Miami Heat Depth Chart RANKS Among East’s BEST After Norman Powell Trade

Miami Heat Depth Chart RANKS Among East’s BEST After Norman Powell Trade

We hear from new Heat player Norman Powell after he spoke to media on Wednesday on his future with Miami before we break down what we’re looking forward to in summer league and how the Heat’s revamped roster stacks up in the Eastern Conference on today’s episode of Locked on Heat. [Music] You are Locked on Heat, your daily Miami Heat podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on Heat, your daily podcast on the Miami Heat, however you’re tuning in on YouTube or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for making Locked on Heat your first listen every day. I’m Wes Goldberg, here with Dave Vermill. Both of us are credentialed Heat Media members who cover this team every day. For daily content on the Heat, click that subscribe button on YouTube. Make sure you’re following us on your podcast app. Today’s episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use the code locked on NBA at monarchoney.com for 50% off your first year. have a jam-packed show for you today. We’ll talk about how the Heat’s updated depth chart stacks up against the rest of the Eastern Conference and look ahead to what you need to pay attention to in Las Vegas summer league. But first, Norm Pal spoke with local media on Wednesday for the first time since the trade. And after getting off that call, David, man, I’m more excited about Pal than I was Simone Feekio. Man, I’m liking these new guys. I’m liking what they’re talking about. They uh they they have gotten all of the PR talking points memorized. I don’t know what it is, but uh you’re gonna get excited about these quote. I put together a mashup of some of the quotes. Let’s play the sound here. Hearing that it was Miami. Um I was really excited just thinking back to like my childhood and being a big fan of Dwayne Wade and watching the Heat growing up and wanting to play uh for the Heat organization as one of the teams um is a childhood dream that you want to play for. Going into Miami, I fit the culture perfectly. Um just uh that grit um that competitiveness putting in the work, the extra work. Excited to um you know put my imprint on the defensive end uh coming in with this organization. Um I know people have talked about how that’s taken a step back since my Toronto days, but um I’m really excited to u you know put a main focus on that and get back to guarding and pressuring and picking up and uh causing havoc on that end. Everybody in the organization um they’re super excited. Um they they’ve mentioned how uh they’ve wanted to get me and I’ve tried to get me for several years now. Pat talked about my game. Um he likes my little floater that I’ve developed uh over the years. Um and just being able to work on both sides of of the floor, Tyler on one side, me on the other and being able to operate when teams are focused in double teaming other guys and being able to like I said put pressure on the rim on that second side or or even being a ball handler. I love it. What does Tobin say? Gooseies. goosey. I’m all in on Norm Pal. He talked a lot about how he was a little surprised the Clippers didn’t offer them the extension and how it all went down the way that it did with the Clippers. But when he found out, and you can hear it there, when he found out that he was going to Miami, whatever disappointment he had about having, you know, to move across the country, not getting the extension to the team that he had been playing for the last couple years, all of that went out the window. And this guy’s really excited to be a be a part of the Miami Heat. Yeah, that’s pretty evident. Um, and and look, I think it speaks a lot to how Miami’s reputation has remained intact. I know a lot of people talked about Jimmy Butler and how badly that played out publicly and yet Miami hasn’t seemed to suffer any kind of significant loss in terms of how players around the league view this organization. Their reputation remains intact because of the stability that Pat Riley has built since he joined the team in 1995. And everything that’s happened since then, they remain true. And as much as we even talk about the culture and the idea of heat culture being somewhat more of a PR slogan at this point in time, players Feio Powell, etc., they all talk about it. They all are cognizant of it. And so I I think that really speaks highly to how the team is viewed around the league and wanting to join a team. And Pal himself talking about wanting to be an impact player on the defensive end. I think again shows a big part of how this team is viewed. Always gritty, always tough, always competitive, always focusing on the defensive intensity and that he wants to be a part of it. I think he fans should be really excited about it. He talked a lot about the unselfishness part of it. And by the way, watching Norm Powell, this isn’t just talk. The guy’s been in the league 10 years or whatever. He is a very unselfish basketball player. Um, I put together a little matchup of his pick and roll playmaking and I posted it on Twitter a couple days ago and you know just going through the film again was like this guy is you look at the points and you look at like some of the stuff and he does have the label of being a sort of streaky shooter type and that’s not really what he is and I don’t know how much Heat fans have actually watched Norm Pal versus you know just seeing the box score and the production there because what he played on the west coast for a long time and and all these things but you know I I you know you and I have