MYSTERY: Miami Heat’s Frontcourt PUZZLE Deepens | Will Jovic or Ware START Alongside BAM?

MYSTERY: Miami Heat’s Frontcourt PUZZLE Deepens | Will Jovic or Ware START Alongside BAM?

Nicole Yovic is entering his fourth season with the Heat, but remains a mystery for fans and the team alike. What will his role be next season? Is he a possible starter, or will he be fighting for any playing time at all? We’ll answer that 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. Whether 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 David Ramil. 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 FanDuel. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins on FanDuel. have a great show for you today. We have a sneaky option for Miami’s answer at Backup Center. Plus, we go into another round of locked off heat where we answer your questions about anything not related to the Miami Heat. But let’s start here because we were talking yesterday about whether or not we thought Nikovic had the inside track on rotation spot. David, it ended up being a bit of a debate, frankly, more of a debate than I had expected. So, uh, we thought we could continue that conversation here today. You seem less sure about Nico’s role next season than I do, though. Yeah. I don’t see that anything’s changed much. Like, when you’re looking at the front court, who’s gone from last year’s roster that would suddenly clear the space for him to play? Is it Kyle Anderson? Is it that’s it? You think Kyle Anderson’s departure, a guy who was basically a salary cap throwin, is the one that kept Nico on the bench? I mean, I know he was injured for part of that, too. So, injury that kept him on the bench. When he was healthy, he was out there. No. Yeah. But there were minutes there, there were games where he wasn’t sniffing the floor at all. And so, I to me, it’s just I don’t know that he’s necessarily penciled in for a rotation spot. I think that’s still very much in the air. I assume he’s going to be healthy. Look, and I love Yoic’s potential. I’ve been about that from day one in terms of what he can bring as, in my opinion, a point forward. So, I I thought he had that capability. he just has to do it more consistently. Not just in terms of his perimeter shooting, but also his defensive ability because that has been what’s kept him off the floor most of the time is that he’s not an excellent rebounder despite his size. He’s not a great defender, but he made strides in that department and that’s why he started earning those spots. We saw him as a starter at the beginning of the season. That experiment didn’t last very long and it didn’t work very well and then he basically fell out of the rotation and once he did come back, that’s when he started to make an impact. He was playing his best basketball the season. Unfortunately, that’s when he got hurt. So, who knows what the rest of the season would have been like, but I don’t know that it’s necessarily a guarantee that he’s going to get that kind of playing time, especially if you’re going to lean into a Khalil Wear bam and a bio starting front court. So, before I get to my point, I want to play this clip. It’s Eric Spolster talking about Nico in Las Vegas um with a bunch of us in a scrum. A unique skill set. You know, part of his strength is making other players better. Some of it is in these plays in between that are unscripted. That’s oftenimes where he’s at his best. He also can get lost like any player if you’re playing strictly in those areas where you can get lost in the sauce. So, he can play on the ball. Uh but we have a lot of guys that can play on the ball. So, there’s going to be a balance, you know, right there. You look at where Nico was as a rookie to where he’s becoming right now. It’s night and day. the work ethic um and his consistency of approach every single day. Uh I think the last two summers have been really good because it’s been a um a strong balance of the Miami Heat player development program and then going to play for his national team. I think that’s helped his maturity. You know, the first year he was a token starter on the world championships and then any moments of truth he wasn’t playing. Coaches will play who they think can help you win. last year was probably the eighth or ninth tenth man, biggest stage. So, my challenge to him was break in the rotation. Make that uh Hall of Fame coach earn your trust. Nico had a really good uh June and late May. He’s put on some strength, too. He’s just going to come back looking different. You know, every year he comes back stronger, bigger. Uh I’m excited uh about um you know, his improvement. So, that’s sort of what I was hinting at yesterday and when I when I was talking about how excited Eric Spolster seemed about Nicola Yoic. Now, how much of that is lip service? How much I I I Spo isn’t the kind of coach to come out and just do lip service and just