How Giannis changed the Heat in the first preseason game

The Miami Heat won 129 to 105 against the Toronto Raptors who were without Kawhi Leonard for the preseason opener. The Giannis Antetokounmpo era has begun for the Heat and they are forever changed. Here are three takeaways from tonight’s preseason game.

Here's all 7 of Giannis' dimes in the 1H of his debut, each one of them leading to a made 3-ball, contributing to 21 points.

Giannis also scored 9 on 3-3 FGs, 3-4 FTs, plus 4 rebounds in 14 mins.

And you had actual NBA analysts saying the Heat "gave up too much" to get him. pic.twitter.com/9p11sO50eK
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) October 4, 2026

1) Giannis's Gravity

The Heat had 19 assists in the first half and 7 of those came from Giannis. He is impossible to defend one on one. The furious Heat pace makes it difficult to set your defense and get into your rotations. When Giannis got single coverage, he attacked, scored and got to the foul line. When the Raptors doubled him, he sprayed the ball out to open shooters all over the court. Miami shot 47.8% from deep as a team in that first half against one of the best defensive teams in the East.

The Heat averaged 25 free throw attempts per game last season. The combination of Giannis and Bam Adebayo had 10 by themselves in the first half. The Heat as a team had 24 free throw attempts by halftime. Giannis gravity is real and defenses are forced to pick their poison. They can defend Giannis straight up and give up 50 points or double him and get sniped out of the building.

Tim Hardaway jr — Sep 28, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) poses for a photo during media day at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2) This Team is Deep

The Depth of the Miami Heat was on full display tonight as Head Coach Erik Spoelstra did hockey line changes with a new five instead of revealing rotations. Tim Hardaway Jr the son of Heat Legend Tim Hardaway Sr. wearing his dad’s old 10 jersey number. The younger Hardaway was a perfect 3 for 3 from downtown showing off his quick trigger.

Nikola Jovic chipped in with 11pts, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He was left in for extended minutes with the bottom of the guys as they continue to try and rehabilitate his confidence

Veteran big man Bobby Portis showed of his versatility and Heat mentality in his first preseason game. He got into a confrontation over positioning on a jump ball in preseason. He is going to be a fan favorite.

Nick Richard had some solid minutes cleaning the glass with 7 rebounds in only 10 minutes of action while swatting two shots. This is the first time in a long time the Heat have good depth in the front court.

Pelle Larrson — Sep 28, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) poses for a photo during media day at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3) Pelle Larsson

Larsson is in for a breakout season. He is going to be involved in multiple lineups throughout the roster. He is a glue guy in every sense of the word.

He scored 13 points in only 11 minutes of play. His rugged style driving to the basket earned him 7 trips to the free throw line which was more than both Giannis and Bam. He knocked all 7 attempts down. He was picking up guys 94 feet defensively, causing deflections and racking up two steals on the night.

The lack of ball handling in the second unit means he is going to have the ball in his hands a lot.

Sep 28, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Bez Mbeng (19) poses for a photo during media day at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

4) Bonus Take away

The Miami Heat second unit lacks ball handling. Yes, Spo will stagger the minutes of Giannis and Bam so that the offense runs through them, but the lack of handle was startling. One of the young guys, Ryan Conwell or Tre Donaldson, could see stretches of playing time this season if the second unit fails to take care of and move the ball. Exhibit 10 guys Bez Mbeng and Ian Scheffielin played well in their extended minutes in the second half. Vlad Goldin, who currently holds a two-way spot did not.

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