watched a lot of the Clippers over the last couple years. They were one of the most interesting teams in the West for a variety of different reasons and one of those reasons was that you know Kawawaii was always in and out of the lineup. The James Harden experience and all of that and because of all that Norm Pal was elevated to probably having more responsibility than even he had anticipated when he had gotten to the Clippers a couple years ago. And he really took it on but he didn’t look at it as like okay it’s it’s everybody’s gone. It’s my rock now. He was very unselfish with the ball, always making the right play. He’s just a smart, high basketball IQ player, and you could tell why the Heat have been chasing him for a few years now. And the fact that they were able to get this done, given that it only cost Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson two fringe rotation or non-rotation pieces for somebody who’s probably going to start for you at the very or or just, you know, play 30 minutes per game regardless of his role. That’s a home run. I also have been thinking about this. It almost just makes up for the Terry Rosier trade. Not quite, but if you could tell me that you traded Kyle Lowry and a first round pick for Terry Ros Kyle Lowry, a first round pick, Kevin Love, and Kyle Anderson for Terry Rosier and Norm Powell. Obviously, it doesn’t sound as good as just the Norm Powell trade straight up, but it doesn’t sound as bad as what happened with the Terry Rosier trade. So right he was when you hear about the way that even Pat Riley was talking about Nor Pal hey you’re going to play with Tyler Hiro you on one side hero on the other attacking the all the angles of the defense that was the vision for Terry Rosier and now it feels like Pal is going to be able to walk into that and and deliver that. I just think it provides a lot of balance from what was a a negative acquisition of Terry Roser. At least it’s played out that way thus far. And I to be able to acquire player of Pal’s caliber for again relatively inexpensive amount. Uh I I think it’s it’s going to benefit Miami to such a great deal. And I think it really just changes the calculus of how this team operates now because you’ve got a star level player in Powell who could provide so much. And it was just a great smart move for Miami to be able to acquire a guy like Powell because he is going to bring a lot that I don’t think Heat fans expect. And that’s a great point about I think most fans probably not being all that familiar with this because he was a four-year player and I remember talking to him about that when I wrote about him as a rookie because I liked the spark he provided for the Raptors as a rookie and Raptors fans really loved his game and he was just always one of those players that he seemed like they expected more out of him but it was just a numbers crunch in terms of him not being able to produce with a team that had Kawi Leonard for a season, Pescalakum, Kyle Lowry in his prime etc. So he just never really got the opportunity and then to be traded as kind of an ancillary piece in Portland and then as you said with the Clippers never really getting that opportunity but he’s somehow found a way to thrive and he talked about in his presser yesterday that he’s played every role imaginable and you know that given his experience with all these different teams somehow you know you look at a player with that kind of resume being traded from now his fourth team and you could say oh he’s just a journeyman but that’s not who he is not really. He just hasn’t really been able to be on a team that can maximize him to the same degree to the to the expectations that I think you and I have for what he’s capable of until last year. That was as close as he got that opportunity and was mostly due to injury. But to be able to thrive in those circumstances, that’s very rare. And so I think it kind of speaks to how he’s just continued to develop, continue to stay true to his game and be able to stay confident knowing that when you get your opportunity, what is it that Spo says? Be ready so you don’t have to stay ready. you know, what’s the next man up, etc. Powell seems to embody a lot of those characteristics. And I like that he’s played a lot of different roles throughout his I wouldn’t consider him a journeyman. I just think he’s played for, you know, a few different teams, but he won a championship in 2019 with Toronto, right? He was a big part of that Clippers team and and the Clippers just are going in a different direction. They like Norm Powell. They just they’re prioritizing cap space in 2027. They picked a different direction. Okay. Like that’s it’s not necessarily an indictment on Powell at all. Um, and now that and and the Heat are the team that are kind of stealing him here and getting away with it. So, uh, we’ll see what happens. My my only other takeaway from the Zoom call with Norm Pal on Wednesday afternoon was, do you agree with me here that he’s got, uh, a PG term for it would be like an unhappy resting face? Uh, would you agree with that? He’s kind of got like a mean mug. He’s kind of got like a little bit of a mean mug. He was all smiles on that Zoom call. I was like, “Oh, I was not expecting this from Nor.” I was think I was thinking more of like an Alec Burks kind of um you know, a little bit more cautious with the media type of approach, but nope. He just went on and on and on. He was he’s a he was just jabbering, man. Like that guy, he’s got the gift of gab. He just kept going. He was all smiles talking about the fit with the Miami Heat and how it was crazy. He was in Europe and I woke