Yeah. and just shower a player with compliments for for no reason. When he says night and day where he was as a rookie, really excited to see how he comes back from Euro Basket. By the way, I think so. Yoic is going to be part of this Euro basket run. Heat coaches do seem excited about what he’s going to be able to do there and what he’s going to look like next season, but I think we’re going to learn a lot. Let’s also keep in mind Nico came in to last year off of um participating with the with the national team, the Serbian national team. Remember, he he sprained his ankle. Yeah. And he came into camp with a boot and he were pretty upset about that. Uh, and I think that’s why some people were wondering whether or not they were going to allow him to go back overseas and play overseas for his national team again this summer. But they, like Spo just said, they’re excited about that opportunity for him and they think that he can get better. They they liked when Goran Dragich was out there doing that kind of stuff, too. And they always thought that, hey, international guys when they go play in that kind of context, they tend to come back to us better than what they were. You just hope that they don’t get hurt. And obviously, Nico got hurt last year. But as long as he’s not hurt and he goes into training camp, um, this to me is a guy who we could debate starting, coming off the bench, whatever. You seem unsure about whether or not he’s going to be be a part of the rotation. Based on where the roster is right now, David, I think it’s pretty clear that we’re looking at a threeman front court rotation of Nico, Bam, and KL We Bam’s obviously starting. I think Nico is competing with wear for the starting job next to Bam out of bio. I I just think that’s where it is and the coaching staff is going to have to see a lot more from KL Wear. They they were thrilled with how he responded uh after Eric Bolster called him out during that same press conference. They’re also very excited to see what Nico looks like in camp. I like what Spose said there about his participation in Europe uh league there in terms of it’s his maturity that gets a boost because he plays with older international players. We know about European basketball, these national teams consists of of of people who have been in part of the national pipeline for a long time and so they’re veterans. They might not be NBA veterans, but you get somebody in their early 30s, mid-30s that has been around the program for a long time, and they just help these younger guys like Nico learn the game and adapt and and expand what they’re capable of doing. And so, I think in terms of what Nico is looking to develop over the summer, just his approach to the game and how he can incorporate all the versatile skills that he possesses and continue to develop them, I think is a big part of it. And look, two years ago, he had such a fantastic summer. Um, and he he really showed a lot as an upand cominging international player, and we were both very optimistic about what he would be able to bring to the Heat. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out. And again, injury and inconsistency has just kind of kept him uh in that role that he’s had over the last couple seasons. So, I I am cautiously optimistic after hearing that clip from Spo. I get why you’re a little bit more enthusiastic or a little bit more of a believer in terms of him being a part of the rotation because the way Spo does talk about him as you said that’s not typical of Spo. He’s not going to say those kinds of things just to kind of blow smoke or or just to mislead media members or anything like that. That’s that’s him voicing a strong opinion on behalf of the front office. Go ahead. If I can ask you something because you seem skeptical about him being able to even get a rotation like who on the roster. Yeah. Is getting power forward minutes outside of Bam. Yeah. Kha Johnson would be the only other option and he’d have to have Yeah. He’s going to have he’s going to have to come out looking like PJ Tucker, you know, and I don’t I don’t really see that in the cards for him. So, um you know, Hwood Highmith can play some minutes there. They can obviously go small wigs at the four, but I don’t know. They’re not going to start games that way. And I don’t think they’re even gonna Maybe they plan for a few minutes here and there, but that that’s sort of where I’m at with Nico. And look, I’m not he has to work on things like the three-point shot is there. The ball handling stuff that Spo was talking about in that clip is there. What Nico needs to work on is making an impact on a possession possession basis with or without the ball in his hands. If he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, then he has to be impacting it as a floor spacer and as a rebounder. Defensively, he has to be good every single time out there. That’s where