Despite all the hype and excitement heading into the Miami Heat's preseason opener in Quebec against the Toronto Raptors, it's very likely that fans will have to wait a little bit longer before we see Giannis Antetokounmpo make his Heat preseason debut.
After the conclusion of the Heat's weeklong training camp in Boca Raton, Erik Spoelstra said that "some" of the team's regulars would play in the team's preseason opener. Is there a chance that Giannis would be included in that "some"? Sure.
However, it's highly unlikely.
The Heat are likely going to play it safe with Giannis in the preseason opener
If I were to make an educated guess, I'd imagine that Giannis, along with Bam Adebayo and perhaps veterans like Bobby Portis and Klay Thompson, could all sit out. Miami needs bodies to play, especially after the injuries to Dru Smith and Keshad Johnson, but I'd lean toward Spoelstra and the Heat taking a more careful approach heading into this first preseason game.
After less than a week of on-the-court work as a team, it wouldn't be surprising for Spoelstra to elect to keep Giannis (and others) out of harm's way in this extra preseason work.
Even after this preseason clash with the Raptors in Quebec, the Heat will have four other exhibition games to get Giannis up to speed. There's no reason to push that in this first one.
Add in that the Heat would much rather let Giannis make his Heat preseason debut at home about a week later when they face off against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it just makes much more sense to wait.
Of course, that's assuming that the Heat would want to see Giannis in preseason. I'd imagine they'd want to, at least to a certain extent. That will likely be decided in the coming week or so.
While the Giannis debut will likely wait, the Heat still have plenty to play for
Regardless, there are still several other intriguing storylines to keep a close eye on heading into the Heat's preseason opener. Even if the stars don't come out and play.
This new era isn't just about Giannis; he's surely a huge part of it, but it's not just the Giannis acquisition. Miami is about to embark on an entirely new era. A fresh beginning for the team. New opportunities and horizons.
That may all start with Giannis, but if the team is going to be as successful as they want this season, it has to go well beyond just their superstar. So even though we're unlikely to see Giannis in the preseason opener, there's still much for Heat fans to be excited about as they begin their exhibition slate.
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