up to the news and all this stuff and this was it was crazy how it all worked out and Dwayne Wade this and I love him and Pat Riley that and how great. Yeah. All smiles. I’m so excited to talk to him in the locker room legitimately. Oh, I I mean I I tell you, I I was a big fan of his after that conversation because yeah, there he was as a rookie and uh you would think, oh, maybe he’s not polished enough and we’ve seen players before struggle in that department coming out of college, but he was very frank and he was sitting next to Jared Sullinger in that locker room and and just kind of playing off each other. Yeah, it was it was a really interesting Yeah. So, the two of them kind of talking back and forth to me as I was interviewing Norm, but he was very forthcoming and I’ve I’ve been a big fan of his since those moments. Uh, and so to see him I think it’s part of what you’re talking about is that that kind of half-litted look like maybe he just doesn’t really care about what you’re saying or doesn’t really seem like he’s responding that much. But to see that level of emotion from him on the call yesterday, I think speaks again to his view of this organization that he’s been a longtime fan that he has patterned his game after Dwayne Wade and talked about that, you know, that this was a team that he grew as as a child watching that team develop all aboard this and ready for the opportunity and I think he’s going to come out with a new level of engagement. Now, I will say we heard a lot of the same talk from Rosier. eerily familiar because Brazier said a lot of the same things about D. Wade and that’s why he he’s carries the number three and you know he’s been a big it’s a good point. It’s worth pointing out the I and I know that you’re not saying that we’re going down the same road but I appreciate the word of caution here. It I will say one thing at least Norm Powell was productive for a team that was winning. Yes. And was one of the better teams in the Western Conference. And that’s the key difference is you’re getting a guy from a Clippers organization that was a winning organization regardless of some of the drama surrounding that team. They won a bunch of games last year and Norm Palpal was a big part of that. Can never really say the same for Terry Rosier. U but let’s take a look at the Heat’s updated depth chart. You might be surprised about how it stacks up against the rest of the Eastern Conference. I put together a little formula here. David, you’re not going to want to miss this. It’s coming up next here on Locked on Heat. Today’s episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. You ever wish managing your money felt easier? Well, with Monik Money, it can. Whether you’re growing your savings or planning a big purchase, Monarch puts you in the driver’s seat. It’s like having your own personal CFO, giving you full visibility and control over your finances. Monarch Money is more than just a budgeting app. It’s a complete financial command center. You can track all of your accounts, investments, and spending in one place. So, in addition to managing your money, you’re also building wealth. I know I’ve talked about it before, but once I started using Monarch Money, you see exactly how much money you’re spending and things that maybe you can cut out. One of them was purchases outside of the house, you know, in terms of food and things like and you don’t ever want to have so much of your budget spent on that, especially when you know how to cook or you have the means to be able to cook. And that was something that I wanted to focus on is how can I track my expenses a little bit better so I can manage my money more effectively. Well, Monarch Money certainly does that and it can help you too. So right now, take control of your finances with MonarchMoney. Use the code lockdown NBA at monarchmoney.com. You get 50% off your first year. That’s monarchmoney.com. Code lockdownba. You get half off your first year. We’ll be right back. [Music] So here’s the heats updated depth chart. At least the way I figure it. And tell me if you disagree anywhere, David, but starting five projected right now. Tyler Herro, Norm Pal, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adabio. And I I still think starts at center on opening day. I think that they’ve decided on that. Um I think from the backups I think DaVon Mitchell comes off the bench. Kasparis Yakonis comes off the bench. You’ll have Hwood Heismith, Nicola Yoic. Um and then as some other maybe fringy rotation guys, minutes here and there here and there, Pella Larson, Himeakas Jr. Simon Feeko. I think Hime definitely has an opportunity to earn more playing time. Maybe he takes minutes from Haywood or Yoic or what. I don’t know. But they they’ve got probably nine to 10 guys that they could be playing on a nightly basis. You and I still think they’ll probably end up doing something with the backup center spot, but TBD on that. Um, but even if they do, they’re going to be playing they’ll play most of the game with either BAM or Wear at center. So, whatever that third center is, I I don’t know that that guy has to be uh factored in in terms of even nightly minutes or high high-end minutes or anything like that. might just be a couple of, you know, foul trouble minutes here and there. Um, but we think they’ll probably get a body there. But, uh, any disagreements there? I think if there’s one player that I’m looking at, and this is a sharp departure from where I was even a week or two ago, I don’t know if Yakutian might be ready just yet. And especially with the acquisition of Powell, it seems like his role might be somewhat