Nico needs the most improvement is the possession to possession making an impact consistently. That’s where it is for him. Uh, and that’s how you, by the way, play a lot of minutes in Euro Basket, right? That’s how you end up playing at the end of some of those games in in what this uh team likes to call winning time. I do think, like I said, I think that he’s gonna be competing with wear for the starting job next to Bam in training camp. That’s where I’m kind of stuck though. That’s where I’m kind of stuck. So, I was gonna ask you about that because and I don’t mean to interrupt, but like rotation player, that’s pretty clear, but I just think that unless where stinks really badly or has shown a setback, especially in terms of his maturity and approach, if he looks like he did the first few couple weeks of summer league, right? Or like he just doesn’t care. It’s like, uh, summer training camp, what’s the big deal? Spo doesn’t appreciate that kind of attitude. You got to work. You got to go in there looking like you’re ready, like you’re in the second week of training camp, not the first day of training camp, right? Yeah. I think where has the inside track, but he needs Yes. He needs to earn it. They’re not just going to give it to him. And that’s why I say Nico’s going to compete with him. I do think if the Heat had their way, We would go into training camp and win the champ. Yes. Yes. No question about it. I but it’s not a guarantee because as we know they’re not going to just hand stuff to him and and if he approaches it the way he approached the first couple of summer league games then they’re then it’s going to be Nico’s job or they’re going to go in another direction. Um is that is that the best course for Miami? I mean, maybe that’s a whole other question that to kind of lead off into it. Would starting Khalil or Nico help Miami in terms of let’s like if you forget the best version of where or the best version of Nico, which one of them is going to be more helpful in the starting lineup alongside that that’s worth exploring. Let’s put a pin in that. We’ll talk about that on the other side of this. Plus, um, we have talked a lot about the need for a backup center. Probably not going to factor into this part of the conversation, but the Heat seemed to be really high on somebody already on their roster. So, we’ll also talk about that next year on Lockdown Heat. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Summer sports are in full swing and whether you’re about baseball under the lights or golf out in the green, just high stakes soccer action, FanDuel is the best way to make every game even more exciting. You’re already following the action. Why not make things a little bit more interesting? With FanDuel, you can get in on the game while your friends are getting sunburned at the beach. Listen, it’s easy to use. It’s fast to pay out and it makes even regular season games feel like mustwatch events. And there is new daily promotions that make the most of your experience. Whether you’re watching a same game parlay or watching a bet ride into the ninth inning, FanDuel makes it feel like you’re part of the action. So, if you’re new to FanDuel, well, guess what? This is the best time to join. And you can bet just $5 and you get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. That’s $5 bet and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Open a FanDuel app today or visit fanuel.com to get started. Be right back. [Music] You asked before we went to break there uh whether the Heat would be better off with Wear or Nico winning that starting job next to Bam. I think it depends on their goals. If they want defense behind Tyler Hiro and Norm Pal, then I think it makes sense to go with Bam and Wear, provided that Weer, you know, takes a step up defensively there. Um, but I if they want to play fast and have more ball handling on the floor, then I think it could make some sense to go with Nico there also. And frankly, defensively, I know the numbers are what the numbers are with Wear and Bam on the court together. They’re very good defensively together. They’re not nearly as good with Wear by himself without Bam, which that also factors into your rotation planning and your starting lineup plans too also. But, you know, there there’s a case to be made that when Nico is really engaged defensively, he’s as impactful next to Bam as where is next to Bam just because Bam is so great by himself at that center spot. Uh, and they’re a little bit more if they want to switch everything, you could do that more with a Bam Nico lineup than you can with a wear Bam lineup. I don’t know that they want to do that. Again, it just depends on sort of what Eric Spolster has decided he what kind of team he wants to be after taking some time um to think about things this summer. Yeah. I wasn’t even thinking right now like is it possible to maybe keep