“Everybody is fighting, grappling, hitting” - Head coach Erik Spoelstra on what Miami Heat practices are like
The Miami Heat, led by head coach Erik Spoelstra and superstar Jimmy Butler, reached the 2020 NBA Finals on the back of gritty performances and a never-back-down mentality.
That mindset trickled down to the 15th man on the roster as all the players had their goals aligned and were willing to put in the effort. They sacrificed their individual goals and saw a much bigger picture of team success.
The players were physically dominating on both ends and showed a willingness to blindly run through a brick wall if their team needed them to. This was key in remaining competitive and focusing on team goals in a strenuous bubble environment during their 2020 NBA Finals run.
The Heat have added a couple of key pieces in the offseason, including Kyle Lowry and tucker" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">PJ Tucker, who align with their goals and mindset. This has made practice extremely competitive, giving the players the boost they need prior to an arduous season.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke effusively about how hard practice was with his team as the players fought and grappled for every possession. According to The Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang, here's what Spoelstra said about the Heat roster:
"These guys are really competitive. You should see what the practices are like. If we put a score up there, everybody is fighting, grappling, hitting, complaining to officials."
Erik Spoelstra on this Heat roster: "These guys are really competitive. You should see what the practices are like. If we put a score up there, everybody is fighting, grappling, hitting, complaining to officials."
Can the Miami Heat, led by head coach Erik Spoelstra, make a deep playoff run?
The Miami Heat had an ideal offseason as they added vital pieces to their roster, including Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker. These are players who embody the Heat mentality and culture as they look to help their team raise another banner to the rafters.
The Eastern Conference is highly competitive this time around. Teams will need to put in tremendous effort to get past behemoths such as the Brooklyn Nets and defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat have the ideal roster and mentality to match up against either team and come out of the series victorious.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo recently gave the roster an apt nickname, calling it the Kennel due to the players' mentality, grittiness and ability to out-hustle their opponents.
Bam Adebayo says the Heat has decided on a name for the locker room: "The Kennel, because of a lot of dogs."
The Miami Heat have everything in place for a deep playoff run. They have the ideal coach in Erik Spoelstra to guide their team, a superstar trio featuring Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry, and the ideal squad depth to get through a long post-season. Don't be surprised if you see the Heat make it to the NBA Finals.
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