mitigated. And and that’s a little disappointing because, you know, just a week ago, we heard this is a youth movement. are leaning into this idea of building around a younger core and Yakonis felt like he was a part of that and now you get Powell and the expectation to get is that he’s going to be sharing ball handling duties to some degree with Tyler and with resigning Dave Mitchell that’s he’s clearly your backup point guard so I don’t know where Yakuchon’s role is set just yet that doesn’t doesn’t isn’t necessarily a bad thing I think he’s going to have those opportunities but he can also just take his time develop and when he’s ready to be out there, then he can be much more of an impact player. So, I think that’s how the Heat are cautiously looking at his role. It’s a great call. Maybe it’s more of a Kel Wear type of development plan, which we’ll get Heat fans pissed, some of them, but you know, you and I have been on this a long time. Khalware wasn’t ready and you want to get him ready and that’s okay. And so, maybe Yakonis is a guy who factors into the rotation a little bit later in the season. Didn’t mention Tay Rosier’s name. I have no idea what happens with him. The Heat still pursuing avenues to trade Terry Rosier. I think that’s probably the correct way to phrase it. I don’t think that they are desperate to move off of him. If need be, they can just not play him. And you know, I don’t I don’t anticipate them buying him out, but you never know anymore. So, uh, but if I could say, no, I was just curious if you could say package Terry Rosier with one of the young players, and I’m not sure which one, whether it’s time or Nico or somebody like that, and I know they’d be reluctant to trade either of them, but I think that’s what it might cost along with perhaps a you would not want to include a draft asset or anything like that. What would they target? A wing player, guard, or a center position? And I’m not sure exactly. I guess it depends on who is available and who’s willing to take on Terry’s contract first and foremost. But if if Miami’s goal is to kind of clear up some of this glut on the roster so that some of the other role players like Larson and Nico can get more playing time and it may be it cost you again letting go of Terry Rosier and Haime or something along those lines. What would the target be? I don’t know how much that’s really getting you to be honest. I I don’t think that they would trade a first round pick at this point unless they’re getting an all-star level player and um is does even a guy like Lowry Markin makes sense for this team if you in if your if your vision is Bam and where right I don’t know that I don’t know that Markin fits and I know that Markin’s played a little bit of the three but he is more effective as a four um I think if you were to package Terry and Haime could you move those guys for uh like a like a super six-man type of player. I like that idea. You know what I mean? Somebody that can come in behind Powell or Wiggins or something. Let DaVon really be just a one maybe something like that. Yeah. I I wouldn’t I wouldn’t be investing a ton into the center position. Like I said, I think they have they have two starting centers. I I think you just need a you just need a body back there that can play five minutes, you know, in a in a in a pinch. I don’t available. I think you could find it at the minimum. Exactly. Something like that. Or, you know, maybe maybe it’s uh Vlad Golden on on the two-way and you just say, “Okay, you you probably need a little bit more because those two-way guys are limited with the games that they’re allowed to play, but still.” Um, but where does that depth chart that we just laid out stack up against the rest of the Eastern Conference? Because, you know, I’m listening to some of these national podcasts this week since the trade, David, and I got to be honest, I thought we were just sitting here, you mentioned like uh a couple shows ago, how you’re just drinking the Kool-Aid. I don’t think this is a drinking Kool-Aid situation. I think the Heat are legitimately that was a needlemoving move to get Norm Powell because the way that guys like Zack Lowe and Brian Winhor and some of these guys are talking about him. Lo was talking on his podcast with Howard Beck earlier this week about how he thinks that the Heat could legitimately be one of the top four teams in the East this year and and I was a little surprised, but you look at this depth chart and I’m like, should I be all that surprised? So, I put this formula together and it’s very very rudimentary, but I think it still uh makes the point that I’m trying to make here. If you just look at Miami’s roster qualitatively and you just break it down, how many All-NBA players do you have? Not necessarily were on the AllNBA team last year, but like all NBA caliber type guys, people that you can legitimately envision making an AllNBA team without like injury caveats and stuff like that. a good season. This guy is an allNBA player ver and and then allstar borderline all-star type players, right? So, just breaking it down into those two categories. So, I’m not I’m not counting like high-end rotation players. I’m not counting like, you know, good sixmen. I’m just if How many AllNBA guys do you have? How many all-star borderline all-star guys do you have? Cleveland. Oh, and so and so my formula here is you get two points for your AllNBA players, one point for your all-star type player. Cleveland has two all-NBA guys, Mobly and Mitchell. Two all-star, borderline all-star guys, Jared Allen and Darius Garland. And just by the way, stop me at any point if you disagree