The Miami Heat were handed their first loss of the preseason in Atlanta, while the entire rotation essentially was back in Miami.

The game wasn’t all that competition either, leaving us discussing individual guys. And better yet, in this environment, it’s important to address the young guys.

So, let’s discuss youthful rotation pieces, exhibit 10’s, and disappointing roster spots…

#1: Javonte Smart: High floor, high production, high value.

When watching the Heat play in Vegas during Summer League, plenty of guys were total stand-outs. Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven were focal points, Marcus Garrett and DeJon Jerreau caught eyes, and the rest were pretty much trying to find themselves as players at that level. Among that group, Javonte Smart looked like the rest of them, but a personal take during that period was that he has a “high floor,” and I believe we’re continuing to see that as the truth. His outside jump-shot has looked good, can attack the basket at a good rate, runs offense well, and pops up in random places on the defensive end. There’s no doubt he’s catching eyes on this Heat team, and he’ll have an even bigger role to showcase with the G-League. He’s a guy to keep your eye on for sure.

#2: Gabe Vincent: Looking at shooting numbers isn’t an “evaluation.”

Gabe Vincent had a rough time shooting the ball from the outside early in this game, and that’s been a struggle of his for some time now. Going from a pure outside shooter to a guy that does everything except shoot that three-ball consistently isn’t usually the case, but it was for him. And now that he’s in the back-up point guard role, many want to see that number increase, but that can’t be the full takeaway from a game like this. If that’s the first thing that jumped off the screen to you in this game from him, I disagree. I saw a player who has grown incredibly as a passer and facilitator in the flow of offensive sets, and that’s the part of his game to truly watch most. Why is that? Well, next to Tyler Herro and Max Strus, that three-ball won’t be as important. Feeding the rock to those shooters, though, will be the actual key.

#3: Micah Potter: A preseason surprise.

In many ways, a primary reason the play of Micah Potter in Summer League didn’t fully pop is due to him backing up a fan favorite, Omer Yurtseven. He showed an interesting skill-set: comfort with back to the basket, an interesting mid-range fade, and an outside three-ball. The preseason has allowed him to expand from a good skill-set to overall production. His rebounding has been better than originally expected, and more importantly, he fits the “role” player label perfectly. Constant screen and rolls, dribble hand-offs, pick and pops. Potter may not be one of those quick, young big men with a ton of physical versatility, but he gets it done in these other ways discussed. Much like Smart, he’s going to have a chance to really develop his game further in Sioux Falls, and that’ll begin with a natural feel on when to take certain shots upon reading a defense. Once that is fully obtained, then he really has something.

#4: KZ Okpala: Defensive talent continues to be only takeaway.

It’s never a great thing when a young player shows no real growth from his first season in the league to his third season. It’s an even worse thing when there was no true production being showcased in the first place. We were pretty much warned in the Summer League, when red flags were flying all over the place. Playing with a bunch of guys straight out of college with no experience at the NBA level, the guy heading into his third season should stand out. Okpala did not. In fact, he blended right in with the guys at the bottom of that roster. He’s a great defensive talent, but when that’s the only takeaway year after year in this league, it isn’t a good description anymore. Time is ticking, and no offensive game has been shown from Okpala. And decisions are going to have to be made.

#5: Max Strus: Simply, he’s going to be a run igniter.

Before tonight’s game, Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned using the players available to him in similar roles for the season ahead to really prepare them for their minutes. Well, when things went downhill quickly for this Heat team, we saw a slight offensive shift in game-plan in the second half. Strus was no longer preparing for his in-season role, he began to be the guy like he was in Vegas. Playing with the ultimate green light, making three triples to finish the third quarter in a blink of an eye. That fiery run won’t be the last time we see that from Strus. When Miami gets back into their normal rotation to start the season, there’s going to be points when Strus is the guy that gets Miami going upon entering with the second unit. He went from a spark guy last year to a rotational piece this year, but it’s still going to be a flash from the past since that “spark” label isn’t going anywhere.

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