Miami Heat Wrap Summer w/Big Vlad Goldin Game | Top 5 Important Things Heat Learned In Summer League

Miami Heat Wrap Summer w/Big Vlad Goldin Game | Top 5 Important Things Heat Learned In Summer League

Hey, welcome on in guys. Tobin here with you and thanks for checking out the channel. Hope you’re doing well there. If you guys could subscribe, that’d be great and appreciate you stopping by. So, the Miami Heat, they closed out Summer League with a 9392 win over the Milwaukee Bucks to finish off Vegas summer league. Get themselves a couple of wins in Cin City. No run at the Cup, no run at the uh the championship this year. That’s all right. Uh I thought that uh this was a nice performance from a lot of guys. I definitely looked at that starting lineup. I’m not going to, you know, act like I was enthused about this cuz I was like, “All right, no Casperis, no Keyshot. All right, let’s let’s check this puppy out. Let’s see what they got going.” And look, to be fair, it was a much more competitive game than it was the last time around. I I truthfully honestly watched the last three quarters. I just walked in, they were like, “Eric Stevenson gets cooking and the Heat close with the Bucks.” I was like, “All right, cool. We’ll we’ll check this one out. We’ll see what’s what.” Um, but they end up getting the win. Clutch performance. Monster fourth quarter from Vlatty Slaf Golden. Uh former Owl Hoot Hoot and former Michigan Wolverine. Go Blue. Uh Golden to me, what a performance from him today uh or yesterday in this game. Really, really impressive. He gets the clutch bucket. He was aggressive getting to the to this. And uh his defense, man, he was uh he was a monster going after block shots. So, I thought Golden needed a lot of that. And I think for me, you know, I know I said this was not a very fun summer league to watch, and I’m not going to back off that. It wasn’t because there were a lot of lacks of there were blowouts. There were really a lot of quarters that they got blown out. Um, and that wasn’t great to watch. But I will say, and I and I got to give coach Eric Glass credit on this, uh, whenever it seemed like some guy was really down in the dumps, they seemed to put that player in a much much better position to succeed. Um, and so I think from my standpoint, there were a lot of good things to take from this summer league as well. Individually, for whatever reason, as a team, it didn’t seem like it always clicked the right way. You know, and it is tough. It’s kind of I imagine coaching the summer league team at times can be like hurting cats and trying to get everybody on the same page together. But uh you know from this perspective you did see uh you did see a team that was able to compete in this game, was able to handle the push back, was in a clutch situation, was able to pull things off with a win. Uh I thought Myron Gardner looked pretty good. Uh to be fair, I thought in the first half before he got banged up on his hand, Eric Stevenson really did have his moments for the team. Uh Javvante Cook same way I thought also looked impressive at times but uh yeah and and honestly another guy who looked really impressive especially on the defensive end and he and he’s he had himself a very very quiet summer league uh was Steve Settle the third especially I mean I think he ended up with uh what do he have four block shots he was a maniac using that giant wingspan we finally got to see that in action and I understand for him he’s not going to get a lot of looks a lot of opportunities um but he did not uh he did not canote smoothness throughout this thing and that kind of just looked like he was letting his hair down, play some hoops, and uh and looked like a menace on the defensive side. But Golden for me was the biggest thing. And I’m going to give you my five most uh impressive things about summer league, most important things about summer league um for this team. And for me, he was number five because I felt like he had uh some moments, but I thought as the number one uh guy, he had a couple of games where, you know, Kell didn’t play and he impressed. I think the last game of the California Classic and uh and then he had this one and this was probably his best game by far. So, he really went out on a high note after a game where I thought that uh, you know, he was dealing with a lot of adversity and I don’t know what his role is going to end up being, but I do know that that is a position that is going to be open for him, right? I don’t know if the Heat are going to end up signing him to a standard deal or anything like that, but I do think that from my standpoint, seeing that was uh was absolutely absolutely huge from his perspective. So that to me was uh was the fifth most important thing is that Golden comes out there and gives you a monster performance on both ends. Uh aggressive going to the hoop uh good rebound in the basketball and especially being a deterrent on the uh at the rim with four blocks. He finished he ended up finishing summer league with a 18-10 uh performance with four blocks. So really really good and he what do you have one foul? He was he was tremendous. He was he was far and away I thought the the Heat’s best player in that game. Uh for me number four, you know, these are going to be all names you’re you’re pretty familiar with because I again I do think we walked out of this. I don’t know. I think there are guys who definitely got to flash in the last game, but I think everybody else who’s not on a contract. Um I don’t know if anybody earned their way there. Keshot Johnson for me and especially, you know, they had the big performance where they all come through together, they get their first win. Um that was really really good. Um but that last game where he had the third quarter in California with his team with his uh his family in the crowd. I just think that you see the ability from him, the athleticism from him. He was also in a spot where he was put in as like kind of the vocal leader. He’s keeping everybody on the same page. There’s an unselfishness of that. I know on the broadcast they referred to him as Udonis Hasslam 2.0. Like I I think from the grit, the determination, and and and keeping everybody connected, I could see those elements. But this dude’s way more athletic than UD was. Um now UD defensively, you couldn’t move him. He was a he was a damn wall. And back when you were allowed to shoot that that little elbow jumper, you know, 15 feet, maybe one of the wetest in the league, the dude was uh was automatic with that. if it wasn’t for damn Rudy Gay’s foot, who knows? But, uh, Keshot, I think, did show some games where, you know, he had some he had some clankers where he was taking paint off the rim and then he, uh, he had some some games where he showed some definite improvement with that three-point shot. So, that was absolutely huge. My third most important thing was the Casper’s Yakonis game. um while he did not play in this game and he definitely had a roller coaster ride of this uh he told reporters he