with my my, you know, Yeah, I got you. things here. Uh, that’s six points, right? Because you get four points for your two AllNBA guys in Cleveland. You get two points for the two all-star guys. So, they get six points. The Knicks also have six points because they have Jaylen Brunson and Cat, two allNBA guys, and then two borderline all-star guys, Muel Bridges, OG and Obi. So, they get six points also. Those two teams lead the Eastern Conference. And I think that reflects the betting odds and the teams that we think are going to finish at the top of the East anyway, right? So, so far so good. Yeah, so far. Okay. Boston with the Tatum injury, one AllNBA guy, Jaylen Brown, one All-Star, borderline all-star guy in Derek White. They have three points. Indiana, one allNBA guy with Seakum. No, Tyrese Hallebertton, right? One allNBA guy with Seakum. One all-star borderline all-star guy with Andrew Nehard. They get three points. Milwaukee, one AllNBA guy. Giannis, zero all-star borderline all-stars. Uh, sorry, Kyle Kousma. They get two points. Detroit, one AllNBA guy, zero all-star guys. Two points for Kate Cunningham. Atlanta, one AllNBA guy and Trey Young. two all-star, borderline all-star guys with Jaylen Johnson and Christophs Porzingis. So, they get four points. Orlando, one, this one was tough. So, tell me if you disagree here. I have them with one AllNBA guy for Paulo and then two all-star borderline all-star guys for Fron and Desmond Bane. Do you think I’m overrating Bane and do you think I’m underrating Fron? Uh, no. Neither. I I think both of them are into that same cate. Yeah, I think Vagner had a strong case before his injury that he probably might make his first all-star selection and he might have supplanted Tyler Herro in that regard, but uh I think that’s fair to say that he’s a borderline guy because he’s kind of on those fringes. He has to have a really strong year and his shooting needs to pick up a little bit. But with Bane as well, just as we’re excited about Powell’s addition to Miami’s offense, I think Bane has kind of looked at in that same light that he’s going to really provide a significant boost to the Magic. So, I I think that’s fair. So, just to recap before I get to Miami’s formula here, I’ve got Cleveland and New York with six points each leading the pack. M uh Atlanta and Orlando both with four points, which again lines up with I think how teams how we’re kind of thinking about the East right now, right? Uh I’ve got Boston and Indiana with three points a peach a piece and Milwaukee and Detroit with two points a piece. So, where does Miami fit in? You’re missing one team though. Philadelphia. Which one? Yeah, I didn’t know how to do them. I thought I’m like, is Embiid How many games is Embiid gonna play? Like I think we all just put Philadelphia over here. They either have like six points or zero points because I have no idea how many games that those guys are going to play. But it’s it’s it’s a fair call out. Um I have Miami with one AllNBA guy in BAM and three all-star borderline all-star guys with Norm Pal who was literally almost an all-star in the Western Conference last year. So it’s only going to be easier in the East this year. Tyler Herro, who was an all-star, and Andrew Wiggins, who and I was like, if I put Jared Allen in this conversation, I’ve got to put Wiggins in this conversation. Both of those guys have literally been all-stars it recently in their careers. So, it felt like I had to include Wiggins. So, I’ve got one allNBA guy with BAM in Miami and three all-stars. That gives Miami five points in my scale. So, I’ve got Cleveland, New York, and then Miami in third place with five points. Am I wrong here? Am I Am I going crazy? I I feel like I’ve been I’m consistent in my in my numbers here. I I think a lot has to break, right? I I’m not disagreeing with the possibility that Miami could still emerge as a fourth team or a top four team in the Eastern Conference. And that being the case, it would require every player that you just listed to have a supremely good season and and to be able to contribute at a high level to figure out that balance and how to make it all work at a high level. But we could see Bamb be a nonallar, which kind of removes his two points. We saw that last year. Okay, but let’s Okay, so let’s say he’s not all NBA caliber, but he is all-star caliber. I would still say Bam, even though he didn’t make the All-Star team last year, was an all-star caliber player last year beginning the second half of the season. Right. That puts you at four points in a tie with Atlanta and Orlando. So, I one of the top teams. No, exactly. Exactly. And I would even like I know I know Wiggins catches a lot of flack for last year. He averaged 19 points. Yeah. Four rebounds and three assists and 1.2 steals and one block in 17 games in Miami. Wiggins’s biggest problem was his availability and that’s not been a problem for Wiggins in the past. I think that the knee issues are going to be behind him when this new season starts. He’s still he averaged 19 points per game for the Heat last year. Like we’re acting like he was some sort of schmuck just out there. The guy was at least productive. Well, he had a couple big nights followed up with some really bad nights. And I think that’s the Wiggins experience, but you know, when it comes in the wash, that’s how averages work, right? You still average 19 points. Um, but yeah, I don’t know. I I I guess the point of the exercise, David, for me was at least to to try to reconsider the Heat’s depth chart and try to erase some of the stink of the disappointment from last year and just sort of try to reconsider