evaluate the last guys on the roster or the guys most suited to move forward with their organization—in one capacity or another.
When you look at the crop of guys on exhibit 10 training camp deals, two-way guys, or guys that are permanent but new to the team, the Miami Heat have quite a few decisions to make from who they’ll keep, what roles those guys might play, and how all of the time might be distributed to let them operate inside of those roles.
Again, there are a ton of questions to be answered there for the Miami Heat organization. As far as us here at All U Can Heat though, there is one question that is the focus right now.
Among all of those to be evaluated for whatever their situation is to be with the team, which of these unheralded players is the one to be the most excited about? And with that, here is the latest AUCH Roundtable.
My Pick: Darius Days
When it comes to the selection here, it’s a pretty simple choice. Darius Days is not only a guy that seems to fill a need, but he seems to do so with the most upside among the choices.
Losing P.J. Tucker this past offseason, the Miami Heat are looking for guys to be able to help fill that void.
While Caleb Martin deserves the first shot and may exceed in the role, for which there shouldn’t be any doubt considering where he’s come from to now, it’s good to have depth in such a key role for a team like this.
With guys that rely so much on inside offense, a forward that can stretch the floor with versatility is key. And not only can Caleb Martin do that, but Darius Days may be able to do that, well, if his game from college can translate.
A three-level scorer that got it done with what appears to be seeming ease, Days has the potential to be a very good player in the league if the athleticism and defense are adept.
And if they are anything as close to the potential that he has on the other side of the ball, he could certainly be a key part of the Miami Heat’s rotation in no time. That’s why he’s the choice here.
Miami Heat: Unheralded Guy To Be Most Excited About – Noah’s Pick
It is no secret that the Miami Heat are one of the best teams at getting the most out of every single player on their team. That means we can expect improvement out of nearly every player associated with the Heat organization.
In terms of an unheralded guy, an ‘unknown’, or a guy that still that hasn’t played many minutes thus far for the Heat, here is the guy to be most excited about for me this season.
Noah’s Pick (@ndeckerbuckets): Haywood Highsmith.
The Heat lost P.J. Tucker in the offseason. It was clear that Tucker made a huge impact on the team.
He was a starter who could defend nearly any player. He also had a career year from the three-point arc.
The Heat did not sign any new players to replace Tucker at the starting forward position. That means it is open for the taking.
Haywood Highsmith could be a candidate to take that spot. Highsmith is a little undersized for the power forward position, but he has the length and strength to be successful at the spot.
He has shown potential with his versatile defensive and shooting abilities. It is time to see Highsmith take things to the next level.
Do you expect Haywood Highsmith to be the starting power forward by the end of the season? No.
But you do expect him to earn a key spot in the rotation. He will likely have the chance to start a few games this season as well when you consider all that goes into an NBA season.
Let’s see if he can take advantage of the opportunity. That’s why he’s the unheralded guy I am most excited about.
Miami Heat: Unheralded Guy To Be Most Excited About – Eric’s Pick
This one is easy and to be honest, it is for the most shallow of reasons that come from the deepest places of fandom.
Eric’s Pick (@FrittsWrites): Nikola Jovic
The hype around this kid, let’s be honest, is for two main reasons. That would be his name and his country of origin.
His name, Nikola Jovic, is nearly homonymous with the two-time MVP and he is from the same place in this gigantic world, Serbia. With Giannis Antentekoumpo and Nikola Jokic’s MVPs, along with Luka Doncic being another perennial favorite for the award at some point in the near future, there is a good deal of Euro hype happening around the world of basketball and the NBA is not immune.
Giannis and Jokic are the biggest impetus behind this because of their stories. Milwaukee and Denver took chances on these guys by drafting them late with limited information.
It’s similar to what happened with the Miami Heat and Jovic. He was picked at 27th in the first round.
That’s right in the middle of between where Giannis and Jokic were scooped up. This isn’t insinuating that there’s a direct correlation but I would be willing to wager that Miami might not have picked him up in the first round had the last four MVPs awards not gone to Euros.
The hype might or might not be real, but all this around him makes Jovic an unlikely guy I want to see succeed. That’s why he’s the pick here.
Any or none of these guys could pop, though the hope is that they all do. In any event, it’ll be exciting watching it all play out!