both in the starting lineup because then Oh, you go Nico Bam. We wear Yes. And alongside and bring Wiggins off the bench. I would have suggested Powell off the bench to be honest with you. That’s not enough ball handling. Hero Wiggins. Bam. Nico. Yeah. With Nico as a ball handler, too. I I think you’ve got an option there. Hero Wiggins as a two. Well, again, you’ve got shooting at Actually, you have all five of them are capable of hitting a three-point shot. Are they consistent at it? No. Are they Are they respected out there? Not really. Nobody’s going to guard Nico. Nobody’s going to guard Bam. Nobody’s going to guard where? No. I suppose not in that sense. I don’t know how much that changes even with Pal and the starting lineup. I mean, but I guess you have to pick your poison between hero and Pal. So, there’s there’s lots of options there. And then this is why you and I are both bullish following the Apal acquisition is that it allows for different permutations, different lineup changes and things of that sort. So, you can go big, you can go small, you can go fast. There’s a lot that you can do by adding a top score in Powell. Yeah, it’s it’s why I think ultimately they’ll settle on a threeman rotation in the front court between Bamware and Nico. And we’ll see who wins the starting job. Again, I think it’s probably where with the inside track here, but I I would not rule anything out. And at the end of the day, I frankly don’t know how much it matters. It it’s going to be those three guys that that are getting the bulk of the minutes there. That said, uh they still have a need at backup center. We’ve talked a lot about the big man rotation, the depth at center. I don’t think we’ve done a bigger conversation on the one backup big already on the roster and that’s Vlad Golden who he goes undrafted and the Heat within minutes of the draft being over signed him to a two-way contract right there. This is a guy that they had wanted. Um they uh and and they worked with his agent to make that happen and and they really liked him. So uh here’s a quote from summer league coach Eric Glass. He goes, quote, “Vlad was really good for us. He plays so freaking hard out there. He plays so physically. You’d love to have him on the floor even longer, but he goes so hard. Sometimes he burns himself out. That’s why we love him.” End quote. Uh just being around him uh the team in Vegas, like they they really like this guy. He’s on a two-way contract, so he’s only allowed 50 games of eligibility. I would imagine he probably because he’s on a 2-way goes up and down between the G-League and the NBA squad. He’s also not eligible to play in the playoffs. I don’t know that the Heat are thinking that far ahead right now. I just know that they like him and it wouldn’t shock me if he got a few minutes here and there. Um, if he is indeed the only backup center on the roster when the season starts. What did you see from him in Vegas and the few games that you were able to catch up? The physicality. I mean, he’s as tall as he’s as tall as Kell. Yeah. Legit sevenfooter. Yeah. He’s and he’s strong. Uh, and he’s stronger than where, I’d say. Oh, for sure. It’s not It’s not close. and he he just he does all of his work near the rim which I like. He’s not very versatile. He took whatever it was like 30 something threes like I think he was 11 of 33 I think I have that right in college last year at Michigan. I don’t think that that’s part of his game and I don’t think that’s the plan. Um but you know he’s a decent free throw shooter. There’s definitely some touch there, but I I think he’s got really good touch near the basket within like that five to six, seven foot area and plays really hard, good rebounder, just got a nose for the ball and just committed to doing stuff near the basket, which his team really needs. Is he that much better or worse than Omar Yurtz? Um, yeah, I think I think the Heat obviously been looking for whether it’s Yurtzan or Orlando Robinson or these guy like these just really big hulking centers. Yeah, I think they’ve kind of gone through them. I guess the difference here is um Well, I guess they did sign No, Orlando Robinson was in the G-League for first and so was Omair, right? Did they did they sign those guys to two-way deals right away or they they brought him into exhibit 10s and then they ended up in the G- League for a minute? I don’t know. I it’s a good question. They they’ve obviously cycled through these guys and have not done a good job, but they they are very high on I don’t remember I don’t remember them talking about one of them like Glass was talking about Golden there. Uh I mean Yurt was on the roster. He wasn’t on the Tuneway and uh I think yeah he eventually got on the roster. I’m just saying like right away where was he? Um yeah I think they they did talk him up. I can’t recall exactly how he was I think he was a training camp invite