Miami Heat's KZ Okpala Trying To Move Into Next Phase

With the NBA summer league coming to an end Tuesday, Miami Heat forward KZ Okpala can now start looking forward to his third season.

Playing more aggressive and becoming a better 3-point shooter are atop the list of the areas that need improvement.

Okpala shot just 14 of 45, including 23 percent from the arc, during summer league.

“He had games where he had been aggressive and I thought he was pressing,” said Heat assistant coach Malik Allen, who coached the summer league team.

Allen said Okpala eventually settled as the summer progressed, especially in the finale against the Dallas Mavericks. Okpala finished with 16 points.

“He just seemed much more relaxed offensively," Allen said. "He just kind of went out and just played. He just let the game to come to him, and he was much more relaxed. He was in a little more featured role today, and he was aggressive. And I just told him to be aggressive, make or miss.”

Perimeter game remains a concern for Okpala, who was a second-round pick out of Stanford in 2019. The Heat have long coveted power forwards who can stretch the floor. Overall, Allen seemed impressed with Okpala's growth during the summer.

“I think just offensively, he’s trying to do the right things,” Allen said. “Like the first game, I think he was trying to do a little too much. This game when he got his touches, he was trying to do the right thing. It’s a little bit different. His mind just seems like it’s moving very, very fast right now and the game is very fast because he’s trying to do everything that we’re asking him to do. That’s a credit to him. It’s not like we’re sitting here saying, ‘You’re shooting too much,’ or anything like that."

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