things and where they stack up in a weakened Eastern Conference, right? Like Boston and Indiana obviously injured and weakened here. They would have ranked much higher, probably at the top of this list had they not been. Indiana loses Miles Turner. That’s a part of this, too. But um let’s leave it there. Las Vegas summer league starts tonight. What do you guys need to pay attention to? We’ll talk about that next. Las Vegas summer league starts tonight. But before we get to that, quick shout out. Kashad Johnson, Pel Larson. They were named to the all California classic team after the Heat finished 2 and one in San Francisco before they go on to Las Vegas. So I know a lot of the attention was Yakonis, KL Wear. We talked about how it was a little disappointing in California for them, but Kashad Johnson, P Larson looked great. Pel Larson in particular, might be the MVP of the California Classic. He was awesome throughout that that little circuit there. But um Las Vegas Summer League preview, Vegas Summer League begins tonight, Thursday night. The Heat’s first game is Friday, 4:30 p.m. Eastern time against the Summer League Hawks. David, what are you looking for uh at least through the first weekend of summer league? I want to see wear develop. We talked about this on Lockdown NBA yesterday. A secondyear player has to be able to find a way to make an impact because they’ve just been through the uh disapproval. He did wind up getting some significant playing time towards the second half of the season. He started playoff games. This is a player that shouldn’t struggle. He should know now. He should be able to capitalize on his physical tools. He should have the understanding of where to position his body, how to use his size as a leverage tool and be able to, if not dominant, and I would love for him to be able to dominate at the very least he should be a highly productive player in the summer league experience like we saw that with Haime. Haime I don’t think anybody I mean again he was all rookie and yet he was still so good in his limited run last year in summer league that he was shut down quickly. It was just basically like, “Oh, we know you’re too good for this.” And then he wound up struggling during the regular season. Maybe injury, maybe for a number of different reasons. It doesn’t really matter. The point is that in summer league, a secondyear player should find a way to thrive. And wear certainly lives up to that expectation. So, I want to see him be a very, very good and much better version of the player that we saw, not just in the California Classic, but even a better version of the player that we saw during the regular season last year. Um, yep. Great call out. Uh, I I want to see where I want to see Larson. I want to see Kashad Johnson. I just want to see these guys continue to develop and form something like a big three of summer league basketball, right? These are the reigning summer league champs, man. Like, they got to go defend their title. The other thing I’m looking at is, and this might be more of a coaching staff call out with Eric Glass and his staff, I want to see them just give Yakonas the ball. I get that they might not envision him as a pure point guard. I don’t care. Come on, stop. What are we doing here? Like, none of the point guards running with the summer league team are making the Heat roster this year. Probably not even on two-way. Like, what are we doing? Give Yakonas the ball. I look at what Dallas is doing. They’re going to give Cooper, they’re going to play Cooper Flag at point guard. Is he going to play point guard in the NBA? Maybe a little bit. I don’t know. Like, probably not like a pure point guard. When Kyrie Irving comes back, that’ll be his job. They’ve just, you know, they got DLO, Spencer Denwitty, or no, Charlotte got Spencer Denwitty. They have DLO. They got some other guys. But there is value in just giving giving the guy the ball and letting him work through his mistakes. And it’s going to look ugly like it did the first couple or throughout the California Classic. I’m okay with ugly. I’m okay with it. I don’t need these I don’t need these 19 year olds to be amazing right out of the box. It’s okay because the best way to get good is to get through your bad moments first. And I just just give them the rock. What are we doing playing them off the ball and trying to do a real offense? Who cares? summer league. Just give him the ball more. And and to their credit, they did. He was a lot more on the ball in Miami’s third uh California Classic game. They won that game. I don’t know if that matters to them, but I just want to see the coaching staff just give him the rock. Don’t overthink it. Give the guy the ball. Let him work through those mistakes. Um but that’s it. Uh summer league starts on Friday. That’s Miami’s first game. They have a couple of games over the weekend. Uh we’ll be back um after those games to kind of have our takeaways and our reactions from them. I’ll be in Vegas to watch them in person. So, I’m sure I’ll have some reporting and stuff like that to come back with after that. Uh we have one more show this week. We’re going to do a draft based on the decision which turns 15 years old this week. But for now, thanks for making Lockdown Heat your first listen today. For your second listen, find the Lockdown NBA podcast where there is no offseason. Doug, Matt and Hayes keep you up to date on contract negotiations, rumors, and everything you need to be the most informed NBA fan. Find Locked on NBA on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. Part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day.