and then they signed him to a deal but I might be mistaken about that. Um either way though that that the idea was he brings legitimate size and things of that sort and I think they’re looking at gold and doing the same thing and I just wonder again we talked about rotational wing players and how they are going to struggle because there’s not a lot we talked about this in terms of Kash Johnson like what’s the elite skill that he brings and so for golden yes he’s tall that’s great but is he athletic enough to maximize that height and be able to make an actual positive impact out on the court against NBA players because it seemed like he struggled a little bit even in summer league and if you’re struggling in summer league, well then you’re not going to be able to play against actual pros, right? He wasn’t dominant. He didn’t make one of the all summer league teams, whatever that’s worth. I I do like he he did get better as summer league went on. His best game in summer league was in Miami summer league uh finale. He had 18 points, seven of 10 shooting, 10 rebounds, four blocks in that game. Um he shot six almost 67% on two-point field goals, good rebounding numbers. who’s a plus 41 in in his 105 minutes. Yeah. Again, it’s all G-League stuff, but you got to do it somewhere. Um, so yeah, I don’t know what his he doesn’t have an elite skill set, but is he is he an NBA ready rebounder right away? I mean, the NBA size is already there and the N like it still really matters to just be really tall and big. Like that is that is an NBA skill. Um, I think he’s an NBA rebounder. I think he can walk in and grab like a couple of rebounds in seven or eight minutes if Bamware and or in foul trouble or something like that, you know, like but I Yeah, I don’t I’m just saying like he’s the only big on the roster right now. Probably going to see him play. Yeah, I’m just waiting for the invariable 21 and 12 game five of the preseason versus Minnesota where everybody’s like, “Oh, why isn’t he starting?” Oh, that’s great. Well, yeah. Yeah. Why isn’t he starting? Should we trade Bam? Like, are we ready to just trade Bam and start start golden? Cuz he he went up against the third guy on the bench for whatever team there is in game five. You know, it’s that’s it always. That was a real conversation, wasn’t it? When Yurtz Robinson and Yeah. Yurtz, they had big games. Yan was the Was it during the co like the COVID year where he ended up playing a bunch of games and then Yeah. Yeah. He was just like 10 and 10 for like three straight games. Everybody was like, “We could probably just trade Bam and start this guy.” Yeah, I was talking about who remember he was he was stretching the floor. That was the option in camp. They went to the Bahamas that one year and then came they had talked about working them together and then he gets hurt right before the preseason start and we never get a chance to see it. Then he ended up in Utah for a little bit. The biggest in franchise history. We’ll see what happens with Vlad Golden. Meanwhile, can we relate to Steven Colbear? Locked off heat is next. All right, it’s another day. It’s another uh episode featuring our new segment, Locked Off Heat. A new segment where we discuss anything other than the Miami Heat. Thanks to everybody who continues to send in questions for this segment already very popular, David, so we’re going to continue doing this. Billy writes, “And sparked by the whole Steven Cobear CBS/P Paramount uh debacle, do you ever feel limited with your coverage because you’re part of a bigger network? Curious about how much feedback or freedom you guys have when making each episode?” Before we jump into that, like just the Steven Cobear thing, I I we’re not a news show. I don’t necessarily know that we need to break down everything that happened there, but they are canceling the late show with Steven Cobear. Some people think it might be related to some things that he had to say about Trump uh like a few days before they made the announcement. They are cancelling not just Colar’s show but just the late show in general which obviously has a you know 30-year history and Letterman and all that kind of stuff over there on CBS. So, and maybe and people think that it might also have something to do with um not just the comments that Colbear has made about Trump, but also the ensuing merger that CBS is trying to make at CBS or Paramount, CBS’s parent company is trying to make right now and whether or not they can get that passed. So, uh there’s a lot there, but in terms of the censorship part of it, David, yeah, I we’re part of the Locked on Podcast Network. It has a million shows, bunch of employees, all this stuff. We are very much in charge of this show with almost so little oversight that I’d I’d almost be worried about it. Yeah. Perhaps you’re giving us too much slack for us to hang ourselves with. Yeah. Right. No, I mean