With the start of the NBA season right around the corner, fans got a first look at the Miami Heat’s newest members.
A “new look” Heat team hit the Kaseya Center Monday for media day, bringing with them a whole lot of star power.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson join Bam Adebayo, giving Miami tons of experience and a four-time champion on the wing.
And while media day is really just about meet-and-greets, pictures and answering questions, the message around the team is much bigger.
“For me and the excitement around the team, like I said, you feel the energy, you feel the shift, and we’re ready to get this season started,” said Adebayo.
Expectations are high, and while the season doesn’t start Monday, the countdown to finding out just how good the group can be.
“Obviously we wanna get over the mountaintop and win us a championship, we can have the parade down Biscayne [Boulevard], and that’s the goal,” said Adebayo
While the team has been remade with a wealth of talent and championship experience, head coach Erik Spoelstra said his focus is on getting all these different pieces on the same page as quickly as possible.
“Guys understand what this is about, we have affection guys, we just have to get everybody feeling comfortable, get everybody competing to our standard. We have a lot of competitive people in that locker room, it’s not like we’re going to have to really teach them our level of intensity of how we want to compete,” said Spoelstra.
With two-time NBA Most Valuable Player winner and champion Antetokounmpo donning a Heat jersey during Monday’s events, the air around the Kaseya Center feels different with the start of a new era and centerpiece.
“It’s exciting, I know that I’m going to put in the work, succeed or fail, I’m going to fail by working or succeed by working,” said Antetokounmpo. “The goal is to win a championship, man, that’s the goal. There’s so many players that have played here and been successful, and I want to be part of that, but I’m going to focus on right now, how can I be the best that I can be right now? And hopefully I can leave my mark within this organization.”
On paper, the Heat’s defensive prowess with Adebayo and Antetokounmpo in the frontcourt look like a handful for any player looking to score near the rim.
Following the trade for Antetokounmpo, many pointed to the Heat potentially struggling to score with limited outside shooting.
That’s what led to the front office prioritizing one half of the Splash Brothers and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson.
The future Hall of Famer who’s shot just under 41% from beyond the arc over his 14-year career didn’t just come to South Florida for the warm weather.
“I get to be in an organization who has championship aspirations and is going to put all the eggs in one basket to try and make that happen so it’s so worth it,” said Thompson.
With optimism high around this season, the Heat now prepare to figure out how to make things work in the regular season and hit their stride right as the playoffs begin.
The team’s first practice is scheduled for Tuesday.
