With much anticipation heading into the Miami Heat's second preseason game, head coach Erik Spoelstra gave fans a hint of what they should expect.
In short, it's safe to say that fans should expect somewhat of a repeat of the Heat's first preseason game. As they prepare for the preseason home opener, Spoelstra says that "a lot of the guys" will play in the Heat's exhibition game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Which Heat players are unlikely top play in the second preseason game?
Dru Smith and Keshad Johnson are still out with their respective injuries, and it'd be shocking if Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins suited up, considering they've missed practice and the Heat's charity scrimmage over the last couple of days.
Overall, though, we should see a repeat of the Heat's preseason opener, where most, if not all, of the team's "regulars" will play the majority of the first half, only for Spoelstra to allow the second half for the rest of the roster to work.
While it may be somewhat surprising to see the Heat utilize preseason this much, especially with such a veteran roster, it's clear that Spoelstra values these live-basketball reps.
There are just some things you can't simulate in practice, and playing against a different team is one of those things. Chemistry and spacing are two of the intangibles that need to be built through live basketball.
Some of that could be accomplished in practice, and it already has, but it's always good to play against faces and competition that you're not seeing every day. So it shouldn't come as a huge shock that Spoelstra is taking full advantage of these preseason games.
There's the whole question about how much Giannis should play, and the balance between wearing him out before the regular season even begins. But if there's anything that we know about the way the Heat operates, that's not a big thought on their minds. At least not yet.
Right now, you can bet there's an urgency around finding the right rotations and building strong chemistry for this new roster. Again, let's not forget that Spoelstra is trying to implement five or six new players into his rotation. That's not an easy thing to achieve in one week of training camp.
So, especially for the Heat, this preseason is a little more important for them. The wins and losses may not matter, but the minutes are surely valuable. And, at least for now, I'd imagine we're going to continue to see that pattern in this second game of the preseason.
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