Myron Gardner has made the most of his limited opportunity on the Miami Heat's main roster this season, and he could be revealing himself as the team's next hidden gem.
Gardner is currently on a two-way contract for the Heat, but that could soon change if he keeps impressing the coaching staff. Over the last month, Gardner has appeared in eight games for Miami. In those appearances, he's averaging five points per game on 52 percent shooting from the field.
In his best showing of the season, Gardner finished with 11 points and five rebounds on a perfect 4-4 shooting night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Taking advantage of the opportunity because of injuries to regular rotation players, Gardner could be giving this coaching staff something else to think about moving forward.
Myron Gardner is proving the Heat's developmental system is for real
At the very least, he's proving just how much he's improved in the Heat's developmental system.
After impressing with the Heat's Summer League team, Gardner was signed to a two-way deal just before the start of the season. As an undrafted player in 2023, Gardner spent the first two seasons of his career with the Orlando Magic's G League team in Osceola.
But in two years with Osceola, Gardner didn't pop much. During his rookie season, Gardner averaged seven points. In his sophomore year, he averaged just six.
That's been a much different story in Sioux Falls, as he's averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists per game on 45 percent shooting from 3-point range in nine games. He's impressed so much that he's appeared in 16 games already on the Heat's main roster.
What the plan will be for Gardner moving forward will be interesting, especially considering that most of his opportunity has come because of injuries.
But again, Gardner could be slowly revealing himself as a player who could seemingly play a role for the Heat team in the future. He certainly is laying the groundwork of a player that could be the team's next hidden gem.
This is not to say with certainty that Gardner is going to be the next Caleb Martin, Max Strus, or Duncan Robinson for the Heat, but there are already signs that he could be the team's next successful developmental project.
And, honestly, I'm not sure if anyone could've seen this coming. But that's generally the way it works in Miami.