{"id":12817,"date":"2024-10-15T08:47:06","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=12817"},"modified":"2024-10-15T08:47:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:47:06","slug":"erik-spoelstra-eyeing-breakout-season-for-key-heat-point-guard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=12817","title":{"rendered":"Erik Spoelstra eyeing breakout season for key Heat point guard.."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a0Miami Heat got their first preseason win over the New Orleans Pelicans\u00a0Sunday evening where this time of the year displays players that are under the radar. As the\u00a0Heat prepare for a tough Eastern Conference this season, they will look for any break out player which head coach Erik Spoelstra speaks highly of one possibility after the victory Sunday.<\/p>\n

In terms of the player in question, it would be Dru Smith who is serving as the team\u2019s backup point guard as evident in the first two preseason contests. He showed his play-making skills Sunday where he scored four points, collected three rebounds, had two steals, one block, and five assists (a team high) as one of the first five coming off the bench.<\/p>\n

Heat\u2019s Erik Spoelstra on the strengths of Dru Smith<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center.\u00a0Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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There is no doubt that this is a great sign as\u00a0Smith had been in the process of recovering from a torn ACL\u00a0last season and the surgery that came after it. Heat had him return on a two-way contract and is now playing a big role as Spoelstra\u00a0sung his praises to the media\u00a0after the win against New Orleans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing is that it\u2019s a real credit to him and the training staff, the fact that he\u2019s out here doing what he\u2019s doing,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cYou know, after his injury, he really worked at it behind the scenes, and you have some really tough days, you know, in May, June, July, but he has that mental forms to that toughness that\u2019s that\u2019s unique. That\u2019s a superpower of his.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not look at his box score,\u201d Spoelstra continued. \u201cSo much of what he does, it won\u2019t show up [in the boxscore]. He just makes winning play after winning play. The guys love playing with him, he connects the group. Defensively, he\u2019s tough. Really can make a lot of things happen. If there\u2019s a ball going around, he\u2019s going to find a way to be around it or deflect it or steal it. And then he allows that group to function because he can get them organized and get the ball where it needs to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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