https://x.com/alexmsolana/status/2112954079383314731

How stoked are you about the season 1-10?

Graphic designer and heat fan here 👋 can't wait for the season to start. Let's go HEAT! 🔥

“Our culture was a selling point to the guys we brought in. But equally as much of a recruiting pitch or selling point was Bam Adebayo. That’s not about him getting on the phone and recruiting guys. It wasn’t about that. It’s about the deep respect he has around the league, that everyone sees him as a winner and a guy that’s about all the right things and a great teammate and a guy that impacts winning at the highest level. That intrigued Giannis.”

“That’s the influence Bam has that you could compare to Dwyane [Wade] that everybody thought ‘if I go there, that leads to winning.’ And I think that’s the way people view Bam.”

“I think it’s respect, man. Because you go against so many dudes in this league and then obviously they see what I bring to the table,” Adebayo said to the Miami Herald before the new-look Heat opened the regular season Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center. “It’s not just scoring. It’s not just rebounding. It’s not just defense. I do all these great things and a lot of times don’t get credit for it, as much as the outside media wants to shame me and rank me. A lot of dudes respect me in this league.”

“Being respected by my peers, the people who are playing against me, matters,” Adebayo continued. “That’s the utmost respect you can get. But yeah, I feel like, we’ve been battling for 10 years at this point, and obviously we got the same agent. So it’s not really recruiting. But it’s more so like if there was a possibility it could happen, we’ll see how it happens. But for the most part, man, it’s always been respect.”

“I love playing with Bam,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just love interacting with him. He has the same personality as my older brother. They were born on the same day. His personality is familiar to me. I love being around him. I love playing with him. I think the more we get to know one another, the better it’s going to be.“

“He’s a force and he’s a competitor. He’s always going to play hard. I love his approach. I’ve said this in the past. Just having a guy like that that’s going to be ready for 82 games, it’s great. I’m the same way. Obviously, in the paint, we hope that we can be a force together.”

“I think it’s very good for us,” Spoelstra said of the Adebayo-Antetokounmpo pairing. “There are a lot of strengths. They’re really going to play off each other defensively and establish this level of physicality that we want. And offensively, they’re just so unique. Having two bigs that can rebound the basketball and both initiate offense in slightly different ways, I think, gives us some uniqueness to the way we play.”

Sorry, posting this again, accidentally deleted my original post.

Quote credit: https://x.com/JamalGinsbergg/status/2112715034488983742?s=20

Spoelstra finally wins Coach of the Year

Considering Erik Spoelstra’s reputation, it’s weird to think that this might be my boldest take.

The consensus around the league is that Spoelstra is the NBA’s best coach and has been for some time. And yet, he has never won Coach of the Year.

Over the years, the award has often gone to the coach who oversees the team that most exceeds external preseason expectations, so maybe it’s understandable that Spoelstra has never won, considering the baseline for good basketball set in Miami over the last two decades. This season, however, could be quite a test for Spoelstra.

Yes, the Heat now have a superstar in Antetokounmpo, but roster questions abound. How does Antetokounmpo fit with Bam Adebayo? Can you build a top-10 offense around two frontcourt players? Do the Heat have enough playmaking on the perimeter? Do they have enough shooting? And if they do, can those shooters avoid compromising the defense?

Sure, no one is expecting to find the Heat too far out of the Play-In Tournament spots, but navigating all those questions and turning Miami into one of the best teams in the East would be one of the most impressive jobs done by any coach in the NBA this season.

This is it guys. New era has come.

Good or bad, this the future now.

Predict the Miami Heat's Record After 10 Games
6 road games, 2 back to backs.
MIN, DET, @ CHA (B2B), DAL, @ ATL, IND, @ Lal, @ LAC, @ GS (B2B), @ SAC

Why am I still seeing Jovic in the game?? He sucks. It is a shame because I liked him and thought he could develop, but he did not. He can’t make 3s at a consistent level, he can’t defend, especially in zone, he can’t play the inside game, I’m not sure he can do anything. I understand we don’t have a lot of big man depth but my god please stop putting him in the game Spo.

https://x.com/miamiheat/status/2112544224982028676