I’ve never felt any kind of pressure to it. It’s it basically it’s just you know what you guys know your markets. You know your team better than anybody else. And that’s been the edict from day one. I mean, that’s why they hired us. It’s like, you know, there are voices out there and and we respect yours and we like yours and what you say about your team. And that’s what this network has always been about is you want to have somebody who knows the team whether it’s the history of the team, the present or the future or just keep your pulse on the uh your finger on the pulse of the the fan base. You have to be able to present these things. And there are people across the the spectrum whether they’re longtime broadcasters or people that are just kind of starting out and and everywhere in between and and we’ve been doing this for what nine years now. I mean I I can’t believe it. It’s been nine years but at no point in time have ever felt like they they have restricted what we say. Um I’m trying to think of times where it was even at a discussion. Uh it was twice that I can recall. Okay. Twice. one one uh no use of profanity and I’m probably more guilty of that than you are. That’s it. And then another one was I think they kind of I I think given certain political climates a few years ago they probably said maybe you don’t make that like a a regular topic on the show as often something like that because I think it was the uh stick to sports movement that was happening when you know ESPN was a little under the gun about stuff and that’s what it is and we had a meeting as a network at that point. Was it a meeting or was it might have just been an email. It would have. Yeah, I think it was actually it was Yeah. where it was just like, hey, like we’re we’re a sports channel. Let’s just let’s stick to sports and and we pretty much did. Although I was on locked on Warriors at the time and I did like a whole series on uh Black Lives Matter and COVID and interviewing interviewing like former Warriors players who had a lot to do with that movement in the Bay Area. Not this past Black Lives Matter movement, but like in Oakland like years and years and years ago. And I thought that was really just fascinating in terms of being a journalist and and performing those interviews. But I got no push back on doing that. In fact, and Warriors fans seemed to really like it when I was doing it. So that was it. And then um what was there was one other thing. Oh, when uh Matt Gates called us out. Oh, that happened a few years ago. Yeah. Matt Matt Gates pulled a clip from our show and just went at us online and and we just we had a conversation about whether or not we wanted to respond. We talked to the network a little bit about it just to get their advice and they were like, “Look, if you guys don’t want to respond, we’re not going to force you to respond.” And that was sort of it like it was but it was mostly left up to us. Ironically, again, same Matt Gates showing the same kind of two-facedness that he has as a political figure saying at one point years before this, “Love this show.” leaving like a random comment saying how much he loved his show. Like this was some somebody who logged into iTunes as Matt Gates and wrote about how much he loved Locked on Heat. A couple years later I said I didn’t want Jonathan Isaac on this team and he’s like why don’t you want you know Jonathan he just went after you for not wanting Jonathan Isaac on the roster. That was it. Yeah. Um, last thing, last question here on Locked Off Heat, uh, from another uh, Locked on Heat insider. By the way, if you want to join the locked on heat insider community, the link is always in the show notes below every single episode. You could join uh, it’s free for 14 days, $5 a month after that. Uh, we got a bunch of people signed up there. You have an opportunity to ask us questions, not only for locked off Heath segments, but uh, for mailbag questions that are related to the Miami Heat, for postgame questions during the season, and just to interact with us one-on-one. And sometimes we just share some intel and and stuff like when I was in Vegas, I shared a bunch of stuff that I had gotten from Vegas on the ground there and in there as well. But this uh this insider writes in another question would be what hobbies do you have that we non-heat people wouldn’t know about? David, what h what hobbies do you have? I’ve got a six-year-old. I don’t know how much time I have for hobbies anymore. Um no, spending time with him is my main hobby. Aside from that, reading uh is is a big thing that I love to do and I have loved to do that for a long time. I don’t spend as much time with it. Books, comics, uh you know, online uh articles and news things. Uh yeah, whatever you can find. I I love reading um and yeah, comic book collecting, movies, TV, you know, pretty standard stuff. I don’t have anything random