Norman Powell is excited to join the Miami Heat.

Wes Goldberg and David Ramil react to Powell’s introductory media session and why he thinks he’s a perfect fit for Heat culture. Then they discuss how Powell’s addition impacts the Heat’s depth chart, and where Miami stacks up against the rest of the Eastern Conference. Finally, they talk about what they’re watching for in Las Vegas summer league.

0:00 Intro
1:30 Norm Powell media session
13:36 Heat’s updated depth chart
20:55 Comparing Heat to other Eastern teams
26:56 Las Vegas Summer League preview

Become a Locked On Heat Insider on Subtext! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonheat

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-heat/

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nba

📲 Follow Locked On Heat on Twitter
Locked On Heat https://twitter.com/LockedOnHeat
David Ramil https://twitter.com/dramil13
Wes Goldberg https://twitter.com/wcgoldberg

📸 Follow Locked On Heat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lockedonheat/

📺 Follow Locked On NBA: https://linktr.ee/lockedonnba

📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers from our sponsors: lockedonpodcasts.com/offers

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4k
Did you know your Fire TV is also an Xbox? Turn any TV into your gaming and entertainment hub with Fire TV Stick 4K devices — no console required. Head to Amazon.com/firetvlockedon to get started. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and compatible controller required.

OLIPOP
Get a free can of OLIPOP! Just buy any two cans in store and they’ll reimburse you for one. Head to drinkolipop.com/LOCKEDONNBA to claim your free can and find OLIPOP near you.

CarGurus
Buy or sell your next car today with CarGurus at CarGurus.com to make sure your big deal is the best deal.

WayFair
Give your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.

Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Right now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#miamiheat #heat #nba #freeagency