Miami Heat's Young Players Gaining Experience In NBA Restart
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra would prefer to view it as a learning experience.
The short-handed Heat blew a 23-point, first-half lead in Thursday's 130-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks but Spoelstra said the experience could benefit the team's young players. The Heat have five rotation players _ center Bam Adebayo, forward Duncan Robinson, forward Derrick Jones Jr. and guards Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn _ who have limited playoff experience.
Spoelstra said a game as such will help once the postseason begins.
"It's a little bit of everything," Spoelstra said. "Obviously, you want your team playing well but I also like going through these emotions. It's good for your team, particularly us. We have some young guys. Young guys were playing significant roles. At times, they were spectacular and other times it's part of the learning process."
The Heat were playing without forward Jimmy Butler and guard Goran Dragic, who are both dealing with ankle injuries. Robinson led the Heat with 21 points while Herro added 20 off the bench. It wasn't enough to offset a poor performance from Adebayo, who finished with six points on 2 of 10 shooting.
"It's a good learning for us and I think we'll be able to bounce back like we always do," Herro said.
The Heat are 2-2 since the season restarted after a four-month break because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spoelstra said the next four games should help work out the kinks before the playoffs.
"We are who we are," Spoelstra said. "We have to tighten up what we do and then build our counters to that. The best way to do that is in competition. We're not going to try to reinvent the wheel and try to trick somebody. The best teams in the league, you have your habits by now. There will be some wrinkles and adjustments you certainly have to make in a seven-game series. To try to surprise somebody, you might get a few minutes of the first game of a playoff series that might get somebody a little bit off but at that point, you are who you are."
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