like I’m not I don’t know how that Yeah, I’m a cool hobby. Like people have cool hobbies. Like uh David Lock, the CEO of this company, goes like skiing. He’s like he’s skiing like every other day. Well, he lives in freaking Utah. I mean, what are you gonna do? But even if I lived in Utah, I wouldn’t go skiing every day. Yes. My hobby drinking indoors. I would be a lot I would be Yeah. Right now, my hobbies are basically drinking outdoors right now. Well, that’s what you do in in Miami. That’s right. I have a balcony and I like to hang out there with a cigar and a cocktail or a beer every once in a while. And that’s I’m not a hobby person. I’m not a hobby guy. Like I I my hobby is hanging out with friends, having a couple of drinks, maybe smoking a cigar once a week, working out. I like to work out. That’s Sure. That’s what I like to do. I love listening to music, but I usually do that when I’m working out. So, it’s like two hobbies at once. But, okay, that’s now that’s one that’s an interesting thing because I can’t listen to music working out. I find it to be really distracting. I’m a psych. I’m one of those rare psychos that just got to like no headphones, no nothing. I just work out. That’s wild. Wait, so you just you’re just on the treadmill or on a bench and you’re just not listen How is the music distracting? I I just I don’t like focusing on that. I like focusing on what I’m doing and that’s that’s what helps me music. What kind of music are you listening to at the gym? Have you tried listening to at the gym? I’ve listened to everything, but I don’t I don’t prefer it. I really don’t I don’t even want to even deal with a distraction. To me, I’m locked in. When I when I lift, I lift and that’s all I’m thinking about. I’m not thinking about anything else. I don’t need to pump Metallica or whatever, you know, just to get myself going. Um, I just I’ve never done that. And I’m I’ve been on and off a member of the gym for 30 years and I just never have really got into like the idea of listening to music. Never. At no point in time. I will listen to music during cardio and at that point just basically I want something to distract me from the pain in my lungs and knees. So that’s that’s basically it. But other than that, no, I’m I’m pretty fine without it. I like I like music for cardio because I like to follow the beat and that kind of gives me like a rhythm while I’m either walking or running. But um that I I’m glad you’re at least self-aware and know that is psychotic behavior. Like you know you’re wrong. But no, I would say I’m wrong, but I recognize that people are like, “What is he doing just not listening to stuff?” It’s like what’s the Seinfeld bit where um Elaine’s boyfriend is just stares ahead at the airport. Like yeah, you’re just going to stare right into space like Oh yeah, that’s right. Yep. Yep. It’s a three-hour flight. Yep. Yeah, I got that. Yeah, that’s right. So that’s you at the gym. That’s me. So yeah, you’re when your breaks between sets, what are you doing? Thinking about what I’m thinking about. Yeah. I stare up and I think and I I think about what’s happening and I just on to the next. Yeah. Seriously, your local gym. Don’t go near him. He’s a psycho. I’ve seen I’ve seen at least three Locked on Heat listeners at my gym and they all talk about what a great show it is. I’m surprised they even approached you now. Now, now they’re like, “Oh, who’s that psycho without the headphones?” I guess, you know, thanks for breathing hard there and not even talking to everybody or listening to music. What’s going just heavy breathing, not talking to anybody. Should have like a like a sheath, you know, not anything in it, but just like a sheath just to create like questions about like what’s going to happen next, you know? You never know. You know what? It’s better than recording yourself at the gym. I’ll say that. Please. And I realize I’m probably alienating a lot of listeners because it just it feels like it’s a Miami thing more than any other place where you you just have to bring a tripod with you. It’s ridiculous. Uh, thanks for making Lockdown Heat your first listen today. If you’re a second listen, find the Locked on 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.

Miami HEAT’s Jovic Dilemma: Rotation Lock or Bench Warmer? Spoelstra’s Praise Sparks Debate

Will Nikola Jovic secure a spot in the MIAMI HEAT’s rotation this season? Hosts Wes Goldberg and David Ramil analyze Erik Spoelstra’s recent comments on Jovic’s development and debate his potential role. The discussion extends to the HEAT’s frontcourt options, including Bam Adebayo’s ideal partner and undrafted sensation Vlad Goldin’s chances as a backup center.

0:00 Intro
1:30 Nicola Jovic’s role next season
12:27 Ware vs. Jovic as starters
16:31 Vlad Goldin as potential backup center
21:14 Locked Off Heat

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