said I’m very happy to have this experience I think we learned a lot as a team and for me individually I think I learned a lot just gaining experience every time is good I’m trying to take it all from the coaches the players who have been here I’m trying to listen and take in as much information as I could um he really you know had that tough time at California where he was one and 15 from the field. He didn’t hit a three-point shot, but when he comes in and it’s Viva Las Vegas and it was that first game, I just thought that was huge for the kid because you never know what the But just to know you you still got it in you and I just thought that that was uh I thought that that was really great. I think he plays his ass off all the time. Um no matter what the score is, that never stopped for him. So, we’re talking about like some guys they had to take that and and bring that out of them. Man, with Yakonis, they didn’t have to do that one bit. So, certainly uh excited to see what this guy is. I have definitely pumped the brakes a little bit on what to expect this year just because I’m like, okay, there there’s there’s still growth that has to happen here, but I’m still intrigued a lot by him as a prospect. It’s just, man, he’s 19 years old. uh maybe this isn’t going to be one and maybe he will get some time in Sou Falls to to get some opportunity to to get some playing time, but I I I think you come away with it encouraging. I’m I’m excited to see what happens when he’s around all the veterans in camp. I think that’s going to be a huge thing for him as well. So, that to me was the uh the third most important thing was uh Casper’s ability to respond. Number two for me was the Kell wear drama. Uh, Kell being able to handle the call out from Eric Spolstra and really take it in stride well. I just thought showed a lot of maturity from him and a question about his professionalism, his maturity, his motor. Okay, now what is he going to do with a public critique? And he handled it like a champ. You know, I I think that that to me spoke volumes about the guy as a player. We obviously know that he’s talented. I don’t need to see Kawwa throw a double double up against any summer league team. I know that the talent is there, but you always wonder how does a guy handle public criticism. And I also think it was important for Spo to step up and say something. I think that that showed, you know, I think Spo was like, I’m not st sitting quiet on this. I I think the time for the Heat to walk around eggshells, like I don’t want to keep mentioning the Jimmy thing because it’s irrelevant at this point, but I do think that one thing it could teach the Heat um especially in season. I thought that Spo handled it really walking around on eggshells. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes with that, but I know publicly it was very like, oh, you know, it’s fine. We’re going to put him in the right spots. And then you got Jose and then Spo just kind of like noelled it. Like he didn’t talk about it. He just wanted to be like I’m not he’s not gonna get a rise out of me. Sometimes I need a rise out of the coach. Sometimes you do. And so I almost feel like Spo and Kell both together grew and that’s important because we know that Spo I honestly think it’s good for him because I think Pat Riley said like he’s been wearing a lot of his stuff. I think it feels good to hose guys down in the media every once in a while and it’s important to see how they could take it. I don’t think that Kell needs to be the only guy. I think that, you know, if if if other guys are deserving of the critique from now and then, they’re all big boys. They’re all big boys and and and they can and they could take it. I don’t think this is the time anymore. I’m not saying spoke, be somebody else. Like, be who you are, but I think it’s healthy for him. I think it’s healthy for the team. I think it’s healthy for the fans to see it because I think the thing that was interesting with the Kell thing is we were all like, are we being too hard on him? Like, it is summer league. Are we are we No. like we were nobody was crazy and I would think I was as lenient as it got with it. I was like I don’t I don’t want to be the guy getting crazy about this in in the summertime. That seems like I’m I’m being a nut job. But he handled it well. And so uh I thought that was the second most important thing. And the number one thing for me, Pella Larson. Pella Larson to me was the most consistent guy on this team from the first game in California through Monday when he had his final game. He was relentless in getting to the rim and getting to the free throw line. He was tenacious on defense. He was taking charges. Really, I thought uh always brought it no matter what. And from my standpoint, the most consequential player of this because of the people really fighting for a role. Kell, okay, maybe there’s an idea that he’s not going to start and he’ll be the back of big. Maybe. I still think he’s going to start. Um, so as much as this was all a a good test, I don’t think I I don’t think as of now it’s taken away his role. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but I don’t think it I think the fact that he responded as strong as he did will show that it it’s not going to happen yet. But Pella is is legitimately like fighting for minutes and fighting for for hey, you need to play me. And I just thought that that is the attitude he brought every single night for me. So that to me was numero uno the most important thing about this summer league and the thing that was the biggest storyline for me in this summer league. So Vlad Golden showing you something in the final game and a good and and the Heat’s just overall ability to respond. Coach Glass’s ability to get them to respond was number five. Number four Keshan Johnson specifically that last game in the California Classic. He also had that great game where he, Pella, and Kille all really performed well. No Casperis in that game. Number three was Casper’s Yakonis, and his response after a terrible California classic comes to Las Vegas and was freaking awesome. The Kell Spo dynamic to me was number two. Um, and Kell’s ability to respond to that. Spo shown a little spunk. I’m putting that as the the number two. Just the whole dynamic with that. And then number one, Pella Larson. His consistency throughout that to me was uh a summer league experience that yes, had some real tough watches. I’m not I’m not mincing or or backing off that. It was a tough product at times, but it also was a very intriguing summer and there were a lot of uh good individual performances and there was I think a lot of good it I think because there were so many struggles at times, I think that a lot of these guys showed uh some great mental fortitude. So, I think overall, while the results did not bear with another championship for this team, that’s okay. I think a lot of tests were given and I think a lot of them were passed as well.

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