3 Things to Watch for in Heat's Preseason Home Opener

The Heat returned back home to Miami following their preseason opener against the Orlando Magic in Puerto Rico Saturday night. After training camp got cut short just a bit, they say they're using this time in preseason as an extension of that, which is why you should expect some trial and error stuff as they go along.

The Heat now prepare to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in their (preseason) home opener, so here are three things to be watching out for...

1. All eyes on lineup combinations.

As noted after the game in Puerto Rico, Erik Spoelstra used a hockey-like approach with the line shifts in the opener. Five-in, five-out simply meant you were locked into a role the entire game without making skill-set adjustments based on the personnel around you. I'd expect that to change a bit tonight. Maybe it's not a big starting lineup change, but Spoelstra will use his time wisely here to get a look at different combinations. One of the most underrated things in the game of basketball is lineup chemistry. It's not as simple as throwing your best guys out there at once. It's about finding who plays well next to some of the new acquisitions.

2. Norman Powell offensive ramp up.

Norman Powell finished the first game in a Heat uniform with 5 points on 2 of 6 shooting through 13 minutes. The starters were extremely limited for sure, but I think the adjustment tonight is seeing Powell in a more "Heat-like" role to simulate some things he will actually be running. Yes, it's fun to see his off the dribble pull-up shooting from deep, which can always be tapped into, but using him off a ton of off-ball screens or curls to get his looks is just necessary to get him ready for the real thing. Keep an eye on Miami spamming the Powell-Adebayo two-man game in this one.

3. Can the Miami Heat's speed be sustained?

Erik Spoelstra may not be game-planning for an 82 game season of constant run-outs and fast-break buckets, but he is trying to get his team to play at a faster speed. Turnovers into transition points are the easiest way to do that, but an even simpler way is just getting into their actions sooner in the half-court. It's been a key drill up in Boca during training camp, as all scrimmages were played with a 16 second shot clock, instead of the usual 24. That's just preparing them for the way they're expected to operate, as a lot of Miami's issues last year derived from late shot-clock issues. It's easy to run for a game or two, but can it be sustained? It's only game two so they should, but time to watch for the guys who prioritize it, and those who might be going through the motions.